Tag Archives: meditation how to

Meditation: short guided meditation visualisation

September 7, 2009

Meditation: short guided meditation visualisation

I’ve been looking around for a nice simple (and not too long) video and music clip to help you with your meditation practice.

My idea is to help you see that you can just find a comfortable seating position, take a few breaths to relax yourself and then either watch the images or close your eyes and just get carried along by the music.

Simple and very, very sweet.

I think you could manage this even more than once a day. Do enjoy my dear hearts and remember to be very gentle with yourselves and each other as we travel through this life together.

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Meditation How To: Getting To Know Your Mind

June 25, 2009

Meditation How To: Getting To Know Your Mind

Realising that your mind has a mind of it’s own is probably one of the most incredible things a person can do when they first embark on learning about Meditation.

For too many people it becomes the main obstacle to their progress. I so understand that.

For me, deep down inside I found it a little frightening. I really and truly thought that I was in charge of me. However, I soon discovered that my mind had other ideas!

Remember the list of reasons I quoted in our first “How To” post – First Control Your Body? Here they are again.

  • I couldn’t stop thinking
  • I couldn’t concentrate
  • I couldn’t make my mind silent

I was shocked to be perfectly honest. Shocked at the negativity I discovered in there when I really had a good hard look and shocked at how difficult I found it to really understand the way my mind worked. I mean, why wouldn’t it just do what I wanted it to do? Why wouldn’t it just shut up for a few minutes. What on earth was it afraid I was trying to do?

Let me tell you a story.

Everyone (well I think most people anyway) has the same issue with their mind.

Once I realised that I really didn’t know my own mind very well I had to actually set aside some time to get to know it.

I found sitting and watching it a very useful tool in this regard, this is where I discovered the negativity and the anger that I hadn’t realised was there. I discovered that in my mind I was actually quite rigid, negative, judgemental, angry and very mean – mostly to myself. That was quite a shock!

So, with a little guidance from a trusted and much loved friend, I began to journal what I was seeing and hearing in my mind.

I began to look for patterns and processes and I began to understand my mind just a little better. The writing really helped. I had some ‘stuff’ to deal with here and it was getting in the way of my desire to meditate and to create a much better, healthier, happier and fulfilling life for myself.

So, along with your first task:
Learning about your body, watching it, acknowledging it and IGNORING it’s little games until you can comfortably sit for 5 full minutes, you are now going to turn your attention to your mind.

Your task for today:

Find a book you are happy to use as your Meditation Journal, a nice pen or pencil you feel happy to write with and bring them with you to your meditation practice.

Once again, at the time you have chosen as being perfect for your meditation time, go sit comfortably in your chair:

  • Feet on the floor, warm enough or cool enough and remember… NO distractions!

Now, take a couple of nice deep breaths. In and out releasing any tension and just really coming into your special, precious meditation time:

  • Allow your eyes to close softly, allow your breath to find it’s own natural rhythm
  • When your breath and your body have settled comfortably and you feel ready
  • Begin TO WATCH YOUR MIND

As with your body, it really won’t take it too long to start trying to get your attention:

  • It will remind you of something you may have forgotten… just say thank you, I’ll get to that in 5 minutes.
  • It will attempt to distract you with something your have a habit of worrying about… say thank you but I’ll think about that later.
  • It will bring a daydream to your mind and try to get to you play along with the story…. if that happens just come back to your breath. Thank your mind for the story but remind yourself that for now you are not participating right now… you are merely watching.

Just as when you were learning to control your body, continue to watch your mind.

  • Be kind to it, after all it has only one function and that is to think.
  • Acknowledge it’s purpose, thank it for being such an amazing thing,
  • Remain disconnected and non-participatory and just watch it’s antics.

You will learn much about it, yourself, your habitual way of thinking and perhaps a glimmer of what lays behind the noise and chatter.

At the end of 5 minutes, spend a minute or two recording your discoveries in your journal.

  • Did you manage to sit for the full five minutes?
  • Did you find some of the patterns of thinking you engage in?
  • Did you discover that you were unable to remain non-engaged with your thoughts?
  • Did your body get a little fidgety or did you loose your relaxed state as your mind did it’s thing?

Write all of this down and any emotions, memories or ideas you have as a result.

They will all be incredibly helpful to you over the coming weeks and months as you develop the skills you need to work with your mind and develop your meditation practice.

For the next week or so, practice this mind process and try to integrate it into your body practice which you have already mastered. You are now well on the way to developing your own precious meditation practice.

If you would like to receive audio and video recordings as they become available that may assist you develop your meditation techniques and practice,

  • Just put your name and email address into the box at the right hand side of this page and I will add it to the list of fantastic meditation resources I’m developing to assist you.

Remember, practice this exercise until you can sit, relaxed and still, watching your mind for a full five minutes. I know you can do it.

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Why Do You Continue Meditation Practice?

June 12, 2009

Why Do You Continue Meditation Practice?

For many years now I’ve been an on again, off again meditator. These days, I’m much, much more an on again meditator and I often meditate more than once per day. To that end I became part of my local meditation community and we meet weekly to participate in a group meditation. It’s really lovely.

This week, the meditation included a few moments in contemplation around why we/I continue with my meditation practice. Sounds simple enough right? I didn’t find it that simple.

Upon reflection, over the past couple of days that question keeps coming back to me. I’ve realised that my reasons for continuing meditation are quite different now than they were even a few years ago and they are very different from the reason I began investigating meditation and learning how to practice it.

Now these are very personal reflections but as reflections I can see how far along my personal pathway of meditation and (dare I say it) spiritual/consciousness evolution I appear to have traveled. Mind you – that’s linear wording for what I have a feeling is more of a spiral journey but that conversation belongs somewhere else.

I was originally drawn to meditation because it was different.

I married a meditator but we never really discussed it – I just knew he did it but I didn’t understand it. Interesting people seemed to also be meditators and eventually many years later my very best friend also turned out to be a long term meditator. By this time I felt meditation was stalking me! In a nice way of course and so I asked my friend to teach me about meditation. She did. Very simply, very quickly. I was quite disappointed. I thought it would be so much more mysterious really. Funny, in that way, it was a bit like my first sexual encounter….
However, meditation was not done with me by a long shot and I discovered a lovely little book (or it discovered me) and I found a kindred spirit who filled me with the mystery and the wonder I was seeking. His gentle words, his gentle humour and his patience all shone through in the little book called:

Your Life is Your Message: Finding Harmony With Yourself, Others, and the Earth

Now of course, different things really appeal to different people and since that time I’ve discovered many more teachers and read many more books but this one, the first, will always be special.

So I think that I was drawn to meditation in the first place because it was different, a bit exotic and something that interesting people appeared to be involved in. Now, well… that sounds like a description of me!

In truth, I stay with meditation because within the silence I discovered myself and I know that I will never leave me. I hope you discover something wonderful too and if you are looking for a gentle introduction into the wonderful, diverse and entirely beguiling world of meditation you could do much worse than running your eyes and your heart over that little book that helped me take my first baby steps towards developing a practice that sustains me.

Many blessings.

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Meditation How To: First Control Your Body

May 12, 2009

Meditation How To: First Control Your Body

I bet you didn’t think I was going to say that right up front did you? That’s understandable really, because when you ask most people why they didn’t continue with their meditation practice they will answer with something like:

  • I couldn’t stop thinking
  • I couldn’t concentrate
  • I couldn’t make my mind silent

Welcome to the club. It’s normal for that to happen and for most people to remain under control of their rambling mind is also very normal.

Take heart dear ones, help is at hand.

Let me tell you a story.

I first came across meditation more than 20 years ago – in fact it may be more like 25 years but I couldn’t be that old so let’s just go with 20 years ago!

  • I seemed to be surrounded by people who were meditating.
  • So a kinda joined in … a bit.
  • Needless to say I wasn’t really successful and gave it up as a bit of a weird thing to do.

Then around 10 or 12 years ago I found myself in the same position. I was once again surrounded by spiritual people and many of them were meditating on a regular basis.

  • Aaah, the Universe is a clever thing – when a person needs a lesson, a tool or a skill, the Universe will wait patiently until you are ready.
  • This time I took it all a little more seriously and asked someone to give me some hints and tips and I even read a wonderful book that gave me some of the tools I still use today.

However, it wasn’t until about two or three years ago that I learnt the biggest secret that helped me really cement my meditation practice and make it the enjoyable experience it is today. I discovered that the key to controlling my mind, was to learn to control my body.

  • Consider the truth of this. You sit or lay down to meditate. Within three seconds, you just have to shuffle a little bit to get comfy.
  • Then your nose itches, or your eye twitches.
  • Perhaps you feel you must yawn or scratch your knee.

I’m sure you are seeing the pattern here. You see, despite you thinking that you control your body, most of the time you are happy for it to do whatever it wants so long as it is available when you want to pick something up with your foot for example! :-)

Your body on the other hand, is not so happy about you making it sit still. Perfectly still, for even 1 minute. Well that is our task for this Step in the “Meditation How To” series. Learn to take back control of your body, 5 minutes at a time. No ifs, buts or maybe’s. Just still perfectly still, no itching, no twitching, no scratching, shuffling or squirming for 5 minutes.

Your task for today:

At the time you have chosen as being perfect for your meditation time, go sit comfortably in your chair:

  • Feet on the floor
  • Warm enough or cool enough
  • NO distractions!

Now, take a couple of nice deep breaths. In and out releasing any tension and just really coming into your special, precious meditation time:

  • Allow your eyes to close softly
  • Allow your breath to find it’s own natural rhythm
  • WATCH YOUR BODY

It really won’t take it too long to start trying to get your attention:

  • It will tell you it’s uncomfortable but you know that is not true and anyway, it’s only for 5 minutes.
  • It will tell you that your little toe, or your nose, or ear or chin is so itchy there must be something really wrong, but you know that’s not true and it’s only for 5 minutes.
  • It will tell you that there are a hundred and one things it needs to do RIGHT NOW… but you know that in 5 minutes it will all be just nonsense.

Continue to watch your body, acknowledge it’s discomfort in your mind and if it helps, thank it for being so caring about you and let it know that you’ll shift your position, scratch that itch or whatever it’s trying to do to you, in less than 5 minutes.

DONE!

Practice this exercise until you can sit, controlling your body quite happily for 5 full minutes.

Congratulations!

You are now ready to move to the next step.

I’ve made a recording for you to listen to if you need a little bit of guidance for this part of our process.

  • Just put your name and email address into the box at the right hand side of this page and I will add it to the list of fantastic meditation resources I’m going to give you.
  • The link will arrive by email for you to download when you are ready.
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Meditation How To: Do We Have a Deal?

May 11, 2009

Meditation How To: Do We Have a Deal?

Have you ever tried to meditate?

  • Did you succeed?
  • Did you try again later or even the next day?

Do you drive a car?

  • Did you know all you needed to know the very first time you ever got behind the wheel?
  • Did you get your drivers licence the first time you sat the test?
  • Did you go back again and again until you were successful?

So what’s with people giving up on Meditation?

It’s my belief that there are a number of factors at play here and I’ll go through them one at a time, step by step, until we have a handle on them. That’s all I can do for you. After that, it’s up to you to turn up every day and apply what you are learning.

Do we have a deal? Terrific!

So where to begin? Well, it’s pretty simple really. I want you to pick a place to meditate every single day for the next week for about 5 minutes. Yep that’s not too hard right? I mean, you can find 5 minutes and sit in a chair.  No distractions of any kind, for 5 minutes. You can do that right?

Great. I’ll talk to you some more tomorrow.

Here is your list for Step One:

  1. Find a chair: comfortable enough to sit in for 5 minutes and that allows you to sit upright (no slouching or snoring) with your feet on the floor.
  2. Put the chair in a place where you will be happy to meditate: You must feel safe and secure to meditate. You must feel not too warm nor too cool so maybe a rug or shawl handy would be a good idea too. If you think you need a cushion, grab one of those as well.
  3. Select a time where you have 5 minutes of absolutely interruption free time where you can go to your meditation space and just be alone with yourself for 5 minutes. I mean it. No people, no pets, no phone calls or TV – nothing but you and yourself.

If you can do these things and then make a commitment to yourself to turn up every day for 5 minutes, I’ll make a commitment to you to share what I know about meditation. I love these win-win deals. My life feels more worthwhile for having passed on my knowledge and experience and I just know yours will too once you get a handle on Meditation.

Many blessings on you and those you love.

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Meditation: A Treasure In Your Life

April 8, 2009

Meditation: A Treasure In Your Life

To continue on this theme of ‘Calmness Of Mind” that caught my attention in the James Allen quote (see previous post) and how that relates to Meditation I started to think about why we would think about this (meditation) as a treasure in our lives.

It didn’t really take me very long to come up with quite a sizable list.

I only had to look at my week and see the number of tasks, people, problems needing solutions and distances needing to be travelled to see that my need for a calm and tranquil space should be very high on my priority list.

Well, it is of course:

  • I write this blog about it for goodness sake.
  • I attend a weekly meditation group in my local area and we sit in quiet companionship for an hour or so and it is wonderful.
  • I’m even looking to gain a certification to teach meditation (in the real world) so it’s high in my consciousness but it wasn’t always so.

I’ve struggled to fit it into my day – even into my week at times – but as my relationship with Meditation developed, as I began to see and feel it’s many benefits, it became easier and easier.

Meditation

Image "Meditation" - Photobucket

As my friend and mentor Steve D’Annunzio once said to me: “You are a winner just because you show up every day.”

This is such a wonderful concept because it means you don’t have to judge either yourself or your meditation.

Just the fact that you sat quietly and created that calm and tranquil place for yourself means that you have been successful.

It doesn’t matter if you were fidgety, if the time you spent was short or long, if you fell asleep or kept thinking about the shopping – you win because you show up.

So keep showing up, each andevery day until your relationship with Meditation is strong and it powerful presence in your life is as natural as your breath.

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My Live Confession … and a Gift

March 31, 2009

My Live Confession … and a Gift

I’d love to give you a copy of this wonderful little book,

if you subscribe I’ll send it to you in an email.

Just put your name and a good email address into the box just to the right, and it will be there in a flash!

Thanks for being patient with my while I gather my thoughts around creating and re-creating this site, I wish to create a place you can return to again and again, a place that gives you good information, tools and inspiration.

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Meditation: Calmness Of Mind

March 31, 2009

Meditation: Calmness Of Mind

Have you ever decided to do something, know it’s a great idea and then done everything you could to avoid actually getting started?

I wanted to write about meditation, how it can be a really powerful force for good in your life and what benefits it may bring to you.

So rather than get organised and create a plan of action with a sensible outline and approach, I picked up a gardening magazine and began to flick through it. And then on the second last page my inspiration lay in wait for me.

A quote from James Allen, from his classic book “As A Man Thinketh”. So of course I got on the net to find out a little bit more and there was a free e-book to download and such an array of resources related to this that I knew this was a great place for me to begin again.

Here is the quote that caught my attention:

“Calmness of mind is one of

the beautiful jewels of wisdom…

The more tranquil a man becomes,

the greater is his success,

his influence, and his power for good.”


Can you see why I was so inspired? Meditation is a wonderful pathway to ‘calmness of mind’, it’s a perfect process, tool, way of being that can bring you such rich rewards for so little cost. It is indeed one the ‘beautiful jewels of wisdom’ of which James Allen speaks.

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I Lost My Blog!

March 29, 2009

You know, sometimes the world just seems to conspire against you.

Of course, I know that’s not true but recently I lost this blog and all the posts and comments and great stuff it contained.

So here I am at the beginning again.

I’m glad you are here to journey with me.

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