According to Webster Online Dictionary, mediation is continuous
and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a
deep or abstruse nature. Yawn! This explanation is likely to put the most
devout Buddhists off mediating, let alone a mum who's desperately looking forward
the kids to go to bed so she can at least have 5 uninterrupted minutes in the
bathroom. Or the busy professional who even works on the train on their way
home from work after a 10 hour day.
When you hear the word meditation, what comes into your
mind? Incense smoke filled yoga room with dreadlock and drawstring pants
wearing people? A stack of never opened CDs you bought ages ago thinking you
will have the time and dedication one day to "really get into it"? Or
maybe an idyllic picture from your Facebook newsfeed showing a person sitting
on a mountain top looking mighty serene and kind of full of inner peace
smugness? I hear you!
Don't let all this dissuade you from at least trying it on
for size. Bringing meditation into your every day is easier than it might seem.
Let me share with you some ideas that I think will grow on you faster than you
can say Namaste. These 5 top tips will not only help you get into meditation but will enhance your experience with psychic development.
1 Relaxation
and Mindfulness
If you haven't done any meditation before, I suggest you try
relaxation first and some mindfulness meditations or visualisations. These
types of meditations are guided and on top of the soothing soundtrack of ocean
waves, bird sounds and the like and you will have a person's voice taking you
through a landscape of some kind usually. Sandy beaches, cool caves, lush
forests are all popular choices. To start off with, choose something that is
not too long. About 10-15 minutes will do. Choose a time when you won't be
disturbed, turn your phone off and find a comfortable place to sit. I prefer a
sitting position as it's just too easy to fall asleep during a relaxing
meditation. As much as you want to enjoy it, unless it's bedtime, you want to
get on with the rest of your day once you're finished.
2 Noise is
Good
If guided meditations are not your cup of tea, I found that
just a track of plain sounds is very effective. I have tried various background
noises such as white noise, wind blowing, the sound of rain, drums, even whale
songs. There is plenty of free material available online or inexpensive tracks
on iTunes even. This type of meditation will allow you to be in the driver's
seat and go wherever you want to go in your head.
3 Your
Happy Place
You will be much more inclined to spend time meditating if
you have a comfortable, inviting, cozy place to go to in your head if you're
not using guided meditation. You can create the space you want in your head, even
the path you get there on. Lack of imagination is not an excuse here as you can
also go back to physical places in your thoughts where you really enjoyed
yourself in the past or felt peace and calmness. I have a temple space I
visualise, where I go to in regular meditations.
4 Thoughts
Be Gone
I used to think that meditating means to be completely
thought free until I met a yoga teacher who taught me something invaluable and
I pass it onto everyone I teach. Don't fight your thoughts when they come into
your head. It's natural to have those floating through your mind, even when
meditating. If you're focused on keeping them out and fighting to push them
out of your head once they enter, your focus is not on your meditation but your
mental processes. Imagine that those thoughts that come into your head during
meditations are like lithe leaves, being blown into your mindscape during meditation
and see them float out of your head as effortlessly as they floated in.
Acknowledge each thought and let it drift on and the next one and the next one
until there aren't any more. Most of all, don't give yourself a hard time if
you're not successful right away. Meditation is called a practice for a reason.
5 Keep It
Simple If You Go Off Track
One of my issues during meditation used to be that I often
"came out of it" really suddenly and was unable to go back into that
relaxed state. Or during guided meditations I would drift away and completely
off the path that the guidance was, especially during psychic development
classes. I would find it difficult to re-focus once that happened and I would
spend the rest of meditation time either with my eyes closed, fully aware and
trying not to fall asleep in front of everyone in the circle or beating myself
up in my thoughts for not keeping on task. Another technique I learnt from my
yoga teacher helped me overcome that issue as well. Whenever I felt myself
drifting or coming out of meditation, I would re-focus my thoughts on my
breath. As I was inhaling and exhaling, very deliberately, I would feel the
rise and fall of my chest and continue with that practice until I was back on
track. Some people in my circles found that focusing on their heartbeat works
better for them and that is perfectly fine. This is also helpful at the
beginning of a meditation session as it helps centring and balancing the mind,
priming it for a great meditation.
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