Meditation

Meditation

Meditation is a means to bring one attention to a single pointedness and by doing so still the outer mind and abandon one’s thinking. It is a form of relaxation and rest. There are many types of meditation as long as their objective is to still the mind and let go of one’s thoughts.

Spiritual Traditions say that prayer is asking God and meditation is listening. Meditation can also be said, to be at tentative to the NOW or the Present. Meditation is a way in to experience what is called Self Knowingness.

There are many forms of meditation and they are all good if they lead you to the Silence of your inner eternal being. Here is one suggested form of meditation that can be used. Meditation is not controlling your thinking. Meditation is learning to become still and stop thinking so that Knowing can occur.

One way to do this is to fix your mind on an object whether it is something you can look at with your eyes open such as a candle or picture or a flower. It can also be something you listen to such as a musical piece or the sound of the ocean of anything like that. The key is not to think about it and just be attentive, meaning concentrating on it without having any thoughts about it one way or another whether they are positive or negative. It’s all about where your attention is at any given moment.

One can also just find ways to relax sitting in a bath tub full of warm water and maybe incense and candles that is soothing like a massage and gentle that help you let go of the busy day.

Meditation is like a knife that is cutting through that part of your mind that is always thinking what you may call the thinker or thinking self. Meditation is a tool that cuts right through the ego mind to the very source of your being not you’re thinking but your being that you really are.

The meditation that I suggest that is very simple is observing your breath. First find a place where you can relax and you will not be disturbed and make this time sacred to you. Make this time for meditation a priority before anything else you do and if you need to prepare at first such as bodily care that is fine. Be gentle with yourself, but be firm. Exercise a little discipline accordingly. Say to yourself that you are now going to use this time to rest and to relax and to meditate and you will not answer the phone or the door for any one or anything. This is you time with God.

Now start with a little prayer if you like or maybe a chant. Find a straight back but comfortable chair to sit in if you like. Remember you are not going to sleep. As your higher Power to assist you maybe that is in the form of your Guide or angel or the Holy Spirit or one who is Awake. This is a process and a practice that you will learn to do daily. It will become for you a way of life just like breathing. It is necessary to your experiencing your inner peace.

After you have become comfortable and you are sitting in the position you like close your eyes and take three deep breaths through your nose. Do this first breath as natural as you can and then slow down gently the breathing process. Don’t rush and be patient with yourself.

When you are ready begin by noticing your breath. Notice the sensation at the bridge of your nose as you breathe in and out. Do not try to control your breathing just notice it at first. Do this a few times maybe five times. While you are observing your breath, if there are any thoughts that come to your mind or if anything distracts you from noticing your breath then be aware of it and bless it then bring your attention back to your breathing or whatever the object of your meditation might be such as a mantra. Chant, candle light, flower etc. Gently bring your attention back to the object of your meditation and in this case your breath. Each time this happens do the same thing notice it the thought or whatever it is and bring your attention back to your breathing. Do this for 10 min twice daily for 7 days. It is wise and it is suggested to have a daily journal and note your observations.

After seven day’s notice how you feel and any differences that may be occurring. I would suggest starting this practice on a new moon within the first twenty four hrs.

Continue your practice for the next 28 day lunar cycle or until you begin to notice an awareness of peace or what may be called a center a place of stillness. You will know this center at first because there is no thinking there just silence within. This is what you may call your still points which as you continue this breath observation will cut right though to this still point. It is the calm center of the hurricane or the eye of the storm. This point is the all Seeing Eye and where true Knowing occurs.

When you are ready and you can feel this center of calm bring your attention to it just like you did your breath and continue for the next seven to 28 days. Again do this on a new moon cycle. Now for any reason you lose your sense of awareness of this center then go back to your breath and it will again take you to this awareness of a center of peace. The more you focus on this center the more aware you will become and it will in time fill your mind. One can say this is a process of emptying the mind to be filled with a new awarenes

The next step when you are ready is to learn or begin to listen. Now you have learn that by focusing on this still point you have become still and now being still you can listen to the Self Knowingness of your inner being or the Holy Spirit your own right mind which is in reality your intuitive Self or part of you.

As you are doing this practice of listening after bringing your awareness to this still point within you for the next ten or fifteen minutes or however long you need to listen and you will know when you have received your answer because the movement will stop in side of you and will bring your awareness to outside things or wherever you attention might need to be. Knowingness will occur.

Now this listening place is where you need to bring all your questions, but remember that this part of your mind the Infinite Mind knows already what your questions are and the Answer. Do not qualify your questions or what the Answer might be. This Infinite Mind this Self Knowing Spirit knows how to register with you and what form the Answer might need to take. It might not register with you at first while you are listening in that Silence, but may register to you during the say when you are letting go and you are not thinking about it. Do now be concern or try to control the outcome of what the Answer might be and also what it will look like meaning the form it may take. In addition, ask only once what your question is.

The last step is to expect an Answer. This is where patience may need to come in. This is the waiting part and where you step out on faith that the Answer is forth coming, but do expect and answer. Infinite patience brings immediate results. Everything that is needful in your life comes from being centered.

A step that is excellent and brings everything into perspective is the eleventh step of AA.

Sought through prayer and meditation to improve my conscious contact with God as I understand Him, praying only for Knowledge of His Will for us and the Power to carry it out.

The key here is Thy Will be done. Happy journeying and May you find the Happy Journey without Distance that leads you to the place of Bliss that is your eternal Abode and your true Source of Love, Joy and Peace.