The Path of a personal Spiritual Practice includes
becoming like a ‘Virtuoso‘ in meditation.
The goal of deep meditation is to find an inner peace
that turns just sitting and doing ‘nothing’,
into an inspiring ineffable experience
that is beyond mere words to describe yet
is so subtle that most at first won’t notice those profound depths.
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To get to those depths is like learning to play an instrument.
At first you learn the theory and scales…
After many years of focused practice,
you begin to make profound music with the subtle expressions
that transcend yet include the basic scales learned as a beginner.
The beginning stages of a meditation session,
whether a beginner or advanced
involves just basic relaxation…
Relaxation with mindfulness of present moment awareness.
Not too relaxed and fall asleep, but maintaining a depth of awareness.
Prior to beginning a meditation “sit”,
be sure to find a non-distractive space,
If that’s not an option, soundproof headphones work great!
The best time of the day is first thing the morning, in fact,
getting up just before the sun comes up
resonates with our primal instincts when we always
rose with the sun and rested when the sun when down.
Do a bit of stretching and limbering before you sit down.
This is where Hatha Yoga asanas are helpful,
‘Yoga’ is much more than skinny girls in spandex
doing aerobic exercises to achieve the “yoga butt”.
Unless you were raised to sit cross legged,
It’s best to just sit on a padded chair
without leaning on the back of the chair.
Consider putting something under the back chair legs
to slightly tilt the chair forward,
this helps keep the spine in alignment.
Sit upright and don’t slouch but not too ridged.
You can imagine a rope that is gently holding your head up
from the crown chakra.
Feel like you are like a pile of rocks being balanced…
Once they are in alignment,
there is no more effort required to sit very still.
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For those with bad health…
It is perfectly fine to sit up in bed with many pillows to prop you up
so your spine is nearly vertical.
Pillows for under the knees, one for each arm, 2 or 3 behind your back…
Whatever it takes to sit up comfortably without the distractions of pain
that sitting in a chair or the nearly impossible “lotus” cross legged asana
that just about only those born into that culture can do.
I actually do this type of meditation position later in the day
if day has made my back or body just to tired to sit up properly.
It’s not about how you sit,
it’s about maintaining an undistracted posture
so you can mindfully focus on your ‘object of meditation’. The challenge with meditating in bed is…
you might be soooo comfy… that you might fall asleep.
So,
be sure to have gotten the blood flowing a wee bit, perhaps take a shower with a cold water rinse…
Sometimes coffee might help.
~ ~ ~
At first,
focus on any part of the body that is perhaps
tense, tight, sore, or uncomfortable…
Bring your awareness to the subtle sensations that arise
when these issues are experienced…
and then let them go.
Once you’ve become aware and let go of any tensions,
then bring your awareness to your breath.
When meditation is perfected,
“Nothing is done, yet… there is nothing left to do.”
~ ~ ~
Take a few deep slow breaths
then pace your breath to be deep and full.
Notice each part of the ‘experience’ of the breath coming in…
Notice the cool fresh air coming into the nostrils…
then with the out breath,
notice the warmer air flowing out past the nostrils.
Once you breath out, in that moment, relax everything…
All your breathing effort is done for the moment.
~ ~ ~
After a few minuets, allow your breath to settle into it’s natural rhythm.
Just be the witness that is aware of the breath.
At this point,
there should be no tension anywhere.
By slowing down the monkey mind of thoughts
and the body’s constant ‘doing‘…
one can then feel stress and tensions too subtle to notice before…
and then let them go.
~ ~ ~
This is a big advantage to one’s wellbeing.
Noticing tensions prior to them becoming full blown problems
can alleviate anything from becoming aware of
an anger about to boil over into a mess that can’t be un-done,
to helping deal with over whelming anxieties
before they becomes overwhelming.
~ ~ ~
If one was to spend the rest of their life
practicing meditation just for this reason alone,
it will go a long way to improve one’s quality of life.
However,
along one’s Spiritual Path,
meditation is just one part of the ‘Union of Mind, Body, and Soul’.
The higher states of consciousness will reveal the un-harsh-able Bliss of
Realizing our True Nature.
The Awakening of this ‘Self Realization’ unfolds a perspective of Enlightenment
that can never be lost.
You will experience the full meaning of life without the veils of ignorance
that keeps us in a vicious circle of needless pain and suffering that is inherent in our lives.
Once you’ve relaxed into a deep calm breathing,
continue to notice the experience of the breath through its full cycle.
In Zen, this is called Zazen.
You think this mantra “Za” mentally on the in breath.
And think or voice “Zen” on the out breath.
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Advaita Vedanta, the mantra of ‘So Ham’ is used.
Pronounced ‘so hum’.
This sounds similar to the sound of the breath.
Think “So” mentally with the in breath.
And think or voice “hum” on the out breath.
So Ham means… “I Am”.
This goes along with the contemplative path of ‘Self Inquiry’.
As one learns to become more aware of being aware.
Who is it within us that is aware of being aware? …
“I Am”.
One can mentally chant Aaa on the in breath.
And mentally chant or voice Ooommmm on the out breath.
Also,
It was traditionally used in early Christianity as…
Amen.
Mentally chanting Aaaa on the in breath,
And Mmmmeenn on the out breath.
~~~
In all traditions,
the breath is the most common ‘object of meditation’.
The point is to train your mindfulness
to be aware of an object in the present moment.
Starting with a wide spectrum of
everything that is rising and falling in the present moment,
to focusing with ‘one-pointed’ mindfulness
on only one object of meditation,
to the exclusion of all others.
Peace, Peace, Peace
