Meditation Techniques.

What is Meditation?

“Dhyana” (pronounced dee-YAH-nah) means “meditation”. Meditation is the process of quieting the mind to free ourselves from attachments and unproductive thoughts. The benefits of meditation seem endless! Through a consistent meditation practice we can gain emotional and mental stability, clarity in decision-making; peace of mind within communications and relationships, an unleashing of creative energy, and a beautiful sense of self-worth. On a physical level, regular meditation has been proven to greatly influence the body’s metabolic processes and reduce high blood pressure, depression, and anxiety. So….the purpose of our meditation is to begin to focus our mental energy inward, so that we may tap into resources deep within ourselves. This process of stilling the mind allows us to experience our true nature, which is revealed as truth, consciousness, or bliss. In Sanskrit this is called “satchitinananda”.

Putting Meditation into Practice:

The stronger your meditation practice, the more you begin to establish a clearer vision of the truth about yourself, your life, and the world. Meditation is the process of attaining total awareness through the cessation of thought. You begin by relaxing. You concentrate on relaxing. As your mind and body relax, begin to notice the thoughts that come and go. Notice especially those thoughts that seem to be reoccurring in your mind daily. Can you let go of those thought patterns? This can be very difficult at first, because we are so used to having busy minds. This can be especially difficult in Western culture due to the over stimulation of our minds with the growing influx of computers, televisions, media information, etc. Sometimes it can even seem virtually impossible to stop following and obsessing over the thoughts racing through our minds- from what we’re going to eat for lunch, to the argument we had with our spouse, to the project deadline at work, to the endless to-do list that we have to complete. We have become conditioned to believe that every minute should count and that we should always be working, doing as much as possible. Meditation is the opposite of this notion. Meditation teaches us that occasionally we need to still the mind in order for it to work at it’s optimum capacity! Just like any type of perpetual motion machinery, the mind needs care and maintenance. By learning to release, relax, and let go of stress in the mind, we begin to clear out all of the cobwebs, and establish a beautiful foundation for some really good stuff to come in! We begin to learn to let go of trivial concerns, to observe and control our emotions, and to focus our mind power on the work that is truly important in our lives.

Preparation for Meditation:

* Choose a regular place and time in the beginning of your practice. Becoming accostumed to this place and time, your meditation will deepen.
* Twice a day is wonderful if possible, for 15-20 minutes during each sitting
* In the beginning of our practice, it is helpful to choose a place that is clean, well-ventilated, and quiet, without stimulants such as sound and bright light. However, eventually the true heart of our meditation practice lies in being able to maintain mindfulness even amidst the sounds of traffic, subways, cluttered buildings, etc. Under these circumstances we are given a very potent opportunity to practice staying present, aware of the breath, and the mind’s reactions.
* Sit either on a straight-backed chair or in a comfortable sitting position, allowing the spine to be erect. Use a cushion or a folded blanket to tilt the pelvis slightly forward. You may also use a wall for support of the spine-try your best not to slump, so that the lungs may expand fully.
* Begin with a relaxed body. Some preparatory relaxing and focusing breathing exercises will be very helpful. Ujjayi breath is my favorite pranayam techniques to begin with.
* Enjoy! Let go of any expectations of yourself, and give it a shot. It’s fun to observe yourself just “being”!

“Meditation is the inner journey, the spiritual journey, the journey of the absolute, the journey of divine love”
-Swami Kripalu

The following is one my favorite meditations from an incredible book entitled “A Path with Heart” by Jack Kornfield. You may wish to ask a friend to read this slowly to you so that you may meditate with closed eyes. I prefer to lie down rather than sitting during this particular meditation.

Meditation: A Visit to the Healing Temple
by Jack Kornfield

Sit comfortably, let your eyes close. Bring your attention to your breath. Feel your breath and your body as you sit, without trying to change them. Notice what’s comfortable and what’s uncomfortable. Notice if you’re sleepy or wide awake. Notice if there’s a lot of clutter in the mind or if it is quiet. Just be aware of what is. Notice the state of your heart. Does it feel contracted? Does it feel soft and open? Or is it somewhere in the middle? Is it tired, is it joyful? Notice and receive what is present.

Then imagine you are magically transported to a beautiful healing temple or power spot, a place of great wisdom and love. Take as much time as you need to sense it, feel it, picture it, in any way that feels good to you. Sense yourself sitting there, restfully and attentively meditating in this place. As you sit at this temple, this place of great wisdom, begin to reflect on your own spiritual journey more deeply. Gradually let yourself be aware of the wounds you carry that will require healing in the course of your journey. Breathe softly, and gently feel whatever arises.

As you sit, a wonderful and wise being from this healing temple will gently approach you. When this being comes quite near, you can picture or imagine or sense who or what they are. They will bow lightly and then come over and put the gentlest hand on a part of your body where you are deeply wounded. With their most loving care, let them touch the part of your body that holds one of your sorrows. Let them teach you their healing touch. If you can’t feel their touch, then take your own hand as you sit at that temple and imagine that you bring it to the place of your deepest wound, the place of sorrow of difficulty, touching it with your hand as if you yourself were that beautiful being. Know that no matter how many times you have buried or resisted your sorrow, no matter how many times you have greeted it with your hatred, you can finally open to it.

Let your own attention become like the hand of this wonderful wise being. Touch this place of sorrow with softness and tenderness. As you touch it, explore what is there. Is it warm or cool there? Is it hard, tight, or is it soft? Is it vibrating or moving, or is it still? Let your awareness be like the loving touch of the Buddha or the Goddess of Compassion, or Mary, Mother of Jesus. What is the temperature and texture of this sorrow? What color is there to be felt? What feelings are there to be felt? Let yourself become aware of all your feelings with a very loving and receptive heart. Let them be anything they need to be. Then very gently and softly, as if you were the Goddess of Compassion herself, touch it with pure sweetness. Open yourself to the pain. What is the core of this place that has been wrapped up and held inside you for so long? As you look at it, let yourself see how much you’ve closed off to it, how much you’ve suppressed or rejected it, wished that it would go away, wished that you didn’t have to feel it, and treated it with fear and aversion. Let yourself sit peacefully, opening your heart to this pain at last.

Rest in this temple, allowing your healing and compassionate attention to suffuse every part of it. Stay as long as you wish. When you are ready to leave, imagine yourself bowing with gratitude. As you leave, remember this temple is inside you. You can always go there.