This lesson will focus on some frequently asked questions on Meditation as well as cover some different methods to try.
What is Meditation? and is it really necessary?
Meditation is the process in which we slow down our minds and try to get beyond our random busy thoughts to a place of higher awareness, relaxation, and peace. There are many forms of meditation, and yes it is extremely beneficial to the developing psychic to learn to adapt this practice in one form or another. The reason being is that developing psychically requires us to be able to relax the conscious mind, and to go into a heightened sense of awareness. Meditation is the means that we use to acheive this, allowing psychic communications to occur.
Is there a particular time of day that works better?
Many people find that meditation occurs easiest first thing in the morning right upon waking. At this time the body is well rested, and we haven't had the daily stresses kick in yet. I have also found that many benefit from this also by doing so in the late evening after a nice hot bath or other relaxing ritual. For some of us that are moms sometimes the only sanctuary we get is the bathtub ;). The time however is really up to you, but it should be a time that you can be consistent with, and it should never be on a full stomach.
Is there anything I can do to make my meditations more successful?
Here are a few of the tips I suggest to people to make meditation more successful:
*Set aside a time to meditate on a daily basis, even if it's only for five minutes. This helps cultivate the habit and makes it easier for your body and mind to adjust to meditation. It's sort of like when you have an established bedtime, around that time your body will naturally start to prepare for sleep out of habit, so it is with developing a habit of meditation.
*Don't meditate lying down until after you are more experienced. The reason I say this is that lying down cues the body to sleep. You don't want to fall asleep during meditation or you lose the benefits of it.
* Do your meditations in a location as free from outside noise as possible. You want this to be free from outside noise, and what I refer to as white noise as well. For instance if you have a computer plugged in etc.. turn it off. The sound of it running , a faucet dripping etc can be very distracting. If total lack of noise bothers you, try turning on a soft melody or meditation/relaxation CD. You can purchase CD's with sounds on them as well such as Ocean Waves or Forest sounds etc.
*Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor, this keeps you at attention, but still comfortable. Don't slouch or lean on your elbow etc.. sit up nice and straight.
I can't seem to get my mind to shut up? is there something wrong with me?
No there is nothing wrong with you ;). This is natural, particularly at first. The first thing to remember is patience. We dont' develop new skills instantly, they take practice. Secondly, meditations work different for different people so if you can't get one method to work, try varying your routine a little.Also, be sure that you work on addressing issues that come up. Often times we interrupt ourselves out of a since of fear and may not realize we are doing it, particularly if you suffer from anxiety already, you may have difficulty getting started, but you will benefit ultimately by getting in touch with whatever may be bothering you and facing it up front.
Another point to be aware of, is that in silencing the mind, it is more of an exercise of controling our thoughts rather than trying to stop thinking altogether. We can't stop all thoughts, but we can get to a point where we are very aware of our thought process and in doing so, we learn to gain more control over it.
What's the difference between self-hypnosis and meditation?
They are both similar in that you start off by relaxing and clearing the mind, however in hypnosis you tend to drift into a more trance like state, whereas in meditation you stay focused and fully conscious.
What types of meditation are there?
In the first class we covered a couple of visualization meditations as well as a very simple meditation where we just clear the mind. You can also do meditations with mantras or chants, or with focal points. Some people choose to meditate with specialized meditation tapes or nature sounds as well. Another good way to clear the mind is to concentrate on focused breathing. There are probably as many different means of meditation as there are people who practice it. As we go along we tend to develop our own unique methods that work for us. That being said, there are no "wrong" ways and there are no set in stone rules.Exercises:
Meditation Techniques:
The first thing you want to do is establish a time to do your 5 minute daily meditations. (longer if you wish). Try to arrange it so that you do this around the same time each day. Every two days try a different type of meditation. For example: Monday/Tuesday try focusing on a candle flame or picture on the wall, then on Wed/Thurs you would switch and try to focus on breathing. A good way to do this is to count as you inhale, and then count backwards as you exhale. Make sure that your inhales are less than ten per minute, that tells the body to relax. Then on Fri/Sat you could try doing a Mantra meditation. You can do meditation sounds such as the aum or om, or you can say a mantra mentally. One thing that worked well for me was to say "body relaxed, mind awake" or to say a single word over and over that is relaxing such as "repose". Another method you could try would be to redo the guided visualization meditation from the first course.
Do a different style meditation for a couple of days in a row, and then switch, at the end of the week you should have an idea of what feels good to you.