Introduction to Meditation
(See Inner Smile Meditation at the bottom of age.)
What is meditation: I
like to think of meditation as relaxing our mind, so that we "tune out" the
mind's natural tendency to chatter meaninglessly.
Why should we meditate: On a physical level, by learning the skill of stilling our mind we are able to de-stress. That alone is reason enough to practice meditation regularly. However, as we hone our meditation skills we learn to tune in to the infinite part of our nature, often referred to as Our Source.
Preparation:
If possible, have a special place and time of day to meditate. Mid-morning is
the best time of day for me, and I have a very comfortable swivel rocker in my
bedroom where I have meditated for years. Remove your shoes; loosen any tight
clothing, etc. before you begin.
The very easiest and simplest approach to beginning meditation is:
Step 1: Begin with several very deep, slow breaths. Inhale
deeply and exhale as slowly as possible. The breath is the key to relaxation, as
well as going within.
Step 2: With eyes closed, relax your entire body by focusing
your attention first on your face and head, neck, shoulders, arms, chest,
abdomen, upper back, lower back, hips, thighs, legs, and finally feet.
Step 3: Then imagine a bright, white light entering the top of your
head. Imagine that gradually it moves ever so slowly down your body, saturating
each cell with the wonderful healing and rejuvenating light, following the
pattern of your relaxation above. Imagine that the light is healing, energizing and
rejuvenating every cell, system and organ of your body. After your entire body
is saturated with the light, then imagine that in addition there is a halo of
the white light surrounding your entire body. Bask in the essence of your
entire body as a being of light.
Step 4: Then imagine that you are descending a beautiful
staircase. With each step as you descend, allow yourself to relax more and more
into that light. At the bottom of the stairs is a magnificent garden with
incredibly beautiful trees, shrubs and flowers, and perhaps a fountain. Hear the
sound of the water in the fountain, as it trickles into a brook that runs
through your garden. Hear the sound of a breeze in the trees, and the birds
chirping in your garden, perhaps a frog in the background. Now notice that there
are comfortable places in your garden to sit (I see a white marble bench).
Step 5: After being seated, begin to repeat a mantra, a
repeated word or phrase, silently to yourself. Examples are "OM," "I AM," I AM
LOVE," "ONE," "I AM ONE WITH ALL THAT IS," or whatever is meaningful to you. You
may also just concentrate on your breath. The purpose of the mantra is to
mentally focus on something so that you still the mind chatter that clutters our
minds all the time. I find "I AM LOVE" to be very effective. When you find your
mind wandering to other thoughts (and it will), just gently bring it back to your mantra.
I suggest that you not go beyond Steps 1
through 5 until you are comfortable with the process, and it becomes a habit.
That may take weeks or months. The more consistent your practice, the sooner you
develop the skill. As you begin this process, it is very important that you not
have any expectations. There is nothing in particular that is supposed to
happen. Rather whatever happens is what is supposed to happen.
And also, please remember that you must be determined to stay with it until you
"get it." Half an hour should be your goal, but when you first begin 10-15
minutes is a good goal, or perhaps just 5 minutes. You will develop the technique much more rapidly if you
are able to have two meditation periods each day, in the morning and again in
the early evening.
If you are a person who has a very difficult time relaxing and getting into
meditation, you may make the first step just playing some lovely, relaxing
background music, while you sit quietly and just listen. If you do that for
half an hour, I’m sure you will learn to quiet your mind. Then you can move
into Step 1 of this meditation guide.
Meditation is such an important
self-healing tool. I hope each one of you find that healing place inside
yourself. It is worth all the effort to get there.
NOTE: The Advanced Meditation is included in my e-book,
Four Steps to
Overcoming MS. You may preview and purchase Four Steps at:
The very best healing meditation I have ever experienced is by Qi Gong master Lee Holden. It is called Inner Smile Meditation. Just Google Inner Smile Meditation Lee Holden, click on the small image, and play it.