Meditation – what is it and why is it important
Many people are already meditating but don’t even realise it. If you ‘lose yourself’ in some enjoyable activity this is a form of meditation. It could be gardening, fishing, listening to music, or just sitting on the porch staring into space. All of these activities are forms of meditation.
In fact, one of the common introductory forms of meditation taught is to stare at a burning candle. If any thoughts come into your mind while staring at the candle , you simply let go of the thought. Many thoughts will come up and sometimes you will find yourself following the thoughts. When this happened to me I used to get frustrated with myself until one teacher explained that the mind is like a labrador puppy.
If you try to teach the puppy to sit he keeps jumping up. You patiently repeat the process without getting angry because you know he is only a puppy. Well the mind is just like that puppy. It has been following thoughts for as long as you can remember. But now you are training it to acknowledge the thought and just let go of it. It might do this a few times but then it invariably forgets. Don’t get angry or upset with the mind or yourself. Just keep being patient and eventually you’ll find yourself improving.
It’s important to note that the focus of meditation is not to block thought. But to acknowledge the thought and let go of it without getting caught up in it and following it to the next thought. Similarly, if an emotion or feeling comes up, we just ley go of it without getting caught up.
This process of releasing or letting go of thoughts and emotions is very important. By practising it in meditation we can find ourselves able to let go of thoughts and emotions in our everyday lives. These thoughts and emotions can often lead to anxiety and stress. So being able to let go of them can be a great tool in overcoming stress.
Another type of meditation is ‘breath meditation’. Rather than staring at a candle, this style of meditation is done with the eyes closed. The mind is focussed on the breath. As we breathe in we focus on one particular area such as the nostrils, the back of the nose where the air passes, or the rise and fall of the chest. We keep our attention on this particular spot and feel the breath as it comes in and out. In the same manner as with the candle, if thoughts or feelings come into our mind, we simply release them and turn our attention back to our breath. Again, don’t get upset if you find it difficult to focus on the breath at first. Gradually you’ll find it easier with practice.
The next type of meditation I’d like to explain is the visualisation. There are many different types of visualisations. One of the simplest and most relaxing is where we visualise ourselves at our favourite location. I used to do this long before I’d heard about meditation. I’d imagine myself sitting in a small rowing boat in an inlet going up and down with the waves. It was so relaxing I used it whenever I was having trouble getting to sleep. It work a treat!
If you want to try this type of meditation, visualise yourself making your way to your favourite relaxing location such as the mountains, at a deserted beach, or beside a beautiful creek. As you sit in this beautiful location, let go of any thoughts or feelings that come up.
The final type of meditation I’d like to share with you is referred to as ‘third eye’ meditation. Once again, the concept is to focus the mind on a particular spot and release any thoughts or feelings that come up while focussing on this particular spot. This time the spot to focus on is called the third eye. This is the position between the eyebrows on the bridge of the nose. With your eyes closed imagine yourself looking out from this third eye. Keep returning to this same focus after letting go of thoughts or feelings that come up. Again, don’t get upset if your mind wanders. Just bring it back to the third eye each time.
As you can see, meditation doesn’t have to be complicated. If you try these simple processes for 5 to 10 minutes a day, you’ll soon find yourself more relaxed and the process getting easier.
As you increase the time you spend meditating, you’ll become more aware of your thoughts and feelings even when not meditating. This is one of the key benefits of meditation (besides relaxation).
In the same way as we release our thoughts and feelings in meditation, with practice we are able to release thoughts and feelings that come up in everyday life. In this manner we find ourselves more in control of our thoughts and emotions rather than them controlling us.
Happy meditating!
Resources
Candle meditation audio click here
Breath meditation audio click here
Visualisation meditation audio click here
Third eye meditation audio click here
Messages From The Universe
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