Meditation for beginners
"Your goal is not to battle with the mind, but to witness the mind."
Swami Muktananda
Why do we meditate?
Our life is ephemeral, with daily check lists - feed the family, check mail, reply to a coworker, pay bills, make a doctor’s appointment, do laundry, iron t-shirts... although if you quickly get it out of the dryer, it might go like that :) ... run to the grocery store, go through the closet for seasonal cleaning, order new masks ... This is how we live day after day - at the end of each day (most often mentally, before dozing off) we cross out what has been done, feeling guilty for what has not been done, we scold ourselves for having spent little time with our child, husband, parents ... and make a new list for tomorrow ... And so day after day, year after year ...
Doctor Joe Dispenza, researcher in the field of neurobiology, epigenetic and quantum physics, author of the bestselling "The Power of the Subconscious" claims that by the age of 35 years old we are nothing but memorized set of behaviors, emotional reactions, unconscious habits, hard-wired attitudes, beliefs and perceptions that function as a computer program. We go through the day 95% on autopilot mode , and only 5% as conscious beings. One can argue with these numbers, as with any other statistics, but the fact remains - we spend most of our time absentmindedly, almost like in a dream state, obeying our subconscious ... Well, well, if the subconscious creates our reality, maybe there is a way to look into it, and may even influence it ... and then by changing our old mindsets, which often serve not in our favor, we can replace them with new ones, with ones we can attain harmony, health, abundance, and fulfillment of desires!
So, what we have is consciousness and subconsciousness. We want to - enter the subconscious, get to know it (thereby get to know ourselves), bring new, positive, wise changes into it, feel the unconditional support of the universe and watch miracles happen! Hmmm ... but how do we go from consciousness to subconsciousness? The technique of reaching the subconscious mind is going beyond our analytical mind. The analytical mind is a great tool for solving problems using logic, making decisions, often based on our own experience and experienced emotions, gathering new information in order to analyze daily situations and much more. True, sometimes it also "helps" us to build a “logical” explanaition of why our spouses are wrong, the children "got out of hand", or to give "very necessary" advices when no one asked ...
Is it possible to change our subconscious mind, behavior, and everything that works against our well-being, change our life and direct it towards health and prosperity? I think yes ... no, I know for sure that everything is possible!
Meditation
The Tibetan interpretation of the word "meditation" is "acquaintance" ... acquaintance with oneself, understanding of oneself. From personal experience, I realized that the easiest way to master meditation and immerse yourself in an amazing world of void from which everything is being born, is obtained by beginners. Weird? The thing is that newbies have no particular expectations from the process. Can we start fresh and learn the ways of beginners? Let's set ourselves free from labels, prejudices, and misconceptions about meditation.
So what is this magic word meditation and what is it not?
- Meditation does not belong to any religion, although it is successfully practiced in certain religious rituals. You don't have to believe in it, the benefits of meditation are scientifically proven, you just need to practice it.
- Meditation is not an escape from reality, not an avoidance of life’s challenges
- Everyone can meditate - little children and adults, someone who has a very restless mind, a very busy day, very little patience, and other good reasons not to devote time to themselves
- Meditation is a very individual, I would say even intimate experience, everyone will find something of their own and truly understand its essence only through regular practice
- There is no one "golden rule" or way to meditate, find and practice what works best for you
- Meditation does not give results instantly, they will manifest themselves as you practice
Let’s give it a try
1. Choose a place where you can spend 5-15 quiet minutes.
2. Be committed to stay in meditation for whatever time you set to yourself, tell your mind it can worry about things after you are done, but for this few minutes allow yourself to disconnect.
3. Come into a comfortable position with your legs crossed, or near a wall, if your back needs support, close your eyes and choose the focus of your attention. This could be:
- Breathing - observe the even rhythm of your breathing, feeling as with each inhalation you are filling up with pure energy of love and with the exhalation let go of everything that no longer serves you, that is no longer relevant. Optionally, you may start counting - inhale slowly and steadily on the count of 4, exhale lusciously and steadily on the count of 6.
- Affirmation - it can be a positively constructive phrase about yourself, about health, about well-being, or about what is important to you at this stage of life.
- Mantra - if you are new to mantras, then you can start with the mantra "Om", which actually consists of three sounds - "A", "U '', "M". A seemingly simple mantra helps to tune in to higher vibrations. This mantra is used in many traditions, such as yoga. The mantra that I use very often during meditation or during savasana (a final relaxation yoga asana) is "Aham Prema" which means "I am universal love". This mantra helps to open the heart, transform fear into love and reminds us that we are much more than our physical body, but the embodied spirits.
4. Sit quietly, internalize your gaze (the space behind your closed eyelids) and observe.
5. In moments when thoughts, sensations, emotions begin to rise to the surface of your awareness, and this inevitably happens, gently return yourself to your focus.
6. When you learn to enter the space beyond the analytical mind, there you can heal wounds, and create your reality consciously.
7. When you are ready to get up from your meditation, become aware of your surroundings, of your physical body, then gently open your eyes.
Give yourself time to really feel and understand the depth of this process. Give yourself a credit for each session, for the progress that you make. Start with small steps, but be consistent. If you happen to skip a day, or two or even a week, be gentle to yourself and just start again. Each day may be different from the previous one depending on many factors. I found it easiest to practice in the morning and late evening before retiring to bed. Early morning meditation sets my day in a positive and uplifting way, while at the end of the day meditation brings peace and quiet to my mind and allows me to rest deeply through the night, sometimes bringing me beautiful dreams.
At the end of the day, the point of meditation is not to learn to control our thoughts, but to let go of the control of any form and not to let our thoughts control us.
Would you like to meditate with me?