Meditation is the art and science of becoming aware; becoming present to Self and All That Is. There are many roads and techniques that can get you there. The common thread that connects all meditation is breath. Deep breath. Conscious breath. Breath that engages the whole being on all levels. The first step in any meditation journey is to breathe.
Meditation techniques vary. Sitting silently with an erect posture with the eyes 1/10 open for great lengths of time is only one way of practicing the art. Other modes and means for raising consciousness include guided mediation, mental mantra, chanted mantra, asanas, internal vibration/energy flow perception, or walking. Mandala or fixed-focus practices may be useful to some in the search for the center. The key for anyone who desires to improve their focus, their attention, their receptiveness, objectivity and acute present-state awareness is repetition. Practice. It IS called a ‘practice’ for a reason.
The ‘practice’ of meditation is like life––ever-changing and unique in each moment. Regular practice deepens experience exponentially. Discipline amplifies both the depth of experience and the height of awareness. Meditation affects all three aspects of the human: body, mind and spirit.
Meditation is a process. It is a chance to listen. It is a chance to detach from the “monkey mind” filled as it is with its worries, addictions, cravings, concerns, plans, desires, memories and fascinations. This practiced detachment prepares the meditator for detached and relaxed responses when the external world throws challenging circumstances their way. Practice makes perfect––practice calm, be calm. We become observant of needless fear and suffering and cease to respond to it getting caught up in a frenzied swirl of emotion and reactivity.
When we detach we actually engage more deeply in the bigger sense of Self and so with that, intuition––that small still voice––gets heard. We easily act based on appropriate gut responses. We move forward through our hearts and exist more closely to our center. Strength comes from this. Joy comes from this. Ease and suffering are reduced in this.
And the science of meditation? The following link will provide a little insight into the science of the mind in an article entitled, “How Thinking Changes the Brain”, (created by Sharon Begley of the Wall Street Journal as posted on the site of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet): click here.
Be mindful today. (“Take your meds!”) Put aside as little as 3-minutes to get started. Get your body as relaxed as possible, sitting or laying down. Intend that you will be receptive. Open to receive. Observe. Experience. Start with the breath. Attempt to leave the thinking of the breath behind in place of the EXPERIENCE of the breath. Be there. Sit/lay with yourself.
Just BE for three!
