Learning to meditate is truly a wonderfully enlightening
experience that stays with you always. It
is a good practice to implement for a number of reasons. Some people seek the
tranquility of it to help control stress or to improve health, etc. Others
practice so they may come closer to their Divine Reality, commune with the
Higher Self or Universal Mind, to be active in Co-Creation, and to receive
guidance.
Visualization is
just one of many specific techniques that can be used to focus attention or
direct energy. What’s important to
remember about visualization is that it is really just guiding oneself through
a series of recognizable psychological symbols so that we may be better able to
relax our bodies along with the constant everyday chattering of our minds. It’s
a lot like daydreaming. But in a meditative state it can be more akin to
controlled dream sequencing. It’s called
‘visual’ization but successful implementation involves all the senses.
Supposing the scene is the beach at sunrise, you would need
to focus on that experience (assuming that you’ve actually had that experience
in life or that you’re able to imagine it) and the time sequence in which it
happens. From the feel of the sand on the skin to the soft rushing sound of the
waves to the warmth of the new sun as it rises to meet you…along with the sight
of it. The point is in the experience
and how it is possible to draw yourself back into a memory so that you feel in
that personally recognizable relaxing place.
Perhaps we should call it ‘emotional’ization or Time
Sequence Activity Recall.
If you think about it…when are we at our most relaxed? When
we’re sleeping… of course. And when asleep we are able to put ourselves totally
in another place, complete with images, sensations, emotions, memories, and
time / space recognition. This is when we’re at our most creative and
Self-aware.
When we meditate we are looking to recreate that powerful
state on a more conscious level so that we can more actively participate in the
Co-Creation process… and so we can gain the Higher Insight and Direction that
we seek. In order to accomplish this we
must simulate the experience of sleep without actually going to sleep. This way
we remain conscious of the process and are able to help guide it. Learning and
implementing specific dream working techniques can also do these things. But that is a whole other subject.
When the body begins to slip off into dreamland it will
behave as an engine that has just been shut off. Everything stops to settle.
There is a certain order to the natural release of spent energy. If you pay attention to the natural process
then it will be easy to understand how it relates to meditation on a physical
level.
Most of it has to do with breathing patterns. Our breathing
varies by what we are doing … Talking, Eating, Walking, Exercising, Working,
Studying, Sleeping, Etc. But it is in
constant motion, either building up or settling down. When it builds up its
pace becomes quicker… more repetitions per minute, but when it settles down it
becomes slower and longer…more drawn out.
Our body (heart rate, muscle tension, etc.) reacts accordingly. So when
you meditate you want to guide your own breathing to a softer place, where it
will be deeper and slower such as in sleep.
To sit quietly and focus attention on the breath is often
referred to as ‘Concentrative Meditation’. By focusing on a particular
thing…such as breath or a flame or the leaves rustling on a tree… your mind
becomes absorbed in it, allowing you to find that more tranquil state of
awareness. There are many specific breathwork techniques. What may prove useful
to remember is that whichever one you choose, when seeking a deep meditative
state; it is helpful to allow your mind to follow your breath and bring your
awareness further inward and upward toward the ‘third eye’ during inhalation.
While exhaling, depending on the goal, you will either hold your awareness
inward or extend it outward with the breath as a psychic release of negativity.
One of the most difficult things for some people to
accomplish when practicing meditation is the quieting or stilling of the
mind. What some people don’t understand
about this is that the mind is never completely still, so it is not necessary
to try to remove All thought and
sensation. Actually, that would be self-defeating because how will we
accomplish any connective task without such benefits?
The point is to quiet the thoughts one thinks toward their
own self…The thoughts, conversations and other everyday ramblings of the mind.
We must still be open to receive new thoughts from the Higher Mind, whether
they are in images or feelings or any number or combination of senses. When we allow ourselves to remain open to those
sensations that arise during meditation, such as smells and sounds and
feelings…etc., we actually may in some ways be increasing the likelihood of
personal epiphanies.
Some traditions teach
that such a technique will lead to a ‘non-reactive’ state of mind, where we are
able to allow thoughts of personal experience from the past and worry as they
arise naturally but remain neutral to them … as an observer. This is referred to as ‘Mindfulness
Meditation’. This can prove to be a very
difficult task for those that are quite sensitive - such as Empaths. For those
that find this is the case, a more concentrative method will probably work
better. However, for those that find
it’s more difficult to hold concentration on a particular thing, the
mindfulness technique may be just the ticket.
Furthermore, for the beginner it may be best to start with
very light forms of meditation that utilize affirmative self-programming
techniques…such that are used in self-hypnosis. This is especially true for
those with limited Metaphysical understanding or sensitivity. Mystical Meditation has more to do with prayer
and becoming spiritually aware…to achieve unity with the source of our
being.
It is suitable for the beginner as well as those with
esoteric backgrounds or anyone who may seek to re-unite or mindfully connect with
the Universal Mind or Ultimate Identity.
A good technique for a person who is finding difficulty with
the most commonly taught forms of meditation is to practice in an ‘eyes-open’
state. You may have noticed at times ‘spacing out’ while staring at an object,
whether intentional or not. This is actually something we all have experienced
many times, and it often happens when we are communing with Nature. It is a
totally Natural form of meditation. And since our eyes remain open our mind
does not search for content to take in, so we are more easily able to reach
that higher state of awareness. We find ourselves in a natural area amongst
other equally Divine expressions of the Cosmic Mind. We are psychically drawn
to a particular object… a pebble, a wave, a flower, a light reflection. Our eyes alight upon its beauty and we are
carried to a more peaceful state of being wherein we are transformed mentally,
physically, spiritually. It may feel as if the experience is fleeting, but it
remains with us always and we can continue to draw upon the wisdom of that moment.
This is a most effective form of ‘Contemplative Meditation’.
If turning to one’s own sense of sight is not an option
there are other equally effective methods that allow for reaching a higher
consciousness through other senses. ‘Vibrational Meditation’, for instance,
brings focus to the vibrational frequencies we feel throughout our bodies when
we chant or sing. This also works with outer sounds such as with certain kinds
of music, singing bowls, drums or other variations of repetitive sound.
And there are several meditational practices that work
through movement of the body, such as with the Chinese martial art of Tai Chi, which is often
referred to as “meditation in motion.” ‘Movement
Meditation’ of any kind involves gentle flowing movements through walking, rocking,
swaying, or dance.
There are so many different ways to meditate. People depend
on an array of techniques and methods to suit personalities, moods, goals, and
paths.
It is beneficial to try learning several methods to find
what suits you best.
Once a person is familiar with several forms of meditation, they find they
are instinctually drawn to certain practices at various times depending on
circumstance, mood, or specific need.
On the whole my advice is: seek out various forms, experiment,
have fun, have confidence, and don’t worry so much about those things you feel
you can’t draw upon to successfully practice meditation. Instead, realize your
many supportive qualities and unique gifts as an important creative extension
of the God-essence. You do have within you everything you may possibly need to
make your experiences with meditation personally rewarding and spiritually
supportive.
