Meditation Basic Practice

Why Meditate?

Meditation is the process by which a practitioner learns to direct the flow of their mind towards the internal being-ness as opposed to the mind existing in a state of continuous agitation caused by external stimuli via the five senses. This process enables the mind to experience deep stillness and peace that brings rejuvenation and joy derived directly from the Source.

As well as bestowing numerous health benefits, meditation awards greater self-awareness and long-lasting inner joy and happiness to the practitioner. The authentic purpose of meditation is to lead the practitioner towards increased realization of their true nature.

How Long to Meditate

It is recommended to meditate twice a day - in the morning upon waking and in the evenings prior to retiring to bed. The duration of time for meditation can vary depending on the need and state of mind. For beginners it is recommended to meditate for 10 - 30 minutes. Prior to meditation it is helpful to practise gentle yoga or light stretching exercise.

Best Place to Meditate

It is advisable to have a dedicated space in your home for meditation. A well aired, non-cluttered, warm room with no distractions is recommended, whilst being sure to switch off appliances beforehand in case you are tempted to fall asleep.

Meditation Posture

When meditating, ideally the spine and neck should be aligned to assist the opening of breathing. You can sit on a chair with your spine erect and your feet firmly planted on the floor, or you can sit crossed legged with pillows or blankets for back support. Have a light blanket to cover yourself to keep warm as your circulation and breathing will be slowing down to give rest to your heart and nervous system. You can also aid your mediation posture by finding meditation chairs with back support.

Beginning Your Meditation

This preparatory meditation practice is in two parts and usually done before mediation ‘proper’.

Part 1 - Breathing or Pranayama practice to help prepare your mind for going inward and sustaining focused inward attention. Remember that your mind and breath are intimately linked, and the calmer is your breath – the calmer is your mind. Steady, slow, measured breathing is an excellent meditation practice in itself.

Part 2 - Sense withdrawal or Pratyahara practice to train your mind to withdraw its senses inward. Close your eyes and aim to withdraw your 5 senses from external stimulation. You do not move, nor see, nor smell, nor touch, nor feel sensations. This is a preliminary stage in training your body/sense mind to go inward and to be still. Just sit quietly for a few minutes with your eyes closed and breathe slowly and steadily. Whilst you are ‘switching off’ your senses from your body, you can practice counted steady breathing: inhaling on the count of one and exhaling on the count of two. Focus on the count and on steady, smooth, conscious breathing. Do not worry if you cannot achieve full sense withdrawal, do the best you can and with practice this process will become easier. Your efforts is what matters the most as this slowly will start training your mind to go inward at will.

Concentration & Introspection Meditation

Once the body is still and your senses are calm, your mind will start bringing images and thoughts to your awareness and body may start fidgeting. You need to be clear at this stage whether you are going to proceed with concentration and contemplation or introspection practice. Introspection is important for self-awareness and is better suited for times when the mind is in a state of excessive agitation. Concentration will train the mind to be one-pointed. One-pointed mind is needed to proceed to more advanced stage of meditation – contemplation and uninterrupted concentration on God which would ultimately lead to Samadhi, a state of divine union/absorption with Divinity, Oneness, God, All That Is, the eternal substratum of all manifest and unmanliest existence. This state is described in Upanishads as ‘Tadvanam’ - the end of all love longing.

"Just as the pure crystal takes colour from the object, which is nearest to it, so the mind when it is cleared of though waves achieves sameness or identity with the object of its concentration. This may be either a gross object, or the organ of perception, or the sense of ego. This achievement of sameness or identity with the object of concentration is known as samadhi."

Concentration Meditation

Concentrate on the point between your eyebrows or on the centre of your chest with your eyes closed. Whilst you are concentrating, you can inwardly count your breath. Again, and again keep returning your focus to your chosen method. Your mind would be distracting you with thoughts and images but keep training your mind to return to your point of concentration. You can also choose to concentrate on your breathing. This is called ‘breath awareness’ or concentration on breathing in hatha yoga practice. Pulling your mind back to your concentration point may occupy all of your practice time, but rest assured that you are advancing in your meditation, regardless of your mind’s distractions. What matters the most is that you are creating space and dedicating time to connecting to divinity inside you, it’s like going on a date with your beloved and your consistent effort, perseverance, and devotion are your best allies and friends.

Contemplation Meditation

Once you have attained one-pointed mind and can hold your concentration uninterruptedly for a longer period (10-20 minutes), you can move to contemplation stage. This is an advanced stage of meditation, and it is advisable that you do your own research on different focal points used in the practice of contemplation. The point between the eyebrows is often chosen as a focal point for the mind whist holding a state of uninterrupted focused attention on continuous devotional abiding in a state of Union with God without any thought. This generally will lead to the experience of Samadhi, the unity with the divinity within. Think about this part of meditation in terms of being in the presence of your most cherished and beloved lover-God, Divine Presence, Brahman, Atman, Love.

Introspection and Inner Dialogue Meditation

Start with part 1 and 2 of preparatory practice. When your body and mind is still and the breath is steady, your mind would start bringing you thoughts and images. From calm, non-judgmental space within you, trace these images to their roots. The content of your mind would be based on your ego’s wants, needs, and desires the roots of which lay hidden in your subconscious mind. All of us have a lot of suppressed feelings, memories, pictures, emotions that can be traced back to our earlier years and past lives. In eastern terms these memories are called Samskaras. It is important to understand the root causes of these feelings and release them. Feelings are released by surfacing to your awareness and by your understanding of their roots. It is useful to get help from a   qualified psychotherapist to help you unravel unresolved feelings from the past. Moving to more advanced stages of meditation without simultaneously addressing your suppressed and repressed historic issues possesses a risk of turning your meditation practice into an escapism activity.

Ending Your Meditation

It is especially important not to rush or abruptly stop your meditation.  Give yourself a couple of minutes to come out from your meditation space; take couple of deep breaths and resolve to carry the stillness and centeredness into your daily activities; visualize yourself surrounded in golden Sun frequency or use any other technique to seal your chakras and to reinforce your 12D shield. Ground yourself by rubbing your hands and feet. Get up slowly and deliberately. Allow the peaceful flows derived in meditation guide you throughout the day.

Finally...

It is advisable not to mediate on full stomach.  Wait for couple of hours following a main meal.

Meditate in a place where you would not be disturbed by noise and cell phone calls.

Do not meditate lying in bed.

Establish a regular meditation practice. Our mind is a creature of habit.

Be patient with yourself. Your mind has never learned to be disciplined, so it will rebel and fight, but like a loving parent, you continue being persistent and your mind will in time become your friend.

Do not be disheartened when you spend all your meditation time calming your mind, your sincere efforts count the most.

Disclaimer: Please note that meditation practice is not intended to replace medical advice. If in doubt, always consult your medical practitioner. If you have asthma or other respiratory disorders, consult your medical practitioner before attempting any breathing practices described above.  If you are suffering from heart related problems, make efforts to ensure that your meditation practice is not suddenly interrupted and avoid focusing on your heart. Conduct your meditation in a safe environment with all hazardous appliances switched off.

See Also

12D Shield

Learn To Mediate Complete Course by Patricia Carrington

12 Practices of Self-Awareness

Relaxation Meditation Mp3 - Breathing in Spirit of Christ

Relaxation Meditation Mp3 - Loving Kindness Meditation

References

https://www.swamij.com/index-yoga-meditation-practices.htm

https://www.swamij.com/fourfunctionsmind.htm

https://www.swamij.com/witnessingsummary.htm