Meditation I think is a very beneficial practice. So even though this blog is usually about different issues in the world, I want to write about how to do meditation because I think that practicing it can actually be helpful to people in the world, and there would be a beneficial effect if more people practice it. The problems in the world come not only from larger external factors, but from the personal relations between people and the internal experiences of people.
I want to start off by saying that I am certainly not an expert of meditation, and some may criticize me even for writing about it in that case. Further, I don’t actually practice a single type of meditation, and have never focused on meditating with one group or sect of meditation. The things which you are about to read may be full of errors of which I am unaware. If any reader comes across any thing which they think is an error, or has a difference of opinion, please leave a comment.
A Few Reasons to do Meditation
Starting: Different Meditation Practices
Many people practice meditation because they find that it deepens their spiritual or religious practice. Meditation brings a clarity and focus, a calmness of mind that may be a refreshing change from the rush of living that many people experience in the world today. Meditation can also be practiced from a strictly secular position, focusing on the physical and mental benefits, which have been shown by several scientific studies. Practicing meditation can help people to become more grounded, more aware of their bodies, and to develop healthy breathing patterns.
So where to begin?
It may be helpful for some to do some stretches before meditation. The instructions are a bit lengthy so they are included at the end. (Click here to read preliminary stretches)
The body position is one of the most important parts of meditation. Having a good body position allows energy to be transmitted more easily along the spine. A person generally should try to sit on the floor, in either the cross legged or half lotus position. (1- Sitting in a chair) Before settling into sitting, a person should try to open the two bones of the buttocks apart to have a more solid seating position.
Then arch the back to stretch it out and be more straight when relaxed. Then straighten the lower back from the pelvis and try to extend the spine as straight as possible up to the shoulders. Extend the straightness of the spine up through the neck and as if through the top of the skull. The face should be straight ahead, with eyes closed. Maintain this position.
The hands can be kept in several positions. I change hand positions during meditation, but not too often. A good starting position, is with the arms extended restfully away from the body, and hands resting upwards on the knees. The thumb can be held touching the middle finger, forming a loop in the hand. Another common hand position, is to relax the two hands, with palms facing upwards, just below the belly, with the knuckle of the right hand lying on the inner knuckle of the left hand. A third position, which may be difficult to sustain, is to press the two palms together in front of the chest, fingers pointing upwards (similar to a Thai or Khmer wai).
Now that the body posture has been attained, review the different parts of the body and check to make sure they are in good, straight- backed position. Also check that the position is comfortable enough to maintain, since you will be sitting this way during the length of meditation.
Returning to breathing: Breathing is very important for meditation. The first form of meditation, in fact, will just consist of concentrating on breathing. Gradually allow the breathing to slow down and relax, but not in a forced way, or unnatural way. During and before meditating, the person can allow more breathing to pass into the belly- diaphragm area, which is beneficial. But again, the person need not force it, and this form of breathing can progress at a slow degree of change.
Now, with this position and breathing, meditation can start.
Breathing- concentrate the mind on the breathing only. Focus the mind only on the process of breathing, observing the flow of respiration in and out. Observe the mind and if others thoughts come up, let them to pass out of consciousness, and return attention to the breathing process. Sustain as long as possible or comfortable.
Mantra- The person meditating chooses their own mantra. It can be some word or phrase from their own spiritual practice or religion, such as “God”. Or it can be a neutral phrase such as “peace”.
Then concentrate on the phrase chosen. Remain concentrating on this mantra, allowing thoughts of other things to flow out of the mind, leaving only awareness of the mantra.
Heart chakra- Locate the heart chakra, an energy center, one of the seven chakras. Concentrate focus on the heart. Take the right hand, place it on the heart chakra. Focus attention on the heart. Remain focused on the heart, allowing thoughts of other things to flow out of the mind. Allow the heart to relax due to this attention. (2-Note on persons)
Egolessness- Based on the concept, as in Buddhism, that there is no ego. Empty the mind, allow openness to come into the mind. With the mind envisaged as a circle, empty the circle, so that there is only emptiness in the circle. Then allow the circle to dissolve, into nothingness, and purely open consciousness to remain. Maintain this moment.
Chanting- Choose a phrase or word to use for chanting. Choose a single pitch which is comfortable. Inhale and chant the word for a whole exhalation, maintaining the same pitch. Focus the mind on the sound of the pitch and mantra. Repeat as preferred.
Mindfulness- Different from other forms in that it is not concentration. Simply observe consciousness, the flow of consciousness. One process to be mindful is to name thoughts and sensations as they enter into and become the focus of consciousness. It is also possible to be mindful and observe without any verbal element. The flow of consciousness may become slower, allowing the person meditating to understand and observe consciousness more closely.
Finishing meditation: When the person or group resolves to finish up the meditation, they may wish to continue on for a moment or two to try to reach a better sustained level of focus. They may wish to attempt to reach a focus and degree of meditation which they had reached earlier in the session, but had lost in the length of it. Then slowly come out of the meditation, opening the eyes and moving the body around more freely, relaxing. Feel the effects of the meditation.
Flexibility and Time: I take a very flexible approach to meditation, and feel that it’s most important for the meditator to have a positive experience and enjoy meditation. While keeping an eye on the goal, the meditator will realize, for example, that the body cannot be maintained perfectly indefinitely. Especially when beginning, the person can be realistic about initial challenges, and adjust accordingly. Again, some striving is positive, and experience gradually accumulates.
From my view, even meditating as little as 10-15 minutes per day could have a positive effect on the person. There is no rush. The meditator need not feel stressed when a regimen could not be met, but enjoy when the time to practice comes again. In support from religious texts, the Bhagavad Gita says that any effort to meditate at all will have a positive effect.
It would be interesting to hear from other people and hear what techniques they use and how those work for them. The key thing with meditation, if you’ve never tried it before, is to try it the first time. It all comes with practice. Hopefully someone will find this useful or leave a comment providing feedback!
See notes on preliminary stretching and sitting in a chair, following:
Before conducting meditation, it’s often a good idea to loosen up the body, because the body often holds stress from previous experiences in the day. Taking about 5 minutes in some of the following stretches, helps to prepare the body to sustain the sitting position during meditation:
- sitting on the ground cross legged or in a half lotus position, twist the spine while holding it in a line, to both directions, and hold in the extreme of the twist.
- sitting on the ground cross- legged, or in a chair, with the spine straight, slowly roll the neck carefully in a clockwise direction at least two times. Reverse and slowly roll the neck in the opposite direction the same number of times. Be careful not to do this stretch too strenuously until confident of muscle ability.
- sitting or standing, pull back the hands behind the back, and clasp them together. When they are clasped, hold them and pull the hands backward away from the back, stretching the shoulders, arms and loosening up the chest. Hold the hands there for a sustained period, arching the back, stretching the spine.
- the belly or abdomen region often holds a lot of stress. Breathe into the belly region of the diaphragm, enlarging it. Do not breathe into the chest. This may be a very different way of breathing for some people, and usually takes time to develop. For the stretch itself, breathe all the way into the belly region, enlarging it. Then hold the air (do not exhale), and press outwards against the belly, stretching the stomach muscles, for 5 or 10 seconds. Repeat. (For smokers and people with heart problems, take this stretch easily, as it can press on the cardiovascular system.)
People who practice yoga or others used to stretching may add in other stretches which they find limbers up the body before meditation.
1-Sitting on Chairs- If a person cannot sit on the floor, because of social norms or because of knee problems, they can sit on a chair or stool, with both feet flat on the ground, knees apart the same width as the pelvis. Most importantly, the person sitting in a chair must hold their own back and spine upright, and not relax against the back of the chair.
2- Note on Persons- It may be natural during the heart chakra meditation to have images of, or feelings towards various people. This is ok, but the meditator should not focus thoughts of the heart to a person who may not want that attention. The heart chakra meditation may also make it easier for others to take advantage of the meditator, so the person who conducts this technique regularly should adjust accordingly.(Return to text)
