Chapter 6

by EdySutio

Elements Required For Meditation To Happen

So, you want to meditate.  Now that you have a bit of background on meditation you think you can sit down and completely get into it, right?  It’s not quite that easy.  Nevertheless, the process can be broken down to allow anyone to fully learn it.

To perform meditation, there are several key elements that must be taken into consideration prior to getting started.  If and when you accomplish these tasks, you’ll be in a better place to actually meditate to the highest possible level of consciousness.

There are four big things to consider.  First, you need to have the right attitude.  For that, you need what is called a passive attitude.  This attitude allows for the right experience because it takes away some of the lesser and often negative aspects that you may have towards meditation.

Attitude isn’t everything, though.  The next element that you need is the right location.  The best location for meditation is one that is quiet and relaxing to you.  Whatever it takes to get into the right setting, make it happen.

Next, you need the right physical posture.  Your body must be in the right stage so that you are both comfortable and relaxed to the level that meditation requires.  When you enter this stage, meditation is easier to accomplish.

Finally, you need something to meditate on.  As we’ve already discussed, there is importance in what this is as it should be something that is relaxing and something that allows you to remain still and quiet while meditating with that element.

Now, we’ll go into detail about each of these aspects.  Each is a very important part to the meditation process.

Location

First, we need to help you to find the right location to meditate.  As you can probably imagine, you need a location that is quiet and calm.  If you wish to experience meditation, being in the correct surroundings will make all of the difference to you.

The best locations for you to select are those that will allow not only your mind to relax but also your body’s muscles.  This is generally done in a sitting or a lying position, so make sure that the location you choose offers that.

The location should be one that does not offer many distractions.  This is crucial to the ability to filter these things out of your mind.  Those that are just starting to learn meditation need the least distractions possible.  Once you hone your skills, though, you’ll be able to meditate is more busy locations including in public locations where you can’t control the distraction and noise levels.  First, though, look for quiet!

The Right Position

Just like the right location, being in the right position for meditation is crucial.  Actually, what we are looking for here is the right posture for your body that provides for the best abilities to meditate.

The posture in which your body is in is very much a role player in the type of experience that you have.  This is believed in many forms of alternative medicine and wellness.  In Yoga, there are a number of postures performed to get the desired results. 

If you are practicing Kum Ney, which is a type of Islamic prayer, there are postures beneficial here.  In Buddhist religious ceremonies, the posture of the body is very critical to the experience that the individual has in the prayer that they lead.

One of the most important elements in maintaining your posture is to keep your spine straight.  Although there is no proof medically speaking, it is believed that when the spine is correctly aligned, in a straight line, which it helps to benefit the state of mind that you are in.

If you have a problem with your spine and this is not comfortable for you, do not insist on it.  Most individuals will experience some discomfort during their first few experiences with this type of straightening of the back.  For most, this will go away after you get used to it.  If it is pain, though, don’t force yourself to do this.

You may be tempted to meditate in a lying down position.  Although this position does work, it often causes individuals that are new to meditation to fall asleep.  Therefore, unless you know that you can refrain from sleeping; try to use the sitting up position.

Semi Poised

The semi poised posture is another choice.  In a semi poised posture, you are not sitting straight up and you are not lying down flat.  You are reclining to a point.  This is often done by those that can’t sit well straight up.  It can be done on your sofa for additional comfort.  Make sure that your head is supported in this position. You should not put yourself in a position that allows you to fall asleep, though.

Poised Posture

The most common and the most beneficial type of posture is that of poised.  The poised posture is one in which the back and spine is upright and straight, but is not rigidly so.  The reasoning behind this benefit is actually important to understand. 

When you are in the poised posture, your body is alert.  Your state of mind is that of being aware and poised, ready for attention.  By keeping your back straight, you are keeping your mind alert.

Lotus Posture

Another option is that of the lotus posture.  This is actually the most common and well liked posture in the Eastern forms of meditation.  In this position, you will sit with your legs crossed and the back and spine in a vertical line.  Your legs are crossed with the feet placed on the thighs.

The problem with the lotus posture is that it can be somewhat painful for those that aren’t flexible.  It can be something learned and even mastered after a few tries.

There are other postures that can be used as well.  If you would like to learn a posture that allows you to sit in a specific position, look towards your meditation guide to help you to find one that works for you.

Passiveness In Your Attitude

The next key ingredient in meditation is your attitude.  Often, the attitude that is most commonly required and talked about is that of poised awareness.  Your attitude is probably the most important element in this entire process.  It is called poised awareness because that’s just what you are.  You are relaxed but alert in such a way that is the perfect balance between the two.

When you enter this type of awareness, you notice what is happening around you but you are not focusing on it.  You are casually aware of these things and yet you are detached from them. 

When new thoughts enter your mind, you must let them just pass through, knowing that they have come but not caring much about them.  As you gaze at your meditation object, you’ll want to allow your mind the ability to notice what is happening around you.

But, when your mind wanders away and you begin to add additional thoughts onto that original one, developing an interest in them, come back to that meditation object and readdress your methods of entering into meditation.

When you learn to keep your mind focused and relaxed, you can realize that your mind has gone off into another direction and bring it back to where we want it to be for meditation.

When you enter poised awareness, you will at first need to fight to stay there.  Yet, over time, you’ll find yourself being able to stay in focus throughout your meditation experience.  You don’t have to fight it as much.

A passive attitude is one in which your mind can notice that there are other thoughts passing through, but that stays relaxed and doesn’t focus on those thoughts.  When you can do this, you’ll be able to notice but not react to those distractions that come your way, therefore allowing your body and mind to enter into meditation easier.

Your Meditation Object

There is one more piece of the puzzle to enter into meditation through practicing yourself.  You need to have a meditation object to use to help direct and focus your attention on.

The object that you use is generally called a mantra, which is actually a specific word or even a syllable. 

Sometimes, like in Buddhism meditation, you’ll focus on your breathing movements as your object for meditation.  If you do decide to use breathing as your method for entering into meditation, then do so correctly.  You need to make your meditation method use the rise and fall of your abdomen rather than the presence of inhaling air. 

In addition, make sure to use breathing that comes you’re your diaphragm rather than from your stomach.  Proper posture will help this as will practicing how to use it.  Once you get into a meditation state, you’ll find that the rhythm of your breathing in the movement of your body will help to promote deep relaxation.

Either of these, mantra or breathing, can be used as your meditation object so long as they provide for relaxation.

You can also use various other elements in the room you are in.  If you choose to do this, make sure that the element you select is something that provides for relaxation.  Some individuals like to close their eyes in order to relax and then to induce meditation.  This is up to you and your preferences for meditation.

Should you go with a mantra for your method of inducing meditation, do so with careful thought.  Although some meditation therapists will tell you that a specific selection of sounds should be used for your mantra as determined by your nervous system, there isn’t a lot of noticeable benefit from this.  You can use any word that is neutral and that allows you to stay focused.  It should not be something that easily brings another thought to your mind.

It doesn’t have to be a word either.  It can be a nonsensical sound or a grouping of sounds.

Remember that your mind needs to enter into a phase in which no thoughts or very few thoughts and no thoughts of meaning are passing through it.  When this happens, the deepest level of thought and consciousness are found and only then can it happen.

 by EdySutio

Put It Together

Once you have learned each of these four very important elements to the meditation process, you can begin to develop a pattern for yourself. 
Most of the time, it does take some practice and just trying out different methods to actually find the process that works the best for you.  The goal is to remember what you are after.  You want a state of mind that is clear from other thoughts and you want to put yourself both your mind and your body in a relaxed state.

For you, this may be different from what it is for others that meditate.  We recommend starting with those methods described here and practicing with them until you have achieved them.  Later, if you find that something works better for you, such as with your posture or your meditation object, you can then change it to match the benefits that you’ve found.

Most commonly, though, meditation involves a trial and error. Don’t assume that just one try of a mantra will work.  If you don’t fully learn how to do something, this too can lead to the wrong experience.  For example, if you don’t breathe correctly, you can’t know that breathing doesn’t work for you.  Next, we’ll try to meditate.