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Questions and answers about Meditation

Meditation helps us live in the present rather than being stuck in the past or anxious about the future. It helps bring clarity and compassion to our relationships and to the events of our life. It is a simple, powerful means of achieving serenity. Most people have heard of meditation, but there are many misconceptions.

What is Meditation

It is a simple technique, or practice, for calming the body and mind by staying in the present. It is not magic. You just do it. It is done in silence and involves focusing and quieting the mind. One of the oldest, simplest and best practices is following your breath.

Is it different from Contemplation?

Contemplation is a form of meditation that engages the mind on a particular subject or question, often a spiritual one.

Can anyone do it?

Yes, but it is a practice. That is, with practice and with time, it deepens.

Do I have to believe in anything particular to make it work?

No. Meditation is a tool, not a belief system. People of all faiths and of no faith can and do practice meditation.

Is it safe?

Yes. As safe as sitting in a chair. By giving the body and mind, especially the autonomic nervous system, deep rest, it can have powerful healing effects. As the practice matures, however, it helps to have an experienced teacher or guide.

How will I feel?

Calm, rested, renewed. At times, sleepy if you are lacking sleep or have just eaten a meal.

How do I know it is working?

The effects of meditation are subtle and show up over time. It is not a quick fix. You will be calmer, more alert, more open, less reactive and angry, more at peace. You will know it is working when someone tells you how you seemed to have changed.

What will I get out of it?

You will discover what is already potentially there-a calm center rooted in the present, enabling you to respond to the world appropriately rather than reacting inappropriately. A clearer mind allows helpful choices to emerge. And a calmer self allows you to risk opening yourself to others.

When should I do it?

The ideal times are dawn and dusk. Most people's lives make that difficult. Once a day is enough. Twice is better. Just after you awaken is the most common time and helps prepare you for the day. The evening is another good time, but not too close to bedtime, since meditation may energize you. Choosing a time when you are most awake during the day is a good approach.

How long should I do it?

Keep it simple. Begin with ten(10) or fifteen(15) minutes. After a month or two, add another five minutes. Continue in this way, adding five minutes each month until you are up to thirty(30) or forty(40) minutes. If you make it too long too soon, you may get discouraged and find reasons not to do it.

Suppose I don't think it does anything for me?

It is not medicine nor is it a cure. It is a tool, a method. You have to use it to make it work. You may not notice anything at all at the beginning. You may feel you don't need it or want it. But you may also find its benefits accumulating and paying off when you least expect results.

Is there a right way to meditate?

There are many traditions, ancient and modern, all aimed at focusing and quieting the mind. The technique is less important than the actual doing itself! Whatever method you use, such as silently following your breath, be patient, keep it simple, let it happen. Do not complicate it with expectations or artificial goals. It is not a task or job. It is a precious opportunity to discover yourself and in that process of discovery to open up to being we all share in common.

- Basic Meditation Instruction -

1. On a sitting cushion, or on a bench or some other configuration try to create a tripod with the floor, making sure both knees rest on the mat or floor, with your tail bone being the third point. It may be, simply, that you are unable to sit on a cushion or bench or anywhere near the floor. There are no demerits for using a chair. Using a chair simply means a few extra points of awareness. Sit forward, on whatever means you are using, with your spine erect. Imagine a string at the top of your head, gently pulling upwards. In a chair sit with straight posture. Keep feet flat on the floor. Release tension in your jaw, face, legs, shoulders, neck, arms, hands. Your abdomen should be unrestricted.

2. Rest your hands in your lap. Grasping your left thumb with your right hand and then embracing your right hand with your left. Establish your sitting position and sit still. Quieting the body quiets the mind.

3. Keep your eyes open, but allow the lids to lower. The intention is to be awake, alert, aware, present. With eyes closed we daydream and fall asleep. Let your gaze rest comfortably, without staring, at the floor or at the wall.

4. Inhale and exhale through your nose. Don't speed up or slow your breath. It will take its own course naturally. Feel, even listen to your breath enter and leave your nostrils. Begin to follow the up and down motion of your breathing in your abdomen and chest.

5. Follow this rising and falling motion. Imagine each breath as a slow wheel revolving, or as a continuing wave. Begin counting one, silently in your mind, at the very beginning of the inhalation and continuing to hold the sound of one throughout the entire breath, to the end of the exhalation. Follow with two..000…immediately on the next exhalation. Continue up to … ten…, returning again to one… and another cycle.

6. Carefully inhabit each breath. Each and every time your mind wanders-and it will often return again and begin at one… Return and begin as often as you find yourself caught up in thought and away from the breath. Neither judge nor criticize yourself, just return to the breath. You have the rest of the day to reminisce, worry, plan. NOW is the time to quiet your mind and meditate.

7. Allow thoughts to come and go, as if they were passing clouds in the sky or drifting leaves in a stream. If a thought is troublesome, take note of it and say, "There it is… gone down the stream with the rest…" and then return to your breath and the count and your life.