The Art of Meditation

There are various forms and techniques of meditation depending on what you want to get out of it, whether you are spiritual or enjoy self hypnosis or simply want to relax. There is a perception of meditation being difficult to achieve and that you have to be surrounded by silence and think of nothing and maybe even sit in the lotus position. The position is most used in transandental meditation as it aligns the chakra points of the body. While I respect the technique and the belief I do not agree it is necessary for anyone to know about these things in order for them to meditate.

I do however believe you need to adopt a certain respect for the fact that you are in essence going to enter into a state where you will connect with the energy in the environment around you and with your inner mind or sub-conscious.

Energy is all around us and in us. We are constantly bombarded with energies that pass invisibly through our atmosphere from space and there is an energy generated from the natural pulse of our planet. Gravity is a good example of invisible energy. We know it exists and it affects us but we cannot see it or touch it. We can however, interact with it. Just drop a pen on the floor; there, you just interacted with an invisible energy and in the process you created new energies; potential energy, kinetic energy. Do you see how it works?

Well all we are doing in meditation is interacting with the invisible energies around us and allowing ourselves to be part of them while at the same time, inwardly allowing our minds to explore our sub-conscious. This means that the last thing you want to do is think of nothing!

It is actually the opposite of this. As you begin to relax your mind will start to have random thoughts. You are to follow them to see where they lead. Do not forcably follow them, just allow the thoughts to guide you.

So, here is how to meditate on a basic level. Once you get more used to this practise you can develop it to go deeper, to use in short bursts during the day to control your emotions, to get to sleep and many other uses that you will find.

• Find a comfortable environment to be in. This can be indoors or outdoors. It does not have to be completely silent but should feel peaceful for you.
• Find a comfortable seat. This can be a chair or a cushion or a soft piece of ground if meditating outdoors.
• Sit comfortably, do not lie down.
• Keep your feet connected with the floor or ground and keep them flat, remove shoes and socks if warm enough.
• Close your eyes and start to breath deeply. Initially take 3 long breaths in and slowly exhale pulling in as much air as possible and exhaling as much as possible, after that just breathe deeply and allow yourself to relax.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Above you energy from the universe is entering your body through the top of your head. Below you energy from the earth is entering your body through the soles of your feet. Around you energy is asking to enter through your skin.The energy around you is very important. It might be sounds or it might be smells or it might be vibrations caused by nearby traffic. Whatever it is, do not resist it. Allow it to contact you, give it permission to be part of your journey. Absorb it into your meditation.
• As your thoughts begin to become more random, remain focused on relaxing and do not fight them. Allow your thoughts to guide you. Do you see symbols? Good, follow them. Do you see colours? Great, enjoy them. Are you beginning to have new concepts; does your face feel different; are you aware of any other part of your body feeling different or twitching? Good. These are all signs that you have entered into a meditative state and now your sub-conscious mind is alert to your presence.
• As you allow your thoughts to drift and you allow the energies around you to become part of your journey, so you are gradually becoming more connected with the Father Universe, the Mother Earth and the Inner You. You are connecting in perfect unity.
• It is now up to you to decide when the time is right for you to stop. When stopping allow your last emotion to reside in the centre of your mind than slowly count to 10. On 10, open your eyes.

That is it. You can now meditate. Not so difficult afterall was it? How did it feel?

There is no time limit for how long you need to meditate and there is no particular length of time taken to enter into a meditation. We each get there in our own time and each take as long or short as we need.

On your next meditation, think of an issue you are having. It could be grief, it could be financial, it could be the way you interact with others, it could be an argument you had recently. Whatever your issue is, bring it to the forefront of your mind and allow yourself to feel it. Then when you are feeling it most, place it in the centre of your mind and begin your mediation. Afterwards, do not dwell on the issue or the mediation, instead just allow your sub-conscious to work on the issue and eventually it will present you with a resolution.

You can use mediation to calm yourself down or make yourself more productive. It can be used to deal with issues or make you more confident. But it only works if you actually practise it.

Meditation is easily done but very powerful. However, it not something to be afraid of.

If you have an issue you would like to discuss then contact me. If you would like more information on this subject or different techniques then also get in touch.