How to meditate

Very often, we approach learning something from the perspective of succeeding. We want to do it right and well. 

But to effectively learn to meditate, we will, at some point, need to throw away the idea of getting it right and just do our best. In a sense, we must become the child all over again and to be open to what presents itself in the moment.

There are two types of meditation. The first type of meditation is that which trains the mind to have a single pointed concentration on a word, a chant, an image or on the breath. Thi s is by far the most popular type of meditation, you will find this in many churches with prayers, yoga studios, and ashrams. Examples of this type of meditation are found in the Catholic Church with the rosary, Transcendental Meditation (TM) with a one word chant, Buddhist Malas (prayers beads), Kirtan (song chanting), and most yoga traditions through prayer, chanting and pranayama (breath). 

The second type of  meditation is where "we allow", letting thoughts, sounds, images, anything that comes to the mind drift by. Very often as the person sits in this type of meditation, there mind will drift and then stay lodged into a fantasy or some current life situation. The whole meditation can come be this in fact. The idea here is to acknowledge when we become engaged in a story, and then to let it go like a balloon to the sky. This is a very powerful form of meditation where deep insight can arise from allowing for things to be as they are. 

You really cannot have one type of meditation without the other. At some point, past the technique, there is the necessity of sitting in quiet and in nothing, whether it is during the action of daily life or the stillness of one's room. 

Regardless of the type of meditation, it is important to prepare the body for sitting. The original purpose of yoga, before it became a "physical" practice to itself in the West, was to prepare the body for sitting in meditation. The idea behind the use of yoga was to align the body and its energy body, so that toxicity could be released from the body so that the mind would not be distracted. Having said that, any type of movement really can do, from running to calisthenics to stretching. There will be several movement classes on this blog to help prepare for meditation.

Focusing on the breath is also beneficial. Focusing on the breath can bring the mind in and aid in letting go of external distractions. Physiologically, centering breath work aids in calming the mind and body so that meditation can occur with less difficulty. One style of focusing breath is listed at naomihealer.blogspot.com at breathing 1-2-3-4.

Without doing either, one can still meditate, however it leaves the body and mind more open for irritations and distractions and can actually serve to make some imbalances worse. Our body and the nervous system is the vehicle with which we can receive and connect; helping it to settle in, is a favor you to do yourself.

With movement and the breath taken care of, sitting for meditation occurs with an upright posture. Some advocate sitting in crosslegged or lotus position. In the west, because we are not raised to sit this way, our hips and knees are not trained for this. Allow yourself a chair or pillows or props if you are uncomfortable. In any of these positions, keep your self sitting up tall and relaxed. A too rigid minds yields a too rigid body, so make sure you are supported if need be.

Regardless of how you prepare and what type of meditation you choose, it is important to have the mind of a child and to be open to what presents itself. If you find that you become frustrated, and meditation "is just impossible", then imagine yourself as a child seeing a flower for the first time. Allow yourself to be in the freshness of your self, and be kind, as no one else can be to you at that moment. 

Some other tips for your meditation practice:

• Have a beginning point. You can use a gong, timer or sound, and/or light a candle. 
• When first starting meditation, it is helpful to choose a type of meditation that fits your cultural proclivity. So if you are Jewish, Christian or Muslim and are used to prayer, then choose one word that has meaning and focus on this one word. 
• Have an end point. Use the same thing that started your meditation, gong, timer or sound. And/or blow out the candle

Regardless how you prepare and what type of meditation you choose, most importantly, have the mind of a child. Allow yourself to be open to what presents itself. If you find that you become frustrated, and meditation is "just impossible", then imagine yourself as a child seeing a flower for the first time. Allow yourself to be in the freshness of yourself, and be kind, as no one else can be to you at that moment.

And finally, to support yourself in the process, find yourself a community and a mentor. No one should have to learn to walk alone through the forest of  wisdom, although many of us try and end up in frustration. There is nothing wrong in connecting with others and having support. After all, the ultimate goal in meditation is not "nothing" but a loving kindness and openness to the glory of all that is you and infinite. 

May you be well, may you be safe, may you have ease in body and mind.