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This is the third segment in a series of six, during this particular segment we will be learning the basic technique, which I’ll refer to as ‘The Breath of life’.
The breath of life
If you’ve read the previous two segments in this healing meditation course, you’ll now have a basic understanding of what meditation is and how it can be used for healing. Healing meditation is an ancient art that has been used for centuries. Tibetan monks use mantra meditation to manifest their thoughts and take time out to contemplate life in search of answers, Native Americans use meditation to go on spiritual journeys in search of ancient wisdom, Ancient Sanskrit use meditation as a way of prayer. All these practises require one important focus point, the intent on life in the physical and in the spiritual. The way that is achieved, is with the breath and by realising how alive they truly are, they become masters of awareness through their extremely advanced and disciplined techniques. Although we are just starting out on our journey of meditation, it is possible to achieve great results with the basic meditation practise of “The breath of life.”
I’m sure, if this is your first time with meditation, your almost certainly wondering what it will feel like within a meditation, will you be able to come back to normal reality?
Well, for most, being in a deep meditative state feels as if your sleeping, dreaming almost. It is quiet the enjoyable experience and as we’ve covered in earlier segments, has a lot of healing benefits. It’s easy to see why, when we take on a more accepting outlook on different levels of reality, where it’s possible to connect to an array of celestial beings and our true inner self. It’s also important, before you meditation, to feel safe and to know that you can always come back. I always advise that you can find your way back to the normal state of mind, by wiggling your toes, fingers and then movement of other body parts. Finishing with a glass of water and a small snack, those actions are putting focus back to your physical functions, that’s why they are so effective!
Breathing to the rhythm of your heart and life
Establishing our breathing, along side our heart beat, is a strong reminder that we are alive. It’s only when we focus on the breath or heart beat that we are reminded of this. Through biology studies, we know that when we breathe, oxygen is taken into bodies and released into our blood stream. Blood, is then pumped through our beating heart and then we are able to release toxins such as carbon dioxide through our exhale and our lymphatic system. But on a normal day to day routine, it is not often that we stop and say, “I can feel my heart beat, I am alive and I am here for a truly wonderful reason!”, or “I am breathing life into my body!”
The breath or the heart beat are two wonderful ways we can focus our attention to living and both are excellent aids to relaxing into meditation. The breath is a much more ideal way to be reminded that we are alive, because we can control the rhythm of the breath, as we put our focus on being truly alive. Breath control is important in meditation work, as you control and slow your breath down, the brain also slows down. This allows your body to recognize it is time to meditate and helps slow down your physical body. As you breathe in, it’s believed that not only are you breathing in air, but also that your lungs are being filled with “chi” vital life force energy. It is through the lungs that the “chi” is released into the nervous system.
As we know, when we are meditating, our body slows down to a near stop but our mind continues to work in a more harmonious level, integrating the left and the right side of the brain to work together. (And control of the breath is a good return, if focus is lost during meditation)
So, what does that mean? Integrating the left and the right side of the brain, brings your intellectual and your creative thinking together to be combined, to work better in normal waking life as well as in dream and medative states, another reason why meditation is so very holistic. To think that none of that would be possible if we did not control the breath to slow down to prepare for meditation, as our mind and our body would not be able to process the idea of meditation as well as being reminded of the miraculous fact that we are living and here for a reason.
Beginners “Breath of Life” exercises
Here’s two small exercises to help you build up to the practise of meditation, use the information from previous segments one and two, to combine with the below exercises to help get you started on the meditative journey of self discovery and to feel the "zing" of life!
Exercise one
Within each day, whatever you are doing, whether it be the washing up, or making a cuppa during tea break try this:
Stop what you are doing, without prior planning or warning. Just stop what you’re doing to breathe. Stop all activity, close your eyes, breathe and listen.
Listen to your heart beat and to your breathing. Breathing in, holding and releasing. Repeat five times. It should only take a minute.
Try to do this exercise once a day, not only is this good practise for your breathing technique, but also it brings about focus during the day.
This is an excellent exercise for getting the beginner use to the quiet feeling and to slowly think about meditation.
Exercise two
As well as the above exercise, also fit in, ten minutes of planned *focus on the breath* meditation. During which time you can lie down, relax and enjoy your favourite music. This is a good place to start, allowing thoughts to float in and out of your mind because blocking any thoughts is a wasted exercise when your just starting out, this is something that you slowly build up as you get more practise at having a ‘still mind’.
In this planned “Focus on the breath”, please allow your brain to function and to think. The trick is, not to focus on what you’re thinking about and to allow it to float out of your mind as quickly as it came in. As thoughts pop into your mind, register them and release them. You may find you have moment’s in-between the thinking, moments of quiet and stillness. Congratulations, this is when your mind is in meditation. Please don’t worry if you don’t find you have those moments, it takes some longer than others to master the quiet mind, follow the two exercises for a few weeks until you “feel” ready to take meditation to the next level…
In the next instalment, I will discuss taking the breathing exercise further, to slowly build up the mind for future segments that will include the benefits and practise of twenty minute healing visualisations and contemplative meditations. The last segment will be on how to make creative visualisations work for you.
Hayley Jo-Anne Kenwright is presenter of 'Meditation Time at spiritual connextions.com radio. Every Friday and Monday evening (GMT)
Having now contributed articles to leading magazines such as Rainbow News, Chat Its Fate, Take 5 and PS magazine, Hayley Jo-Anne has been interviewed on the radio about her spirit and healing work and even has her own psychic column with the exciting new woman's magazine 'Skylar'. For more information please visit the following site http://www.exorcisms.co.uk (team member Hayley Jo-Anne) and http://www.myspace.com/hayleyjoanne
More than 500 scientific studies about transcendental meditation were carried out in the last 25 years at more than 200 independent universities and research institutions. The results show that the program of transcendental meditation has beneficial effects in all areas of life, private and professional. The research has been published for example in 'Science', 'The American Journal of Physiology', 'Scientific American' and many more. They all show that the quality of life of those practicing TM is far better than in those who don't practice it.
Transcendental meditation was taught for the first time in the West about fifty years ago by the physician and philosopher Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It soon became very popular around the world because of its many positive effects. This particular meditation technique is independent of local values, religions, faiths and political convictions.
It is basically a relaxation technique for the mind which can be learned easily. It consists of practice sessions, twice daily for about 10 to 20 minutes, where the person meditating sits comfortably and with closed eyes. Mediation is usually associated with the lotus position, which is extremely painful for the beginner. Here, a comfortable chair, a cushion, anything that provides a physical position where bones don't hurt is good enough.
Transcendental meditation is probably the meditation technique that has been best investigated and documented scientifically. Many scientific publications have dealt with the subject and have proven its inherent value not only for those who practice it but for business as well. Let's look at General Motors, for example.
The biggest car manufacturing company in the U.S. offers all its employees courses in transcendental meditation paid for by the company. Triggering this program was the realisation that stress on the job costs American companies 200 billion dollars annually. It has been identified as the main factor for the deteriorating health of employees and the decrease in productivity.
In the last 25 years many studies carried out in companies like GM showed that transcendental meditation programs bring with them a lot of advantages for companies and their employees. A study with 125 General Motors employees showed that their practicing of TM brought about a significant improvement in their health, productivity and morale.
In another area, the US government pays Vietnam veterans the enrollment fees for courses in transcendental meditation, as long as their physicians prescribe it. This policy of providing this kind of meditation training for the veterans was initiated when studies showed that people suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome experienced a considerable reduction in their symptoms when practicing TM.
In California, US, the bar association recognizes courses that lawyers take in TM as having curriculum value. Here as well the background for this change of attitude is the recognition that attorneys work better and more effectively when they have the possibility to liberate themselves from the stress courtrooms and trials bring with them. The regular attendance of legal training courses is obligatory in California and is being monitored through a point system. For the attendance of a basic course in TM attorneys get assigned x number of points that count toward their curriculum.
The holder of the world record in remembering numbers in the Guinness book of records considers transcendental meditation as a very effective relaxation technique. Mr. Tomoyori achieved his record in 1990, at the age of 58, by remembering the number Pi - which is 3.14, ad infinitum. He remembered 40,000 values after the point. He says: " I learned TM because I wanted to learn how to relax better and to maintain my power of concentration. Because it takes 17 hours to say this number by heart I need a certain relaxation while at the same time I must be able to concentrate. TM is great because it's so simple and it provides effective relaxation. It helps in strengthening my powers of concentration while at the same time helping me to sleep deeply.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Meditation
The ultimate aim of a Buddhist is to attain nirvana. The nirvana is a state where one is liberated from all bindings and does not have to go through the cycle of birth and death. Meditation is a set of techniques through which a Buddhist can realize the state of nirvana.
But before that, meditation is a way to cultivate the mind. Buddhism teaches meditation as a way to reach the state of mindfulness. Mindfulness is that state of consciousness where the practitioner is fully aware of his states of mind. He is aware of each thought and each reaction passing through his mind. He knows himself much more than an ordinary person.
Buddha's teachings centre on the concept of 'Four Noble Truths'. First, there is suffering or dissatisfaction in our world. Second, the suffering is due to our desires and ignorance. The suffering is ultimately due to the state of our mind. We suffer because we do not truly understand ourselves. So consequently, if we understand ourselves and the working of our mind we can end this suffering. Third, this suffering can be put to an end. Better understanding of self leads to the deliverance from suffering.
Suffering is actually the inseparable part of this existence. One can reach the state of nirvana, where one goes beyond the cyclic nature of existence - the cycle of birth and death. This is the hope that Buddha held forth to the practitioners of the faith. And finally, the way to accomplish this is The Eightfold Path.
The eightfold path is constituted by right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right understanding, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
The last three, in fact, refer to the path of meditation. Buddhism, perhaps, is the only system which provides the practical means to achieve everything that is promised by it. Buddha advised concentrating on some thing to reach the meditative state. In meditation, the practitioner is mostly asked to direct her attention towards breathing. One consciously observes the breath going in and the breath going out. Not only this, one observes each and every sensation, thought and feeling in one's mind. One thus becomes keenly aware of the workings of the mind. This helps practitioner reach the state of mindfulness.
Broadly, the Buddhist meditation is divided into two categories - the Samatha (calm) and the Vipassana (mindfulness). The Samatha, or Calm, meditation, is done by concentrating the mind to such a degree that mind and body both attain a high level of calmness. There are three benefits of practicing this form of meditation - peace and happiness, a favorable rebirth and the freedom from mental disturbances that are the source of unhappiness. Samatha helps us attain a state of tranquility and calmness with oneself that best depicted by the images of Buddha himself. With Samatha we do not attain nirvana, but get ready to achieve it.
Vipassana is the technique of observing oneself. We become aware of our reactions to the sensations of pain and pleasure. But instead of reacting with like or dislike, we become aware of these disturbances of the mind. This method makes us reach those obscure parts of our consciousness where body and thought, chemicals and feelings, meet each other. Ultimately, we become aware of the processes through which our deepest habits are formed. This awareness liberates us from these habits and we become masters of our mind. It makes us realize the source of all thoughts and feelings and makes one 'aware' in the true sense of the word.
Vipassana helps one attain the state of mindfulness - the state where we see things as they really are. Vipassana is the realization, by direct insight, of the presence of three characteristics of being - impermanence, suffering and non-self, in everything - including our bodily and mental processes. The realization is on a more direct and intuitional level rather than an intellectual understanding.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Meditation
In this segment, we’ll be looking at helpful ways to encourage that medative state of mind, ready for when we start work on different meditation techniques, which will be covered in subsequent lessons.
Meditation is a discipline that coaches relaxation in the body and calms the mind which I believe, leads to discovering our divine, true self that has no beginning and no end.
When we first start on the path of meditation we can encounter many difficulties. Finding the right time or *fitting it into our daily routines* is typically the first difficulty. The second, is how to relax the body and calming the mind is the third most common difficulty. This is by far the most common difficulty people encounter. This is a tricky technique to accomplish because when we first try and relax the mind, we are attacked by thoughts on every day subjects and worries. Pantanjali, a wise eastern sage likens the mind to a pond into which is thrown a continuous stream of stones, causing ripples upon the ponds surface. The pond represents the mind, the stones, thoughts and the ripples, the disturbances that these thoughts cause. Unless we stop throwing stones, allowing the ripples to become still, we will never see the bottom. In other words, if we are unable to quieten the mind and free it from thoughts we will never see our own true self.
Establishing time
It is important to set aside the same time each day to meditate. This then becomes a discipline, as it’s so easy to have the intentions to meditate every single day, but if a fixed time is not organised, the day then becomes night and then we just simply *can't be bothered*.Therefore we should ideally set aside fifteen minutes daily for stilling the mind and attaining inner peace. You might find you actually look forward to these moments that are just for you. Let me assure you now, that this time you set aside will definitely not be wasted time.
I suggest, when starting meditation for the first time, you do two fifteen minute meditations daily. But be sure to leave at least six hours in-between each meditation, dusk and dawn are excellent times to meditate. More importantly, try to give your mind some notice that it is about to meditate. Once you have decided your time for meditation it does help to stick to it as previously mentioned in this article, discipline. This should not be hurried or done whilst you should be doing your washing or you won’t settle. If you meditate before going to sleep in the evening, the serenity produced will help sleeps become better quality, often recommended for insomniacs to try. If you sleep with worries or active thoughts on your mind you will have poor quality of rest, but if you go to bed with a peaceful mind, you should sleep like a child and hopefully awaken in the morning revitalised and refreshed ready for the new day.
If you meditate in the mornings, the inner peace you reach first thing will carry you through the day, with a sense of calm and cope-ability. Again, take your time and do no worry. I find it helpful to set the alarm clock just twenty minutes earlier than normal. I allow five minutes to prepare the room for mediation and then I settle down in peace, because the rest of my family is still sleeping. This is my usual time for positive affirmations as they prepare me for the day. It’s comparable to setting your mind to the right frequency, if we affirm often enough.
Meditation is a perfect way to bring in affirmations, especially morning ones. Leave an hour after a meal, or you will still be in digestion mode. You can meditate anytime of the day, you must find what suits you and your way of life best.
Establishing location
Think of any meditation centres, Yoga rooms or indeed churches that you may have visited in the past and remember how the room felt, how you felt as you entered the room. Most people can feel the space as soon as they walk in to the room. Similar to when you meet a person and you know instantly if you like them or not. This is because the people, who have prayed or meditated previously in that room, have instilled their lingering thoughts and energies there and, as we know, energy cannot be destroyed. That’s one great reason to think about using the same room for each mediation session. Find a place which is quiet, warm and where you know you will not be disturbed.
The more a space is used for meditation the more peaceful the vibrations become there and accordingly, easier to slip into that meditative state of mind. If, like most people, you do not have the room for a ‘special meditation room’ in your home, you can utilise another room such as your living room. In this case, before you meditate, you can soften the energy vibrations created by the normal hustle and bustle that will have been created throughout the day, several ways. Most commonly, by thoroughly airing the room and the burning of incense or Aromatherapy oils, but my favourite way is with fresh flowers. Fresh flowers not only contribute their own gentle fragrance, but also provide objects for contemplation if you are working with gazing meditation. Another way to enhance the atmosphere ready for meditation is by playing a tape of soft new age or classical music, but its imperative that I mention here that although music can be a useful aid, many do prefer complete silence during mediation so trial and error to find what suits you best. Lighting should be soft, wear clothes that are warm, comfortable and of course none restrictive, I’d also suggest that you remove your shoes, simply because the more comfortable you are, the easier it will be for you to relax in preparation for mediation.
As I’ve mentioned, we are not all lucky enough to have our own mediation room, but there are alternatives. Use of your bedroom (try not to fall asleep though), the garden (find a tree or plant you feel most connected to and use that as your own personal mediation space during the warmer months) or by finding any room that is not being utilized in the evenings or mornings. (I have known people to use the cupboard under their stairs to find that peace and personal space that’s just theirs! Any space will do, as long as you feel safe and comfortable there.
Establishing posture
It’s alright, I’m not about to dictate to you, strange and weird postures that only the most athletic or subtle bodies can manage, but I do need to point out that you should get your posture right for you before contemplating a meditation. Otherwise you may find the whole exercise ruined by uncomfortable fidgets. Not only for comfort, but if you have got the posture right you should feel grounded and safe.
Which ever posture you choose, you must insure that your spine is straight, as this is the main channel in which your energy flows from the earth and through your spiritual body towards the higher realms of consciousness. Not only that, but you don’t want to injure your back by sitting slumped for long periods of time. Find what suits you by trying a few things out, lying down, sitting up in a high back chair, or on a sofa. Perhaps you can use props around your home to adjust your comfort levels, such as big floor cushions or yoga mats.
Have a play and see what you feel most comfortable with. Try each position by staying in it for five minutes at a time and seeing how your body feels in that space. Don’t worry, you don’t need to have a set posture, you can swop and change the more you practise meditation, and soon you’ll have it down to a fine art. You’ll know exactly what feels good and what does not.
Words to think about until our next lessons “Trial and error, find what suits you and don’t be afraid to try new things. You never know, the grass could actually be greener on the other side, if not then no harm done.”.
Hayley Jo-Anne Kenwright is presenter of 'Meditation Time' @ http://www.spiritualconnextions.com radio Every Friday and Monday evening (GMT)
Having now contributed articles to leading magazines such as Rainbow News, Chat Its Fate, Take 5 and PS magazine, Hayley Jo-Anne has been interviewed on the radio about her spirit and healing work and even has her own psychic column with the exciting new woman's magazine 'Skylar'. For more information please visit the following site http://www.exorcisms.co.uk (team member Hayley Jo-Anne) and http://www.myspace.com/hayleyjoanne
Meditating outdoors? Does it really matter where you meditate? I think it can. For some of us, being outside makes for not just a different meditation experience, but a more profound one. There are some good reasons for this.
perhaps meditating in a quiet room with no sounds and nothing to distract is the easiest way, especially for beginners. It's hard enough to quiet your mind without constant input from your surroundings. On the other hand, life is constant input, so if you want the peacefulness that comes from meditation to enter your life beyond your practice, perhaps learning to meditate despite surrounding sounds and movement is just what you need.
Meditating Outdoors
There's a high bank on a river where I lived years ago. It was a five-minute walk from the house. There's a level grassy spot at the top, looking down on the water fifty feet below. That is where I would go to sit. Often there was a breeze I could feel on my skin and hear in the surrounding trees. I also heard the water as it strained through some dead trees near the river bank. I smelled the dirt around me, and the odor of fish coming up from the water.
Meditating there wasn't only pleasurable because of the environment, but also different from meditating in the silence of my home. There was more of a sense of experiencing the world without thought, without over-analyzing. Why? Perhaps simply because there was more to experience. There were the sounds, which included birds, and the occasional splashing of some animal in the river. There were things to smell and the feel of the grass.
I usually close my eyes when I meditate, because I am a very visually-oriented person, and find it easier to meditate this way. When I finished my meditation by the river, I would open my eyes, of course, but what I saw was always different from what was there when I started. Of course it was the same, but I was seeing it differently, as if for the first time. While difficult to explain, this is easy to recognize if you have had the experience.
It's wonderful to look around as if seeing for the first time. You are seeing without preconception. I might see a deer on the opposite bank of the river, but the thought "deer" wouldn't cross my mind, meaning it wouldn't cloud my vision with any ideas about what a deer is or should be. The sounds and sensations were also "new." I think this more direct experience of life is a profound demonstration of how much we normally "live" through our thoughts, somewhat detached from reality.
If you haven't already tried it, why not get outside for your next meditation? Sit on a hill or in front of a garden, or try standing in front of a lake or pond when you meditate. The view will be wonderful when you open your eyes. There is nothing quite like meditating outdoors.
Steve Gillman has meditated and studied meditation for over twenty years. You can find a good mindfulness exercise and subscribe to The Meditation Newsletter at: http://www.TheMeditationSite.com
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Basic Relaxation Techniques - The first stage of meditation is actually a technique in concentration. Once relaxed, focus on your breath for a few minutes.
White Noise Machine - There are many forms of meditation. I feel that meditation happens when we sit silently in a garden in the presence of nature or when we are perfectly still in the silence of prayer.
Yoga Booty Ballet - This is not unlike the person who attempts to plumb the depths of oriental scriptures. Right away it becomes evident that they consist of incalculable layers, nearly all symbolic in nature.
Master Yoga Teacher - The negativity is a result of past experiences, being in a negative environment, or being under the influence of unconstructive ideas.
Multiple Black Belts - There is an instinctive fear to take start this task. Hence, the reason why there are professionals for psychological analysis.
Chronic Pain Sufferers - Mindless eating is a favorite recreational past time. It fills time and space and those emotional holes that sometimes cry out for attention.
Meditation Supply Items - If you are not comfortable in the traditional crossed legged or Lotus positions, you might benefit from one of the following meditation supply items.
Crohns Disease Treatment - Lupus is an autoimmune disease where the immune system of the body produces antibodies which start attacking itself, producing inflammation of the skin, joints, blood vessels and other areas.
Fault Free Life - Meditation and Energy Enhancement are techniques which can help you come to a mistake free life. You can find the most intelligent man in the world, on the IQ scale, and that man can have no common sense whatsoever and also no heart…
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