Often I will use the word "Sit" to describe meditating.
Common responses that I get, are; "I've tried it just doesn't work for me!", "I don't have time." and my favorite "My mind races too much."
Meditation is an activity, but a passive one. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but it is both an active and passive activity at the same time. It's the equivalent of Schroedingers cat. The cat is both dead and alive at the same time. You're doing something, yet doing nothing at the same time.
How's this?
Well it's simple actually. Meditation is a process of letting the mind settle. Allowing it to stop and rest, but in a wakeful and mindful state. Not thinking, but just being and being mindful of the fact that you are allowing your mind to settle.
Let's look at it like this: All day and night while you're awake and or sleeping, your mind is working. It's thinking, processing sounds and visual input, interpreting that information and you're forming opinions or having feelings about that information that your mind is processing. As you form opinions about this information, you have feelings about those opinions. Meditation allows your mind to relax and stop, in some ways processing that information. It allows you to let your mind relax and rest for a brief time.
Most of the time, we are worried or concerned. Our feelings are what causes us many of our day to day problems. The fight between what we know in our heads and feel in our hearts contributes to our daily frustrations. Meditation allows you a window to stop that inner conflict, to give yourself peace.
So how do I meditate?
I'm glad you asked.
First find a place you can sit alone and quietly for fifteen minutes. It doesn't have to be any place special, but it does help if it is special to you. Your living room, garden (in warm climes), bedroom, basement, where ever you are comfortable. Take your watch, or phone and set a timer, fifteen minutes is plenty to begin with. Sit yourself down comfortably, you don't have to sit cross-legged (Indian Style, not to sound racist) or in some position commonly associated with meditation. Just sit down comfortably. Close your eyes and relax.
Great! Now you're sitting down meditating and your mind is racing, jumping around like a toddler in a playpen when that toddler doesn't want to be there. That is normal. It happens to me every time I sit to meditate. Like that toddler who wants out of that play pen, this is the mind, in some way rebelling. Additionally, like that toddler, you cannot let it have its way. So sit there, quietly. Have patience, your mind will settle. Just a little bit, and you'll feel it and you'll tell yourself:
"Holy shit! I'm meditating!"
Remember that toddler?
Well thinking that you're meditating is the equivalent of talking to the toddler after it quieted down. The child just begins to act up again.
Your mind will too!
This is also normal. This is also where patience comes into play. Let the toddler/your mind act up, let it race and let it settle. It will feel like you're getting nowhere. It'll feel like your mind will not settle, but it will. This will feel like it's taking forever and you might even tell yourself that you're going to run out of time before your mind quiets down.
The truth is all of that will take about two minutes. Two very long minutes, but in reality it'll only be about two minutes.
Then your mind will begin to settle again.
Here is where you begin to become mindful of your meditation. You'll need a mantra, I use "Om" (oh-mmm). You don't have to. Use something that fits you. I recommend something simple and short, keep it to one syllable, do not attach a meaning to it, two syllables is fine, but again simple is better here.
I warn against attaching meaning to your mantra, only because I find it can be distracting in the sense that you may begin to focus on the meaning you attach to it. Instead you should be focusing on letting your mind settle. Which means not focusing at all.
You will have thoughts, they'll come, it happens. Think the thought but let it go. You might think "I have to pay the water bill." okay, once that though is complete, don't hang onto it. Don't remind yourself that you also have to pay the gas. Don't hold onto it. If you feel like you're focusing on it, return to your mantra.
Example: "I need to feed the dog, I need to get him some water too and then around eight (here is where you return to your mantra)Om, Om, Om, Om
Use your mantra to break up the thoughts which can and will break your "Sit" as I like to call it. If you continue to allow thoughts to enter your meditations, you will fail at meditating. So use your mantra.
Your mind will settle more and more with each successive sit that you have. Your mind will behave less and less like a toddler in a play pen that it doesn't want to be in each time you sit.
There are some things to be aware of however, during a sit, especially during the early ones, You might find that while you meditate you'll start to laugh or cray. You might itch, twitch or sway. You'll feel things, joy, fear, anger.
All of this is normal. It is your body and mind adjusting to the calmness that you're giving it. It's your body and minds way of working out the stress and frustration it feels. If you laugh, then laugh, let it flow through you, then return to your mantra. The same with any feeling that you may experience, let it run its cycle and pass. Don't hold on to any of it, do not try to understand why suddenly you are very angry, it's your mind processing and releasing that feeling. There is no need to examine it, if you absolutely must, then do so when your sit is over. Do not dwell on your feelings or thoughts and should you find that is what you are doing, return to your mantra.
Before you begin your sit, commit to yourself that no matter what, you are going t sit tere until the time runs out. You mayhave an itch, so scratch it, but don't wonder why your hand itches. Scratch the itch, then return to your mantra. You might suddenly be hungry, tell yourself "I'll eat after I finish meditating"
Now you have the basics of meditation. Go and apply them in your life, or don't. That is up to you.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Do not expect anything to happen!
- You're doing this FOR yourself.
- Meditation cannot hurt you.
- Your mantra should be for you and simple
Now go find a comfortable place, have a sit and enjoy it. Nothing will happen for the first few times, you won't notice changes in your thoughts, feelings or behaviors. After a couple of weeks, you will begin to notice changes, because others will begin to notice. This is when you know that the meditation is working.
Next time I will talk more about mantras and chakras.
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