Meditation
I would like to share some Basic Steps for meditation, hopping that I'll put this into my mind and start doing it TODAY... (Taken from The farma magazine)
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Basic Steps
At its essence, meditation is neither mysterious, difficult nor dangerous. It is simply the act of just sitting still and calming the mind. You can easily do it at home in your spare time. No superior instruction or guru is really necessary. Your commitment, your effort, your patience and your time are all that is necessary. Here are some basic steps to get started with mindfulness meditation:
* Find fifteen to twenty minutes in your day (preferably before meals especially after breakfast) when nobody is likely to bother you. It is always better early in the morning.
* Take the phone off the hook. You do not want to be disturbed. Go somewhere quiet – a place you can feel peaceful. Your place of prayer at home could be ideal.
* Write down a list of all the things that are bothering you on a piece of paper. Leave it outside the door. Make your meditation space special. Being there itself, away from the cares of the world, should give you a good feeling.
* Perform some very simple stretching exercises. Arch your back. Drop your head forward. Roll your neck on your shoulders. Attempt to touch your feet with your hands. Run on the spot briefly without working up your heart.
* Find a comfortable seating position (do not lie down as you may fall asleep instead) with your back as comfortably straight as possible.
* Support yourself by sitting on a pillow. You may choose to lean back on the wall for support. Sit in a way so that there is no stress to the body.
* Take deep and slow breaths. Close your eyes. Deliberately relax every part of your body starting from head to toe.
* Feel all the tension float away or simply drain to the earth below you. Allow your body to become light and easy or heavy and still. Any sensation other that normal may be taken that your body is relaxed.
* Begin by focusing your attention on your breathing. Pay6 particular attention to where it originates from, deep within. Be absolutely interested in it.
* Allow your breath to settle down. It will soon become light and soft. Be aware to the rhythm and feeling of each breath.
* Increase your concentration by counting your breath, from one to ten and then back again. Then just stay focused without counting. This is called mindfulness, the fine art of being without doing.
* During meditation, random thoughts and feelings are bound to arise. This is natural. You may be thinking about your past, your future, your current situation, about yourself or even someone else. The mental chatter is habitual, predictable and virtually impossible to suppress. Don’t even try.
* The key to mindfulness medication is to simply observe the thoughts as you would each passing breath, without judgment, reaction or involvement. Just as the sky has space for passing clouds, give your thoughts and emotions space.
* Do not make an effort to hold your thoughts back. Once a thought emerges, let it go. Be aware of the thought and let is pass. Do not fight it. Do not become irritated. Do not become involved with it.
* After a while your breathing becomes light, slow and easy. You might gain and altered sensation. You might feel calm or even euphoric. You might feel a new surge of “easy energy”.
* Always return our attention to your breathing as often as you can. The more often and sooner you do it, the more relaxed, alert and at peace you will be. After about 20 minutes of being there, chances are you will open your eyes feeling better that you started.
* If you feel nothing, do not feel bad or disappointed. Do not put pressure on yourself. Feel pleased that you could sit in a place and do nothing. This is a great start.
* Patience is everything. Meditation is a personal experience. Do not compare with others.
It is important that you sit for medication at about the time everyday. This will be great for the internal clock.
* After success with the morning session, you may want to add an evening session. This will help disperse the stresses of the day and calm you for the night. It will help you sleep better and wake rejuvenated for the next day.
Practice Makes Perfect
It is the simple and profound. The hard part is committing to a daily routine. You have to budget for that time. After a while, you will look forward to those few wonderful minutes. After all, meditation has been called “effortless effort”. It is merely the simple job of “increasing the time space between two thoughts”.
The pay off is, in a few days or weeks, you will be pleasantly surprised to have an “invisible armour” around you. Things will not “get to you” like they used to before. You will sleep better and wake up more refreshed. You will have more energy throughout the day and feel more in tune with yourself and surroundings. Your overall health will improve. Over the months and years, meditation will help you become happier and healthier. Life will be good. The trick, like that famous tag line seems to be “Just Do It”. Good luck!
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