WHY DO WE NEED TO MEDITATE?
The below process explains how meditation can help improve our lives.
What is most important in Meditation:
- Reduce (and eventually stop) Suffering
- Increase Clarity, Mindfulness and Concentration
- Liberation and Peace through Right View/Insight (Anicca – Impermanence of things, Anatta – No self, Dukkha – Suffering and/or Unsatisfactoriness)
- Transformation of self to Self and visible improvements in day-to-day life experience (physical and mental)
Here are a range of benefits you can get from meditating:
- Reduced stress – taking a step back and practicing breathing will help you control your mood, attitude, and emotions
- Sense of peacefulness and tranquility – become calm, rejuvenate, and find some time for yourself
- Enlightenment – gain insight into not just how to meditate, but how to be one with yourself, one with the moment, and one with the universe around you
- Improved mental health – being able to take just 5 minutes out of your day, relax, and recenter yourself can make a huge impact on your mental well-being
- Relief of anxiety and depression – making sure to take more time for yourself and being able to contemplate without distractions can help change your mindset
- Increased motivation – feeling more focused and less stressed can help do this on its own, but the way you spend your time meditating can be greatly inspiring
- Feelings of positivity – feel better about yourself, more confident in your relationships with others, and sure of your place in the universe
- Can aid in recovery from addiction – having a positive routine can greatly help you kick bad habits
- Allows for personal time – having a hectic schedule can take its toll; being sure to take a small amount of time each day for yourself can make a significant difference in your mood
- Reflection on life and issues – continue to learn new lessons, what your missions and aspirations are, and contemplate ways to attain these objectives
SAMPLE MEDITATION STRUCTURE
- Try your best to meditate at the same time every day. It will help build discipline and will-power and help create coherence in your nervous system.
- There is no one correct way of meditating. Do not stress out about how you are doing.
- Do not try to control or force anything! Relax, observe and trust the process!
- In between each technique and stage: Bring your attention back to the body and breath. Relax, while being alert, simply observe without judgement.
You can also ignore all instructions and just focus on your breathing, which is one of the most effective and ancient techniques….
STAGE 1 – Posture
- Intention (Will): Sit as comfortably as possible with a relaxed but erect spine
- Attention (Awareness): Keep your attention on the overall posture and spine
- Action (Energy) / Techniques:
- Relax your eyes (eyelids, eye balls)
- Relax your cheek, lips and jaw
- Relax your shoulders
- Keep your spine relaxed but erect
STAGE 2 – Initiation
- Intention (Will): Set an intention for the meditation session. You can also set an intention to resolve a problem/challenge you are experiencing. Ask a question you are genuinely interested to know the answer to
- Attention (Awareness): Examine the motivation
- Action (Energy) / Techniques:
- Repeat the intention in your mind a few times, until it becomes clear
- Express Gratitude to Teacher/Guru, Universe, God, Life etc
- Congratulate yourself for being here and practicing. Trust the process!
STAGE 3 – Relaxation/Stillness
- Intention (Will): Relax the Body & Mind as deeply as possible
- Attention (Awareness): Examine the Body Parts, Thoughts/Feelings/Emotions
- Action (Energy) / Techniques: Relax the body and let go of the thoughts/feelings/emotions as they come up, while energizing and engaging in the practice (chose 1 technique from below)
- Alternate Nostril Breathing*
- Guided Body Scan*
STAGE 4 – Mindfulness/Concentration
- Intention (Will): Be Mindful/Aware of the practice as much as possible
- Attention (Awareness): On the Object of Practice
- Action (Energy) / Techniques: Keep bringing the Awareness back to the Meditation Object (chose 1 technique from below). If your mind wanders off, gently bring it right back. If it wanders off ten times, a hundred times, bring it back ten times, a hundred times. Show that you mean business!
- Counting Breaths (up to 8)
- Mantra
- Metta/Loving-Kindness
- Gazing on an object such as a candle
STAGE 5 – Contemplation/Inquiry
- Intention (Will): Receive insight. This insight could be related to the problem/challenge that was set in the beginning of the meditation practice or more generic
- Attention (Awareness): Notice how you were feeling in the beginning of the practice and now.
- Action (Energy) / Techniques: Keep an engaged and curious attitude. During this stage, ask a question that you are genuinely interested to know the answer and listen in a relaxed but engaged manner. Don’t force an answer or insight, simple be present
- Keep relaxing both the body and mind while being alert and engaged
- Ask a question about a challenge you might be experiencing or
- Practice Self-Inquiry Techniques (i.e. Ramana Maharshi’s “Who am I?”)
STAGE 6 – Reflection/Insight
- Intention (Will): Recognize/process insight (if any) and/or review the meditation session. Do you have a new perception about the problem/challenge?
- Attention (Awareness): On the rising of insight and/or thoughts/feelings/emotions about the meditation session (are you happy, frustrated, angry, calm, blissful?)
- Action (Energy) / Techniques: Write down your insight and/or feedback about the session
- Journal the experience (What worked, what didn’t work)
- Dedicate the Merit of the meditation session (To All Beings Everywhere, to the Guru/Teacher, To a Sacred Being/Place)
LET GO! TRUST IN LIFE!
“You are only entitled to the action, never to its fruits. Do not let the fruits of action be your motive, but do not attach yourself to nonaction.”
Bhagavad Gita — Chapter 2, verse 47
STAGE 7 – Transformation (Continuation of the Meditation Throughout the Day)
- Intention (Will): Bring all the fruits/insight of the meditation session to day-to-day life and relationships
- Attention (Awareness): On the day-to-day life and relationships. How do you feel throughout the day? How many times did you notice an effect from your meditation session on your day-to-day experience, on your relationship? How’s your alertness during the day? Are you more relaxed, more efficient, more calm and peaceful? If not, that’s okay. Keep noticing the different states that you experience and how they come and go.
- Action (Energy) / Techniques: Keep noticing the ever-changing nature of experience
- Keep setting intentions to notice when your thoughts/feelings/emotions change; even for a brief period of time
- Close your eyes for a short period of time (even for a few minutes) during the day and bring the experience from your meditation session earlier
Here are a few of my favorite apps/tools: