MEDITATIONS FOR BEGINNERS

MEDITATIONS FOR BEGINNERS ---

CHOOSE YOUR FLAVOUR

Beginning a meditation practice can be both exciting and intimidating. If you asked 10 random meditaters what style of meditation they practice, you would probably get 10 different answers. With such a variety of techniques and flavours available, it's common to feel overwhelmed and uncertain as to where or how to get started.

In a way, I was lucky because I'd been meditating all of my conscious life – I just didn't realise it. When my parents introduced me to the practice, they called it “praying”, and it took the forms of saying grace before meals, bedtime prayers kneeling beside the bed, and bowing my head while prayers were said in Sunday School and church. And such formula praying dwelt mainly on things like giving thanks and asking for blessings (whatever they might be) upon food, Mummy and Daddy, brother and sister, “the poor” (whoever they were), and asking God (whoever he was) to help me be a good boy, which meant mainly doing what I was told the instant I was told to do it. As I grew older I really needed help in dealing with feelings, emotions, desires and compulsions that I just couldn't understand, began feeling acutely the powerlessness of being me, and at the same time I got interested in girls. So my prayers began to earnestly ask for help in getting noticed and liked by whomever my passions currently blew hot for and, since the answer I usually got from God was a silent nothing, I had no idea of who else or how else to ask for help, and as far as I could tell God, if he heard me at all, was indifferent. It would be quite some time before I got the hang of real meditation, which has very little to do with asking for what you haven't got, and much more to do with finding out what you actually are. You, fortunately, need not wait so long.

Let's get started …........

Perhaps the best place to begin this is to consider, firstly, why do you want to meditate? What is your need right now? What do you hope to get from the practice? Once you become more precisely aware of what you want, it will probably become a little clearer which form of meditation you'd like to try first.

I first began meditating as a conscious exercise almost by accident at drama school, when I was picked by Hermes Martini, a student in the Stage Management Course, to take part in a piece of improvised theatre about Yoga. As part of my research I bought randomly a few books on the subject and read up and practised a few different techniques. I found some of them physically very difficult and, frankly painful, but one or two others to be very helpful in getting fairly quickly into a state of quietness and relaxation. Because I was working overnights from 10pm to 6am 10 days per fortnight to help keep a roof over our head and food on the table, and NIDA went at least 5 days per week from 9am to 5pm – often-times a lot longer – the relaxation techniques I learned made up for lack of sleep and probably saved my life and sanity. Maybe God had been listening after all.

Meditation is a word that has come to be used loosely and inaccurately in the modern world. That is why there is so much confusion about how to practice it. Some people use the word “meditate” when they mean thinking or contemplating; others use it to refer to daydreaming or fantasising. However, meditation (dhyana) is not any of these.

Meditation is primarily concerned with quieting the mind.  We all have a degree of suffering as a result of not achieving our various desires. These include the obvious physical necessities of food and clothing as well as such enjoyable things as a good reputation, a feeling of belonging and making a difference, the sound of pleasant and reassuring words and the comforting touch of a loved one. Some forms of suffering, such as the hunger of an extremely impoverished person, are more obvious than others. But in one way or another, we all hunger uncontrollably for things we feel we do not possess and think are not available to us. Thus when we talk about the true purpose of meditation we are sometimes talking about getting comfort, contentment, or something else we don't have; sometimes we're seeking relief from perturbation, and sometimes about getting insight and wisdom (enlightenment), an attainment that enables us to fulfill not only our own aims but also those of all others.

Meditation is a precise technique for resting the mind and attaining a state of conscious awareness that is totally different from our hitherto normal waking state. It is the means for fathoming all the levels of ourselves and finally experiencing the centre of consciousness within. Meditation is not a religion; it is a science, which means that the process of meditation follows particular orders, has definite principles, and produces results that can be verified.

From childhood onward, we have been educated only to examine and verify things in the external world. But no one has taught us how to look within, to find within, and to verify within. Therefore, while trying to get to know others. we remain strangers to ourselves. This lack of self-understanding is one of the main reasons our relationships don’t seem to work, and why confusion and disappointment so often prevail in our life.

Very little of the mind is cultivated by our formal educational system. The part of the mind that dreams and sleeps—the vast realm of the unconscious which is the reservoir of all our experiences—remains unexplored, undiscovered, and unknown; it is not subject to any discipline.

It is true that mind inhabits the whole body, but not the whole of the mind is in the body – not by a long shot. Except for the practice of meditation, there is no method to truly develop influence over the totality of either body or mind. And we certainly never get to know anything of ourselves beyond what we've slapped together in ego and now call our “personality”. It's comes as a shock to the system when, through meditation, we discover that our personality is not what we are at all.

So, if you're still wedded to the idea that you are your personality, your career, your body shape, your values, principles and beliefs, I respectfully suggest that meditation is not for you – not yet anyway. If, however, you've discovered that none of the above are working for you, and that everything you've based on what you think you are is going down the toilet, please read on. I may have something for you......

The goal of meditation is to go beyond the mind and experience the hidden subtleties of our essential nature—which is described as peace, happiness, and bliss. Without meditation we certainly have almost no chance of ever experiencing pure, unadorned, uncritical awareness, which is as close as we can get to what we really are, and in which what we are not, and everything else, arises and falls away again.

But as anyone who has tried to meditate knows, the mind itself is the biggest obstacle standing between ourselves and this awareness. The mind is undisciplined and unruly, and it resists any attempts to discipline it or to guide it on a particular path. The mind has a mind of its own and, make no mistake about this, will generate enough dissatisfaction and dis-ease to kill your spirit and maybe even your body rather than give up being right about itself. That is why many people sit for meditation and experience only fantasies, daydreams, or hallucinations. They never attain the stillness that distinguishes getting free of the mind and engaging with the genuine experience of living at a deeper level.

We are taught how to move and behave in the outer world, but we are never taught how to be calm and examine what's going on, and what is within ourselves. We have to learn to simply be with what we are. How crazy is that? You'd think it would be so easy just to be what we are! But the fact is that realtively few people ever get to experience that. But when we learn to do this through meditation, we attain the highest of all joys that can ever be experienced by a human being – simple awareness. All the other joys (and sufferings) in the world are momentary, but the awareness in meditation is immense and everlasting. It is the only permanent reality. This is not an exaggeration; it is a truth supported by the long line of sages, both those who renounced the world and attained truth, and those who continue living in the world yet, at the core of their being, remain unruffled by it.

Meditation is a practical means for calming yourself, for letting go of your biases, your filters and your blind spots and seeing what is, openly and clearly. It is a way of training the mind so that you do not get distracted and caught up in, and identify with its endless churning of separating thoughts, ideas, concepts, beliefs and opinions. Meditation teaches you to systematically explore your inner dimensions. It is a system of wilful commitment, not commandment. It is intentional, not incidental or accidental. You are committing to yourself, to your path, and to the goal of knowing all through knowing yourself. Learning to be calm and still should not become a mystical ceremony or religious ritual; it is a universal practical requirement of the human body and mind, and as such deserves to be part of your daily habits.

It is critical to understand is that while the primary GOAL of any meditation may be a state free of mental disturbance, the best METHOD to get there is NOT by trying to think of nothing. I tried that; it does not and will never work – “Hallelujah! I'm free of thought” is a thought!

I’ve lost count of the number of people who tell me that they can’t meditate because they can’t stop thinking during meditation. I tell them that it is perfectly normal to have thoughts during meditation, and that it is an indication that they are alive and human which is, after all, the whole point of living, isn't it?

Worrying about thinking while you're meditating is just ANOTHER thing to worry pointlessly about. Tragically, some people give up trying to meditate because of this misleading idea that they have to stop thinking. You cannot do it. Try it now. Go on, that thought you're thinking right now – yes, that one --- stop it. Go on, stop it. And that thought – stop that, too!

We cannot stop a thought arising. Thoughts just pop out of – nowhere. Pop! Another one. Pop! Even when we're asleep --- pop! Trying to stop thoughts is like wading into the surf and trying to quell the waves with your bare hands.

In meditation it becomes important to shift your perspective from the thoughts themselves to simply witnessing or noticing the thoughts (or feelings or events) that are arising in the space of your awareness. In meditation we learn to identify with our core of self awareness (the Atman), rather than with our thoughts. It's a simple matter of shifting the focus point of our attention. If you do this successfully, something very interesting might happen.

The goal of meditation is not to disappear the mind. You cannot live for more than a few minutes without your mind. Our problems have arisen because we've allowed Mind – the office messenger to run the whole company while we've gone out on the world's longest lunchbreak. The goal of meditation, as I understand it, is to find out what I am, to transcend the mind, busting it back to the mailroom, and taking back the reins of CEO, and once again experience directly the Oneness of What I Am with the Universe – something beyond thought, or thinking or imagining, and certainly beyond words.

We have experienced that before, you know, but we were too young at the time to remember it now, so getting enlightened is the greatest homecoming of all time to The Source so that we can consciously experience it for the first time.

In general, people begin to take up a meditation practice because they suspect that there is more to life than what they're experiencing at the moment. True?

The best way to begin is to familiarise yourself with some of the different types of meditation to see what resonates with you. Here are a few of the more common styles that are great for beginners.

Breath-Awareness Meditation

Meditation is very simple. It is simply attending – being present and available in the moment. There would hardly be a person on the planet still breathing for whom this is not possible. Even while deep in a coma, my daughter was present and available. Since you're not in a coma, you can begin by simply noticing your breath, entering and leaving, and then if a thought comes, notice it, be open to it—then just let it pass on through. Then you can come back to the breath. Your normal (habitual) response is to react to your thoughts, all 50,000 + of them every day. You notice particular ones and chase after them, jumping on board and wrestling them. This keeps you ever busy in a sea of confusion and leads to dis-ease and exhaustion. Meditation teaches you to attend to what is taking place within, without reacting, without getting involved in any way, and this makes all the difference. It brings you freedom from being towed around by the mind and its meanderings and convulsions. And in this freedom you begin to experience who you are, distinct from your mental turmoil. You are not your turmoil (or your happiness for that matter). There is all that stuff, and there is you, simply and uncritically aware of it all. Stuff is no loner”my” stuff; it is just stuff. And you are merely the uninvolved watcher. You experience inner joy and contentment, you experience relief and inner relaxation, and you find a respite from the tumult of your life. You have given yourself an inner vacation.

This inner vacation, however, is not a retreat from the world. It is rather a new way of being totally alive in it without succumbing to it on its rules. This new way of “being with” is the foundation for finding inner peace. You must also learn to apply the principle of attending in your worldly activities, so that you can apply yourself in the world more effectively. Through practicing meditation you can learn to be spaciously open to what comes before you in your daily life and give it your full, clear-eyed attention without breaking stride.

Ordinarily, we react externally to the experiences that come before us in much the same way that we react internally to the thoughts we entertain. If someone says something negative to you, you become angry or depressed. If you lose something, you become off-centred and emotionally upset. Your mood depends on what comes before you, and, as a result, your life is like a roller coaster ride, utterly at the mercy at the twists and turns of fate. You react before you give yourself a chance to fully experience what you are reacting to. You immediately interpret what you see or hear according to your programmed expectations, fears, prejudices, or resistances. You do not see anything clearly as it simply is; your interpretations jump in first, not giving you a chance to see the clear reality of it. You short-circuit the experience, and thus limit yourself to one or two conditioned reactions instead of responding to a situation openly and creatively.

But if you apply the principle of meditation to experiences that come before you, you can fully attend to what is taking place. You can attend to your initial reaction without reacting to your reaction: “Oh, look how threatened I feel by that.” Let yourself be open to experiencing your reaction and it will move through you and allow other spontaneous responses to also come forward, so that you can select the one that is most helpful in that particular situation. And once you get used to it, this self-examination can happen quite quickly.

At the outset, Breath-awareness meditation is a simple practice of finding a comfortable seat, closing your eyes, and placing your attention in the inhalation and exhalation of your breath. Breath awareness is an effective way to establish greater mind-body connection and to reduce stress. This type of meditation can be your preferred meditation practice each day and it is also highly useful during moments of tension in the workplace and at home. It can last anywhere from several hours to two or three seconds. And you don't have to go to some temple to do it – you can do it wherever you are, whenever you are. And its a fantastic way to gently snap you back to the here and now.

Guided Meditation

Guided meditations have become increasingly popular since the '80's. A guided meditation is led by someone else, either in person or via a recording, that will usually (although, not always) have a theme and relaxing music playing in the background. Guided meditations are generally conducted in quiet areas away from noisy distractions, and last anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes, depending on the purpose or theme, and they come in all styles—including healing, manifesting, and going within to find your essential self and purpose. Because guided meditations are led by another person, this style of meditation is great for beginners and those who may struggle with sitting still or lying down for more than just a few minutes at a time. They are also beneficial if you would like to enhance your existing practice or focus your energy and attention on a specific outcome. 

See if there are any guided meditations being offered in your community where you can go to meditate with like-minded individuals. Many yoga studios, community centres and wellness clinics offer guided meditation classes, which can be a great way to ease into your meditation practice. Alternatively, you can purchase guided meditation recordings at health food stores, wellness clinics and online.

Visualisation Meditation

Visualisation meditation is a powerful way to use the mind to influence the body and can also be an empowering way to underpin and fuel the processes of physical, mental and spiritual healing, and manifesting desired outcomes in your life. Deepak Chopra teaches that what we place our attention on grows stronger and what we take our attention away from will begin to diminish. The unconscious mind is extremely powerful and it works very well with imagery – a lot more effectively and powerfully than with logic and reason. We can all listen to lectures and read books about creating a new reality for ourselves, but the chances of igniting a bonfire therefrom are minimal. In the hands of a skilled facilitator of visualising meditation, however, the chances of sparks being created are almost 100 percent because it is the participant who brings his/her own raw personal experiences to the moment, and who does the work. Meditation is spiritual DIY.

One common visualisation practice is centred around health. By visualising your body-mind as being healthy, vibrant, and energised—or grounded, peaceful, and calm—you can begin to elicit these things both mentally, emotionally and physically. Another approach is using visual imagery for creative purposes. By constructing an image in your mind of what your life might look like after having accomplished a goal and really seeing yourself having already achieved it is a way to begin living in ways that support the manifestation of your desired outcome. Visualisation puts you in a frame of being that is conducive to bringing forth what you desire. A side benefit is that you get to discover a lot about yourself that you never realised before.

To meditate using visual imagery, practice the following:

1. Identify your desired outcome. For example, do you wish to feel more grounded and at peace in your mind and emotions? Or would you like to envision your physical body as being healthy, vibrant, and strong? Or are you longing to create art, write poetry, be in a new relationship, or travel abroad?
2. Create internal representations of what this looks, sounds, and feels like. Make each one as real and as compelling as possible. Don't be afraid to add to or modify your visions. When I first started this kind of work I was exhorted to create one vision and stick to it. I found this to be a big mistake, perhaps because my vision is always bound to be limited, creating limiting expectations of what “should” be. Well, if that isn't ego, what is? I've found that the Creator doesn't like “oughts” or “shoulds”. Colin & Gail introduced me to a rider to add to each visualisation – “this or something better”. I felt the relaxation instantly, and the moment I relax and let go something, the flow of possibility surges immediately. What we're trying to do here is not to create the whole building in every detail and set it in concrete, but to launch a dynamic seedling that will, of itself, grow with the rest of a universe that supports, nurtures and sustains it.
3. Enter into a meditative state by relaxing and taking some deep breaths and then bring the image into your awareness. Associate yourself into the picture by stepping inside it and feeling it as if it is already happening. Imagine what it feels like “from the inside”. Allow your vision to grow with you as you bring it to realisation.
4. When it's time to come out of meditation, simply allow the image to fade off into the distance and relinquish any attachment to outcome. I have found this step to be absolutely crucial. Colin said more than once “You cannot truly have anything that you're not prepared to NOT have.” He understood better than anyone I knew until then the limiting, strangling effect of attachment. Attachment presupposes separation – the very opposite of the purpose of meditating. What we are seeking is integral to us, and our ability to manifest it is utterly dependent upon our one-ness with that which we're bringing forth. Perhaps a few moments specifically meditating the difference between “attachment” and “One-ness” may help you here. There are no right or wrong answers: just take what you get, when you get it. Take a deep breath, breathe it in and allow every “got-it” to infuse through you.
5. Meditate in this fashion anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes each day.

Japa or Mantra-Based Meditation

Japa meditation is a mantra-based meditation path that is one of the oldest, most revered classical techniques known today. The word “mantra” translates to “mind vehicle” or “mind instrument”. Japa meditation has the practitioner repeating a word or phrase for the duration of the meditation, with the mantra being the focal point throughout. One such mantra is that centred on the sound -- “om”.

During the practice, whenever you drift away from the mantra to other thoughts, sounds, or physical sensations, you simply guide your attention back to the mantra. Think of it as a dance back and forth between mantra and thought. Some mantras have a specific meaning or a particular resonance when it's vocalised, and it’s said that by repeating the mantra, you are connecting to the energetic essence of its intention. Other mantras purposely have no meaning and are designed to help access deeper levels of silence. In this approach, eventually the mantra and thoughts will cancel one another out. When this happens, you fall into silence as your conscious awareness transcends the busyness of the mind and reaches higher vibrational- frequency levels of consciousness.

Popular styles of mantra-based meditation can be easily learned in person or online.

Loving-Kindness or Metta Meditation

Metta meditation, also known as Loving-Kindness meditation, is designed to cultivate four qualities of love: friendliness (Metta), compassion (Karuna), appreciative joy (Mudita), and equanimity (Upekkha). The quality of Metta, or friendliness, is expressed as a genuine compassion sent out with the intention of surrounding ourselves and others with loving kindness, often imagined in the form of a coloured aura. With all that is going on in the world today, Metta meditation is a worthwhile practice for each of us to spend some time in each day. This style of meditation also works well as an entrance point for the practice of forgiveness and can be a powerful tool for lessening the charge of negative emotions we have toward those who have wronged us.

Another variation will have you think silently to yourself, “May I be filled with loving kindness. May I be well. May I be peaceful and at ease. May I be truly happy.” You would then bring someone else into your mind (someone you love and/or someone who you are feeling challenged by) and say silently, "May you be filled with loving kindness. May you be well. May you be peaceful and at ease. May you be truly happy.” You may then bring all of humanity into your awareness and send the same intention out to the collective—to all sentient beings, “May we be filled with loving kindness. May we be well. May we be peaceful and at ease. May we be truly happy.”

Once you have done this meditation a few times and you remember the process, you can begin to do the meditation on your own without listening to the audio file. Choose whatever language you prefer to use and practice this meditation for a period of time to see how it resonates with you.

So, from here onward......

Once you’ve tried a few different types of meditation, you will have a better idea of what resonates with you and what doesn't. The most important thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong meditation; there are many paths that all lead to the same destination, and the beauty of life is that we get to choose our own path.

Keep it simple at the beginning and just feel out some different techniques. When you find one that you enjoy, the next step is to set aside 15 to 20 minutes each day to cultivate your meditation practice. From there, tend to your practice each day until it becomes a new habit and you will experience life-changing benefits.

And they won't always be ones that you expect. But observe – you will see their perfection – in time.