Some Thoughts on Meditation

I am currently teaching two groups of students the basic techniques of meditation.  Almost all of them are just beginning to meditate and have never done any before.  They are having a really hard time sitting still and their minds wander and are unable to stay focused.  They also get uncomfortable almost right away.  These things are basic hindrances to meditation. 

• The first thing, as I suggested in an earlier post, was to make sure you are very comfortable in your seated position.  If you're not comfortable, you won't stick with it.  Elevate your buttocks on a cushion or folded blanket.  Make sure you're spine is straight and the natural curve in the lower back is intact.
• Give this peaceful time as a gift to yourself.  Consciously agree to stay still and sit through your discomfort. 
• You are embarking on a journey into the unknown.  The last, great frontier.  Your inner spiritual landscape.
• Many folks have the idea that they have to "stop thinking" to get it right.  Well, that's impossible, especially in the beginning.  We have to use the mind to control the mind.  So what I suggest is that you choose an object to focus on.
• Two simple things to focus on are the breath (watching the inhalation and exhalation) and listening to sounds (paying very close attention to whatever sounds come up).  
• As your focus becomes steady, other intruding and distracting thoughts begin to disappear.
• Start with a short amount of time, perhaps 5-10 minutes.  As you become more relaxed and steady, increase the amount of time.  I don't recommend more than 45 minutes.  After that it can become counterproductive. 
• Drop any judgments about your meditation.  Now is the only time.  Here is the only place. Remember it is what it is. Whatever it is, it's what it's supposed to be.
• Phenomena will arise, sensations will arise, visuals will arise.  Simply watch.  Be present in the moment. 
• Meditation arrives when the "spaces between the thoughts" are experienced.  (I love this definition from the spiritual master and Guru OSHO).
• Remember meditation is not for the faint of heart.  It takes courage and tenacity.  
• Some discomfort will always be part of meditation.  Adjust your body slightly if you need to, but only if you can't bear it.  If you sit through your discomfort, your determination will allow you to face difficult things in your daily life with much more resilience and patience.

Meditation gives us many, many benefits.  Peace of mind is perhaps the top of the list. This is our time to rest the mind.  

 

Some of the benefits I have found are we become more serene and composed.  Things and situations that used to bother us don't anymore. Our intuition becomes very developed.  Our inner voice begins to reveal which decisions are beneficial and which ones to avoid.   Meditation is very empowering, so much so that if we're on anti-depressants or behavior altering meds, we can start to wean ourselves off of them. Our important relationships become more valuable, and our insight improves.  We will know which relationships we are ready to leave and move on from because they are bringing us down. We become more grateful for what we have.  We become more compassionate. Our desire to serve others is greater.

Senior meditating at the beach

If any of these benefits sound attractive to you, keep practicing.  Establish a daily practice at a set time every day.  Even a few minutes a day of meditation will change your quality of life for the better.