Meditation
...axation Relaxation is one of the results from meditation. There are many ways to relax. You can watch TV, read, sit by the garden, lay by the pool, or take a hot bath. Meditation is an active process where the meditator remains fully aware of what the awareness is doing. It also attempts to slow and hopefully stop the thought process whereas many forms of relaxation still engage the thought process. Meditation allows the body to relax and can offset the effects of stress both mentally and physically to a potentially much greater degree than just relaxing. 2.2 How to Meditate Meditation involves concentrating on something to take our attention beyond the random thought activity that is usually going on in our heads. This can involve a solid object or picture, a mantra, breath, or guided visualization. Typical objects employed include a candle flame or a flower. Some people use pictures, such as a mandala, which is a highly colored symmetric painting, or a picture of a spiritual teacher in a high meditative state. Mantras are sounds which have a flowing, meditative quality and may be repeated out loud or inwardly. The breath is also a common focal point. Finally, guided visualization is also considered by some to be a form of meditation. A guided visualization can help to bring one into a meditative state; also, visualization may be used once a meditative state has been reached to produce various results. There is no "right" meditation technique for everybody. Some techniques work better for certain people while other techniques work better for other people. The important thing is to find what works for you. 3 TYPES OF MEDITATION 3.1 Chakra Meditation Chakras are energy centers that run along our spine up to our third eye in the head. This nonphysical energy tube is called the sushumna. Seven primary chakras are found at different points along the sushumna. Kundalini, also called chi, prana, or raw energy, sits at the base of the spine in the first chakra (Zenmind). The idea is to bring the Kundalini up to the third eye in stages. Advanced chakra meditators will bring the Kundalini up to the third eye and then jump to the seventh chakra called the "crown" chakra or the "thousand petaled lotus of light." When this happens it is called samadhi. This is the first stage of enlightenment. Entering into samadhi repeatedly will eventually lead a practitioner to a state of complete awareness, in which that person has actually become one with Enlightenment itself (Zenmind). Chakra meditation begins by concentrating on the first chakra just below the navel. When you meditate here, the first three chakras are activated and great energy is released into your body. This is the center of willpower and strength. Then we meditate on the fourth chakra which is the heart center. This activates the fourth and fifth chakras. This is the center of balance and happiness. Finally we meditate on the sixth chakra which is the third eye which is located in the middle of the forehead between the eyebrows and slightly above. This is the center for wisdom and psychic seeing. When doing chakra meditation, it is recommended that you spend equal amount of time at each chakra. For a thirty minute meditation, you would spend ten minutes at each chakra. By practicing chakra meditation in this way, you will bring power, balance and wisdom into your life. 3.2 Yantra Meditation Yantras are ancient geometrical designs. These sacred images are doorways to different worlds of light. Yantra meditation involves focusing on one of these designs. The practice of focusing the mind on something external or internal helps to make the mind quiet. And focusing on a yantra will connect you with the bright worlds that the yantra represents, bringing happiness and clarity into your life. In yantra meditation, you begin by concentrating on the center of the image. When thoughts come in and out of your mind, refocus on the center of the yantra. As your mind becomes quieter, extend your awareness out toward the edges of the yantra, so that you are now focusing on the entire design. Eventually, you will be able to visualize your yantra completely with your eyes closed. This concentration technique will quiet your mind and connect you to the energy of the universe. Find a yantra that feels good to you for your meditation practice. 3.3 Mantra Meditation Mantra meditation is chanting meditation. Mantras are sacred words or phrases which, when repeated in meditation, bring the individual into a higher state of consciousness. The sounds that are produced during mantra meditation are a form of energy, which connect you to worlds of light and spiritual ecstacy. You can chant a mantra out loud, in a whisper, or mentally. Perhaps the most famous mantra is OM MANI PADME HUM which can be translated as "the jewel in the heart of the lotus" or "Enlightenment is within everything". Chanting a mantra repeatedly for the duration of your meditation session will, over time, develop your powers of concentration to a high degree, and you will experience great inner peace and clarity of mind. The trick is to focus on the sacred sounds and the sacred meaning of the mantra. Each time your mind is diverted from pure concentration, bring it back to your meditation by focusing on the mantra. OM MANI PADME HUM 3.4 Transcendental Meditation Transidental Meditation (TM) is one of the most popular methods of relaxing, clearing the mind, eliminating stress, and feeling good about yourself. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced it to the United States. In 1975 I took a TM course. I was taught to sit in a comfortable chair with eyes closed and concentrate on a mantra which was given to me personally. When I noticed my mind wandering about I was to again concentrate on my mantra. You are instructed to do this twice a day for fifteen or twenty minutes. You are not suppose to tell anyone your mantra. My wife and I both took the class and to this day I have not told her mine and I do not know hers. The class consisted of seven sessions. 1. Introductory lecture 2. Preparatory lecture 3. Personal interview with teacher 4. Personal instruction 5. 6. 7. Meditation sessions with instruction There are many scientific journals about the positive health effects of TM. 4 MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEDITATION Misconception #1. Meditation is turning off your thoughts or making your mind a blank. Not True ...Inner quietness is experienced in meditation, but not by willfully turning off thoughts. Quieting the mind results naturally from: • the effectiveness of the method used... and • a force beyond our own efforts. Misconception #2. Meditation is diffic...