Meditation - again.

Hi All,

I hope you've all had a great weekend.  One thing I'm working on is I'm trying to make the most of every day - even Mondays.  We've had some dramatic storms here with plenty of damage recently.  I guess more and more that's common in most places.  Stay safe out there.  I also caught that summer cold going around on Sunday. While I was in recovery mode on Sunday - I watched an interview with Deepak Chopra, by Oprah Winfrey.  It was quite interesting and focused a lot on meditation.  I thought I'd share some of the highlights.

For those of you who may not be familiar, Deepak Chopra is a medical doctor, scientist, and author.  He combines spiritual practice reflected in scientific data, and writes and lectures about it.  He also has been meditating for 40 years.

Dr. Chopra starts out by talking about how meditation keeps him in a state of personal balance.  By progressively quieting the mind - daily meditation keeps him balanced and provides inner peace.

He describes meditation as a progressive quieting of the mind that takes you to God.  Meditation is quieting the mind and allows you to open the door to the Spirit and creativity.  Prayer is where you're talking with God - Meditation is where you listen.  However - in his opinion - it's not a part of any particular religious practice.  It works with whatever your spiritual practice or specific religion.

A meditation practice is a great way to control stress in your life and can bring  about physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing for the person with a regular practice.

Physical care of ourselves is important also, according to Deepak Chopra.  Important elements include getting enough sleep, some exercise, food with phytochemicals, keeping our weight at an optimal level, and being emotionally free.  The last element includes practicing forgiveness and not holding any resentments or grievances - none.

Another important piece of meditation includes being present.  Bring yourself to present moment; don't allow yourself to dwell on the past or think about future wants or events.  Just Be, and be still.  Relax and breath naturally.  Observe thoughts that pop into your mind and let them go by.  In this way you can also be present while awake as well.

He also discussed mantras.  He breaks down the word like this; "man" means mind and "tra" means instrument...it's a mind instrument.  A mantra is a tool to help us go where we need to go in meditation.  Some people have specific mantras, some use short passages from the Bible or other religious texts.  Other folks use "Om."  Repeat your mantra in the rhythm of your breathing.

Dr. Chopra meditates 2 hours in the morning and also meditates for a period in the afternoon.  He recommends morning meditation and a period of mediation before the evening meal.  Periods of meditation 15-20 minutes long will be fine - you don't have to do 2 hours.  Just sit in a comfortable position, (or lay, if you don't fall asleep), and then breath.  A mantra you can start with is "soul" on the inhale and "hum" on the exhale.  Just keep repeating to yourself with your breathing and relax.

There are many ways to meditate.  Many different techniques, guided meditations, you can listen to music or nature sounds - - the important thing is that you relax the mind.  However you meditate - just do it.  Make the time for you, even if you start with 15-20 minutes a day.

Good luck with the meditation everyone.  I've been meditating for over 30 years and I'll attest that it helps me have peace and serenity in my life on a daily basis.  It energizes me, refreshes, and keeps me centered and balanced.

Have a great week. Take care of yourselves.  Watch out for those summer storms - they can be potent. Be good to all those around you - even if they're different than you.

Peace,

Tom

Holistic Therapy Solutions - www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com
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Problems Meditating?

Hi All - I found this blog article on a website called, Meditation Oasis.  www.MeditationOasis.com.  It's got some good ideas that can benefit you if you're having difficulty meditating.  Check it out...good stuff.  By the way - Have a great day.  

Keys to easy, effortless meditation…

There are all sorts of reasons that people find it hard to meditate. On this page, we discuss some of the common ones and what to do to make meditation easier. If you have been trying to meditate on your own or trying the meditations we suggest and are experiencing difficulty, these explanations should help.

We support styles of meditation which are simple, natural and easy to do. Our hope is that meditation will create greater peace, relaxation, ease and naturalness in your life. The suggestions on this page are in keeping with our approach.

Problems with thoughts in meditation

This is probably the most common challenge people have with meditation. They feel they are unable to quiet the mind and keep out thoughts. “My mind just won’t stop its chatter.” “I can’t stay focused on meditation.”
Solution: The key is to stop resisting thoughts and trying to make them go away. Thoughts are a part of meditation. They are a natural activity in the mind. Although meditation can be a way to experience inner silence, this comes about not by eliminating thoughts but by becoming aware of the silence that is naturally present in the mind along with the thoughts. When we stop resisting what is naturally happening, we experience calmness and peace. (Read more about thoughts in meditation.)

Restlessness

Often people find it’s hard to sit still for meditation. It doesn’t take long to start thinking of all the things you could be doing, or to feel restless like you want to get up.
Solution: Restlessness can arise as the body “unwinds”. When we sit to meditate, it’s as if we’ve spent the day in a moving car. Once we stop and rest, it feels as if our body is still moving. It takes time for the body to settle down and feel at rest. Meditating is like shifting gears in a car — you shift into neutral and the engine takes a while to slow down and come to idle. Continue meditating, allowing yourself to be aware of the sensation of restlessness in the body. You can continue with the meditation practice, such as watching the breath, during this time, or if the restlessness is extremely intense you can give your attention fully to the sensation of restlessness. Notice exactly how it feels in your body — where you feel it, and what the sensation is like. As you allow yourself to experience the restlessness, it will eventually settle down.

Being uncomfortable with our feelings

Sometimes during meditation, we may be uncomfortable with some of the feelings that arise. This might take the form of a strong emotion or a physical sensation in the body. When the mind is no longer caught up in its outer-directed focus and the usual distractions of the day, we can become aware of feelings that have been under the surface. You may feel tempted to stop meditating, or start to resist these feelings, making meditation a struggle.
Solution: The key to achieving a state of deep relaxation, is to learn to stop resisting certain feelings and be present to “what is”. Thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations come and go continuously in the natural flow of life. Left to flow by themselves, they will pass through. Simply allow these feelings to be present, not trying to push them out, but also not following the mind’s stories about them. If an emotion is so strong that it’s overpowering, allow the awareness to be easily with that emotion. Notice its location in the body, and let the awareness be with the physical sensations associated with the emotion until the emotion diminishes. Let go of the meaning the mind gives to the emotion.

Occasionally in meditation, something can come to awareness that is particularly difficult, such as a repressed memory from the past or a realization about something we need to change in our lives. In this case, it may be helpful to get some support, such as counseling to help deal with the issues that arise.

Disappointment that “good experiences” aren’t always there

Every time we meditate our experiences will be different, depending on our ever-changing physical and emotional states, as well as life circumstances. It is important to understand that our experiences will change, as we will tend to form expectations based on our previous experience. Naturally we like some meditative experiences better than others, and may feel disappointed if we meditate and don’t have those experiences.

There are no good or bad experiences in meditation. There is no right or wrong way to feel. Meditation is about “letting go” and trusting the natural flow of life. It is important to remember that the goal of these meditations is not to have special experiences, but to become more at ease with whatever arises. By meditating regularly and following these guidelines, ease in meditation will grow and this will translate into greater ease in living — the ability to flow with whatever life brings.

Sitting in an uncomfortable posture

Often people have the idea that they have to sit in a certain posture for effective meditation, and yet they find it is impossible to do so comfortably. If you are physically uncomfortable this will dominate your awareness and it will be impossible to relax.
Solution: For sitting meditations, it is best to sit with the spine erect, but not to strain in any way. Sit in a way which is natural and puts you at ease. For most people, sitting with back support and with the feet flat on the floor works best.