KATE SUPINO: “How to Meditate, Part 2”

In “How to Meditate, Part 1,” we learned what how to get started with meditation, what meditation is, and isn’t, when to meditate and for how long. We also learned about Quantum Stones, and how they can help to open our Chakras, which are the energy centers of our bodies.Let’s continue the process of meditation with fine tuning the details.

The Place

You can meditate anyplace where you can experience peace and quiet. Many teachers suggest sitting facing a wall to reduce distractions. If you live near a coast, you could meditate facing the great expanse of the ocean. Your specific place of meditation is not as important as your ability to have access to it whenever you want to meditate, and your ability to avoid distraction in that location.

The Posture

In sitting meditation, which is what we are discussing today, there is a certain recommended posture. There are certain keys to that posture that are important to the meditative state:

• Keep your back straight; do not slouch.
• Sit atop a thick mat or rug.
• Position a flat pillow or folded blanket under your spine.
• Raise your chin ever so slightly to maximize air flow.
• Your knees should touch the mat beneath you.

Cross your legs so that your feet are resting on top of your thighs. Choose a point in space directly above you and up slightly. (This raises your chin slightly.) Allow your eyes to drop slightly until they are in a half-closed, relaxed position.

Rest your hands on your lap. Entwine your fingers and allow the tips of your thumbs to meet, so that the shape of your hands forms an oval opening at your abdomen.

This is one of the most common meditation postures. It is called the full Lotus posture.

Breathing Meditation

An easy way for beginners to get started with meditation is to practice breathing meditation.

As you breathe, focus on your breathing. When you focus on your breathing, you are focusing on the present. The intake, then the exhale. Try not to force your breath. Do not try to control your breathing. Just be aware of your own breathing. If you are having trouble concentrating, you can try counting your breath. One for the inhale, two for the exhale, three for the inhale, and so on. If the counting itself becomes a distraction, stop counting.

When we focus our attention on our breathing, we are focusing on simply being. We are in the here and now. We are not looking forward, nor are we looking backward. We are concentrating, but not concentrating, all our attention on our own existence; simply being aware of ourselves. Nothing more is required, nothing more is needed.

As you meditate in this way, you may experience one of two things. You may experience a heaviness coming from the core of your being, pulling you down onto the earth.  This is a positive experience because you are grounding. You are one with the earth, and you are completely inside yourself. It is a safe, secure feeling that is likely coming from the opening up of your first chakra, located at the base of your spine.

Alternately, you may experience a sensation of lightness, or floating. You may feel that you are floating in your sitting position, atop your mat, over the world, or even higher, into the social consciousness. This is likely an opening up of your seventh chakra, located on the top of your head. This is a positive experience that can feel a little bit like enlightenment. You may feel released from this earth, and its bounds of gravity on your human body. You may feel at one with your spirit.

There are so many different experiences that people have during and after a meditation session. You may only feel a sense of peace and contentment and that is reason enough to continue your meditation practice.

Remember always that there is no goal in meditation. Never try to achieve anything with your meditation. The main key is to experience your own glorious being. If you can do that, then you will know the happiness in the meditative state.

Here is a story to remember when you are thinking about what it is to meditate:

The Buddha sat under a fig tree as a stranger passed on the road. The stranger was so struck by the Buddha’s radiance that he was moved to ask, “Are you a god?”
“No,” the Buddha answered.
“What are you, then?” the man persisted.
The Buddha replied. “I am awake.”

So many of us are not awake in our own lives. We allow the distractions of the world to permeate our minds and swirl through our thoughts. Our emotions are not under our control, and we react unthinking to random events and occurrences that impact our lives. Whispers of thoughts flitter about in our brains like elusive butterflies that can never be caught. We are flotsam on a sea of discontent and confusion.

Meditation is the means and the method to allow us to transcend the minute details that suck up our life force. Through meditation, you can find solace in simply being you, whoever you are, and wherever you exist on this earth. You can connect with your inner life energy sources. You can be awake.

 

 

 

 

 

~via QuantumStones.com

KATE SUPINO: “How To Meditate, Part 1”

Getting Started with Meditation

There are a handful of ways to meditate, each of them derived from spiritual traditions. Within those traditions there are variations that are employed to suit the individual. But this all makes meditation sound more rigid and complicated than it is. For our purposes today, we will speak of classic Buddhist meditation.

To better understand how to meditate, it is best to achieve and understanding of what meditation is, and what it is not.

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a way for us to experience our own present being. It allows us to be quiet within ourselves. Meditation does not bring us anywhere. There is no goal to meditation. Do not meditate in order to achieve clarity of mind. The clarity will come to you. Do not meditate to rid yourself of stress. The stress will leave you.

Do not meditate to work out a problem, cure an ailment, or make a decision. When you do something in order to get something, you are metaphorically leaning forward. In meditation, you are sitting still. You are not thinking about the future, the past, or being distracted with what is happening to the sides of you. This is an important concept of meditation.

Though meditation requires discipline and perseverance, it does not require you to work to clear your mind. It requires you to allow. Allow your mind to clear. Allow the random thoughts to evaporate from your mind as you participate in the now. Simply stated, meditation is the art of being.

When to Meditate

The best time to meditate is when you are in a balanced state. These are recommendations, not dictates.

• Do not meditate when you have just eaten a heavy meal, or when you are very hungry.
• Do not meditate when you are very sleepy and thinking about going to bed.
• Do not mediate when you are aroused sexually.
• Do not meditate when you are in extreme pain.
• Do not meditate when you have somewhere you need to be.

Having said that, if those are the only times when you can meditate, you should do so. It is better to meditate at a poor time than to not meditate at all. The recommendations are suggestions for a balanced meditation. But again, some meditation is always better than none.

How Often and How Long

You should try to meditate at least three times a week, though when you delve into meditation, you may find that you enjoy practicing meditation every day. Three times a week represents a minimum goal that will give you enough practice to develop your meditation to a satisfying degree.

The length of time that you meditate will depend on your individual situation. You may have more or less time in your day to meditate. It will also depend on your physical condition. Assuming a meditative position for a longer period of time will be more difficult for a person with certain physical conditions.

Generally speaking, it is widely recommended that you try meditating for between 10 – 40 minutes each time you meditate. Less than ten minutes will make it harder to fully experience the meditative state. More than 40 may tire your body or make it develop aches or numbness from being in the same position, motionless, for so long.

You will develop your own comfortable time for your meditation. On some days you may meditate for longer or shorter. Whatever you do, you will know when it is the right length of time.

What to Wear

When you meditate, wear clothing that is not constricting. You should not be aware of a tight waistband around your midsection or sleeves that are squeezing your upper arms during your meditative state. Loose, freshly-laundered clothing is best. You should always be barefoot when meditating.

To Prepare

To begin your meditation, ready your mind and your body. Slow your actions and calm your mind. As you walk toward the place where you will meditate, be aware of yourself and your body. Begin meditating before you meditate.

Energy

When you meditate, your seven energy centers, called Chakras, will be stimulated. Many people experience additional benefits from the meditation practice when they incorporate Quantum Stones in their ritual. Quantum Stones are stones that have stored spiritual vibrations. These vibrations enhance the energy movement within our bodies. The vibrational energy of Quantum Stones can be measured scientifically and felt simply by touch. Wearing such a pendant can raise your energy by a factor of between 2 and 12 or higher. During meditation, the energy coming from these pendants is palpable.

In our next post, we’ll discuss where you should meditate, your posture, and your mental state of awareness. In the meantime, you can continue to prepare your thoughts, select your clothing and gather your Quantum Stones to help maximize energy movement.

Continued on Part 2

 

 

 

 

~via QuantumStones.com