Chapter 5

by EdySutio

Are You Ready To Meditate Yet?

Now that you understand a bit behind the reasoning behind meditation, you can clearly see what the benefits are.  Now, you are ready to learn how to meditate.  Over the next chapters, we’ll talk about many of the different techniques that are crucial to meditation. 

Some techniques you can learn through this ebook, others, though, you’ll need a trained and experienced instructor to help you to learn how.  We suggest starting with some of the simpler forms like those listed here and then working your way into more complex ones.  You’ll find that this allows you to be more successful with the difficult meditation exercises as well.

A Word Of Warning

As you begin meditation, you should realize that the process can bring up feelings, thoughts and even traumatic events that happened in your past.  If you have repressed memories or otherwise are psychologically affected by meditation, don’t give up on it.  You should work with a skilled instructor though to work through these problems so that meditation can be successful for you.

Meditation may not be for you if you are a person that is paranoid, have problems with delusions or are facing high levels of anxiety to the point of not being able to function properly.  These individuals often find that meditation can be helpful, but only when under guidance from their doctors.  Those that have psychotic episodes of any sort should work with their meditation specialist first and foremost before starting their own meditation

Those that are interested in meditation but are worried about what could happen during meditation should insure that they have a skilled meditation specialist to help them through the first few episodes.

A Bit Of Background

Meditation is an art form that has come down from all types of cultures and from ancient civilizations.  Yet, each form comes from its own place, making it a bit unique from others. 

One thing that you will notice about meditation is its ability to change with the culture and therefore you’ll find various names for some of the techniques and styles that you find.  In addition, you will find countless religious or mystical applications to meditation as well.  As you move through meditation, realize that each aspect is different in where it is from and how it is used, yet all strive to offer the same end result to you.

For example, in ancient Christian training of the spirit, meditation is the process of thinking with a good amount of concentration on a topic.  Yet, in Eastern meditation, meditation doesn’t have any such meaning.  Instead, you are doing the opposite of thinking about a topic.

The goal of meditation in this form is to become detached; to pull away from your thoughts and then allow the silence to open up to you.  When this happens, your mind becomes quite.  In Eastern meditation arts, this is called the relaxation response that your body presents.  Yet, in Christian mystical practices, it is called contemplation, which we have already touched on.

Activities For Meditation

As we work through meditation, it is important to find something to use as your focus or your tool to enter into a meditation experience.  There are many different tools that you can use.  The best things to do are those that allow you to relax, stay still and to have some passive amount of attention paid to the object.

Here are some examples:

·        Relaxing comfortably on the couch listening to soft music.  Lying down is generally more beneficial than sitting up because it allows all of your muscles to relax.

·        Prayer, probably the oldest and most profoundly used tool in meditation is still one of the best tools to use to meditate with. Prayer allows you to focus and helps you to concentrate.  You are quiet and still, generally.  It is the most commonly used meditation stance.

·        A fire can be a wonderful meditation tool as well.  Sitting quietly by the fire, gauzing into it is alluring and often times allow a person to completely become memorized.  For meditation purposes, a fireside meditation can be the perfect location, assuming you are safe of course.

·        Focusing your attention on any single object can be beneficial as well.  Often times, this can be on anything that’s in the room where it’s quiet and open enough to relax.  You can do this with anything in the room, a person, a scene or even just the atmosphere of the room. 

In meditation, the goal is to find something to meditate on that allows you to focus, quietly and still, on it.  Anything that provides this can work for you.

Get Yourself Ready

Now that you have a basic idea of what goes into meditation, you can provide yourself with the necessary tools to get started.  We will get into that a bit more in just a minute.  Yet, before you do this, ask yourself a couple of questions.

·        Are you able to fully experience meditation because you are open to the potential benefits it can provide to you?

·        Are you able to have someone to watch over you during your first sessions, or perhaps work with you through them, in order to insure that you do not have any type of problem during one? 

·        Do you have a partner that may like to learn to meditate with you?  This can allow you to better experience the process.

Now, you are ready to dive into meditation.  First, ready your mind for the benefits that it can offer you.  Skeptics needs to stay behind, now.