How To Meditate When You Are First Learning How
by Ilias Glenis – MyMonkBuddy.com
When first learning how to meditate, a good way to begin is to find a quiet place you like, perhaps in nature and to sit quietly.
Next simply observe your surroundings, and the way you are feeling with curiosity… with really no one purpose in mind, and to be able to allow your thoughts to pass through your mind without the need to analyze them. A technique I use for this is to tell myself consciously… “Remove ALL filters from the mind.”
A good meditation exercise to begin with is to watch your breath as you breathe. I’m sure you’ve done similar things when you’ve relaxed yourself naturally. Without really being concerned about meditation, what it is, or how to do it when you practice.
The Buddha practiced watching his breath, and even became one with the breath. In other words, while you are observing your breath, to realize that you ARE the breath.
The first point of focus is simply being present with yourself, and allowing everything around you, and within you including your thoughts, to be as they are, to flow on by like clouds passing along in the sky.
The stillness of mind is what some teachers may suggest to focus on when first learning how to meditate, and to be able to simply watch your thoughts with curiosity and to consciously practice not being attached to the thoughts that come into your mind.
The next point of focus, is to let go of your point of focus, and to step back and dis-identify with your perceived sense of self.
Now you are the quiet observer, not fixed on any one point of focus, as you allow all points of focus, relative to your thoughts, to simply be as they are, and to continue passing on like water flowing in an endless stream.
When you become good at practicing exercises like just watching yourself with curiosity, your breath, and your thoughts, you will begin to feel more stillness and presence in the true “now” moment, as the silent witness to everything that is going on, without being attached to any one thought, person, place, thing, or outcome.
Quite often our thoughts attempt to pull us into the past or future which can lead to unnecessary worry, stress, and anxiety. Most of the time, the things that pull us off center don’t really exist.
Yet, we give life to our worries, fears, etc. because we get caught up in memories of the past, and/or projecting hollow thoughts into the future. Neither truly exist. But when we are truly present, we realize there is only now, and that everything in the universe is as it should be, always was, and always will be.
The presence is the real you that is functioning outside of your normal awareness, or when we think about who we are, or who we think we are in the world that human beings have made up to be what most people would perceive as reality.
For most people, remaining aware and conscious in the present moment is the greatest challenge, which really isn’t a challenge at all once you become clear on this.
You and I are really the universe doing what it is doing right now. We have always been here. And we will always be here because there is only now… the present moment… the presence.
I’m not talking about your physical locale of being here in the now which is only temporary, but rather being here and everywhere in the now simultaneously, as is ordained by our integral part in the universe. Your mere existence in this very moment is proof enough.
One of the most useful things about the Shinka meditation soundtracks I developed using Parallax(TM) Audio technology, guide those who listen into the deeper Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta brain wave states, where it becomes much easier to practice observing and witnessing your thoughts, as a result of being able to quiet the mind down in the deeper brain wave states.
Here’s an example:
Consider that when you dream at night, you are in the Theta brain wave state, which is also referred to as R.E.M. sleep. The Theta brain wave state occurs as electrical fluctuations in the brain fluctuate between 4 – 7.9 Hz.
Sometimes when we dream we view the dream as if we are experiencing it, as if it is happening through our eyes. But most of the time when we dream, we experience the dream as a witness like a spectator watching a soccer game from a distance being played out, or whatever the dream seems to be about as a silent witness.
The connection here is, when one is guided into the Theta brain wave state using the Parallax Audio technology I developed for example, you are doing it while still in the normal waking state of consciousness as you and I are right now. Instead of being sound asleep when we are “unconscious”.
It is in the Theta brain wave state that we experience creative insights, self realizations, abstract images, dream like scenarios, and much more simply because the brain is in a highly receptive state of mind, and is resolving natural characteristics of the brain while in this brain wave state. This is what gives rise to the seemingly surreal aspects of our dreams, as a result of our own minds resolving themselves.
Its one of the reasons why some people keep a journal to record their dreams for self-reflection and self-realization.
By the way, I include a 30 day personal journal that can be used for this purpose in the Shinka Guided Meditation System, called the “Dreamweaver 30-Day Personal Journal”.
Many spiritual brain wave signatures have been researched on how to access these same brain wave states using various forms of neuro- and biofeedback, and neurotechnology such as Parallax(TM) audio.
To answer the question about different people having different experiences… the answer is yes. Everyone will have a subjective experience in relation to how their own view or “map” of reality is formed in their mind, mainly from what they learned early in life.
The key is learning how to become the quiet observer of your own mind as a curious observer, without self-doubt, judgement, and criticism so you gain more control on how your thought processes and states of mind, like being able to manage stress, and how aspects of your own mind effect and create your quality of life.
This takes practice which is why more and more discerning people like yourself are seeking ways to learn how to meditate and to develop the ability to gain ever-increasing control over their mind.
What many people may not consider is that thinking is actually doing, and we become what we do.
So when first learning how to meditate, developing more and more of an ability to objectively observe your thoughts, is essential in creating the quality of life you truly desire to be living, or to simply free your mind from worry, fear, anxiety, or over obsessive thinking.
The beauty of this simplicity is that it all begins within you and within your own thoughts. More specifically… a single idea that can grow like a seed.
The single issue that most people I’ve worked with say about practicing meditation, is being able to quiet their mind without all the mind chatter going on in their thoughts that distract them when first learning how to meditate.
One woman said to me; “I just can’t get my mind to shut off, so I can think straight.”
Excessive mind chatter is especially prevalent in active women, because their brain waves happen in faster cycles than in men.
This is relative however, as there are both women and men who overlap on the spectrum of brain wave activity specific to gender.
I should probably mention, that faster brain wave cycles don’t necessarily translate into “being the most witty”. The key to becoming more inner-balanced, at peace, centered, and effective in the world is by slowing the mind down, and by developing the ability to respond to situations with grace, patience, and understanding in any situation on a conscious level.
So being able to access quieter states of mind when first learning how to meditate, is a very helpful method and first step to move you closer to your true presence. And it takes practice. There is no magic pill for this.
Becoming the silent witness of your own mind allows you to observe your thoughts, see what your thoughts are really doing for you, and learn how to create new thoughts with conscious intention and increased focus to effect your desired outcomes.
You can create your life from a place of quiet observation and witnessing what’s really going on around you… without being attached to any one outcome.
It is from the unlimited potential of your own imagination, that allows you to exercise your freewill to move mountains if need be.
This simple acceptance, or what some may call surrendering to “what is” in the present moment, is a path towards easing suffering and pain in our lives, and in the world because pain and suffering are in large part caused by our own resistance to what is really happening in the present moment. And that everything truly is as it should be.
From this place, which is really here right now, you gain true power, because according to you, you have found the center seat in the universe. You have always been here, right now, in this moment, and always will be. And it all begins with a single thought that you have the ability to create for yourself.
Keep in mind the present is constantly moving. The good news is that you’re already moving with it. The key is allowing yourself to go along for the ride without becoming attached to arriving at any one destination, and to learn to transend an ego that is truly illusory.
In this way you become fully available to the world, and the world becomes fully available to you.
Not the kind of power that some may view to be used over others. But true power over the self and your own mind. Both of which are temporary attachments to what we view as our identity inherited from this world.
Then, your mind becomes a tool that you use consciously, instead of it using you unconsciously.
About the author: Ilias Glenis is a veteran author, music therapist, neuro-linguistic practitioner, guided meditation teacher, founder of MyMonkBuddy.com and the Shinka Guided Meditation System. MyMonkBuddy.com is a personal growth company dedicated to self-development and effective guided meditation practice. Ilias is also a composer, performer, and recording artist spanning 34 years, and a two-time open heart surgery survivor who believes that he survived his “two minute warning”, to assist people heal stress, and integrate human collective consciousness at a higher level. His life coaching services are available to anyone seeking advanced mind development tools, and highly effective, guided meditation practice.
Tips on Meditation and Body Cleansing
Meditation and body purification move hand in hand within a multitude of ways, both are on the subject of refining. At what time departing into a meditation it is each time sensible to wash physically in the beginning, equally if you are seeking to rinse out your body within and detox subsequently it is a helpful idea to purify your brain prior to alternatively through the period which you purify your body.
There are a variety of manners with which you could purify yourself, purging your system with particular natural foods and drinks, fasting and a great variety of alternate activities. Whilst moving into a meditation upon a average day however the only thing you totally require to sort out is make sure that you feel clear. A satisfactory manner to accomplish this is using a shower and washing scrupulously, although if that is impractical for some reason just utilising a flannel and cleaning your face, ears, neck and hands as a bare minimum will be ok. Noticeably at hand are circumstances at what time said manner of activities are challenging, getting yourself as clear as viable is a advantageous thing however.
The basis in support of having a proficient body clean previous to meditation is so that your body feels comfortable, relaxed, absolve from impurities and to an amount you have cleared your aura or life force energy field. One of the top ways to perform an energetic purify of your aura is a cold shower or else going into salty water once more if at all possible cold, granted for a number of individuals this might be tricky, although it yields a massively beneficial clean. After your body and aura are cleansed you shall find it much easier to go into meditation achieving a beneficial depth for bliss, concentration and stress reduction alongside it.
While a supplementary benefit should you have been experiencing stress you could discover a good quality energetic body purification would aid to achieve stress reduction. A genuinely worthy route to achieve this should you have an aversion to cold water is to run a inviting bath and make use of Himalayan Rock Salt crystals within the bath, such have been widely remarked to gain benefit within the shape of health improvement and in addition stress reduction. Having tried them myself I do happily testify to feeling much better than I would have subsequent to a regular bath, the salt itself is recognized to pull impurities away and out from the body, thus leaving you feeling much improved.
Body purification in addition aids to open up the life force energy meridians, permitting your body to operate within its natural current correctly. While your body is within its natural stream you may carry your brain into a deeper trance and meditation state more clearly when your system is working with harmony and everything is in its rightful location. Whilst meridians are out from line due to chi flows that are inefficient at that moment the body holds a feeling of stress, therefore distracting your head away from the point that you long for it to be situated.
Having cleansed appropriately and feeling new as a consequence the meditation you do move into ought to attest to be a peaceful and restorative one. Equally if you are searching to concentrate upon a thing inside your life, be it a manifestation, attraction alternatively whatever it follows that you are going to be able to concentrate upon attaining it much more effortlessly. Additionally at what time originally finding out how to meditate it means that you may study further effectively seeing that you wash away a number of causes for disruption.
Going to a deeper level with body cleansing in terms of doing a fast, eating raw foods or various other dietary options including vegetarianism can assist your meditation too. By consuming fine healthy foods which produce a body purification action whilst you digest them, predominantly via detoxification, you access a further genuine energetic state which encourages your body, mind and spirit to run more effectively.
If you wish to have crystals within your meditation space then using four pieces of Citrine in a grid arrangement can help to cleanse the area inside the net they form, Citrine is readily available in the UK, US and the majority of the world so this is easy to do if you wish to do it. Wherever you are and whatever meditation you are choosing to accomplish I wish you joy and serenity, Namaste.
Choosing The Right Guided Meditation For You To Relieve Stress
When selecting a guided meditation to use there are a number of things that it is wise for you to consider. While meditation has grown in prominence during the previous few years various new age practitioners have released guided meditation products on disc and mp3 to help persons in conjunction with their practice, however all of us bear individual preferences and so locating a proficient fit is key. Having meditated in conjunction with a variety of these through the years in favour of various reasons I have distilled a number of straightforward points to help you with picking the correct guided meditation program.
Hearing the sound from the meditation practitioner leading you is vitally significant. What you are searching for is a voice which calms you and places you at peace, if the sound grates alternatively is within any manner less than pleasing to you it follows that you ought to maintain your search open for one you do take pleasure in. Frequently persons miss this and believe that the meditation itself is with fault, openly the meditation would be ok, only meant for someone different.
The harmony, if there is one, underneath the meditation is additionally notable. If the voice is agreeable and the tune is likely to distract you because you dislike it just keep searching for a more effective choice. Of comment on this subject matter present are a variety of products available that specifically act upon brainwaves. The rhythms used are commonly identified in the same way as binaural beats, and work upon frequencies within the mind, all of which hold various purposes. Particular are brilliant in support of stress mitigation, others in support of concentration, brain growth, brain power, creativity, health improvement and furthermore relaxation. Whilst applied in a guided meditation otherwise any meditation the achievements turn out to be magnified. Present are various superb products in the field of this class and definitely I advocate both Tom Kenyon and Kelly Howell in support of the works they have fashioned.
Additionally monitor the language, should you have undergone NLP training subsequently you would understand the worth for phrasing and language patterns. Examination for a person telling what not to carry out is valuable whilst this could be counterproductive as a result of the patterns it generates in the field of the brain. Using a guided meditation that uses clear positively framed language is likely to attain a much expanded amount in support of you than one informing you to evade or else not perform an activity.
A factor to bear in mind is how and wherever you are likely to listen to your guided meditation. A meditation place here a pleasant tranquil space in your house would aid you well, and in that bear in mind how you would listen to the album or else mp3 you are utilising. An iPod or else individual disc player are massively cost efficient ways to have the benefit of the meditation and save you commissioning a stereo and speakers, in addition in conjunction with noise reducing earphones you secure the capability to concentrate more profoundly inward.
Whatever your meditation objective is, if you are simply practising how to meditate, focusing upon new age type meditation methods in support of increasing your brain power, departing to further states of spiritual healing or else searching for stress reduction subsequently I trust this aids you. I wish you well and blissful meditations, Namaste.
Meditation For Mind Power
Have you ever wanted to improve your mind and get more from it? Certainly you have, likely you have wanted an improved memory alternatively the capability to process things more rapidly and act quicker, all of this is obtainable naturally. The answer to improving your mind and getting more from it lies within your mind itself, granted there are a number of things which can create additional benefit such as stress relief and an improved diet with good nutrition, however the best ground can be made through working with you mind itself.
In searching for a brain which might process more hastily or else recall activities more efficiently what you are in truth needing to fix is develop the neurological links which are working, at best adding more and next strengthening the pathways which said neurological links employ. Individuals proceed to the aerobics studio or else perform alternate fitness work to induce their body in form, so to build up your brain you require to train it and get it into form.
Practising how to meditate and subsequently master meditation is a genuinely sound route to increase your brain power, in all the varying new age methods which have come forth meditation remains probably the most efficient in favour of elevating the attainments your brain might complete. Furthermore it is one which has been used and tested for thousands of years, so although it is referred to being new age it is extremely old, the ancient Egyptians used meditation in support of numerous practices while indeed have the ancestors from India and China all to grand consequence.
So how does meditation help you to improve your mind power? Basically by working you brain, eliminating out the junk, letting go of stress and strengthening your power to concentrate, while you grow to be more efficiently able to concentrate you might operate your mind more effectively, as such gathering the wisdom you require hastily while you require it. Via consistently working upon your meditation practice you shall observe a greater facility to think and function inside your life, an extra benefit is that from greater creativity and innovation, to obtain the highest benefit make sure you retain a sound meditation room. When you liberate your mind more and achieve it working at a further effective style next the creative portions with your brain grow to be freed up to your benefit, permitting you to envisage from new-found perspectives and acquire solutions which perhaps before had in no way been evaluated.
The more you meditate the more you cleanse your neural pathways and strengthen the ones you wish to work with, which in turn will increase your ability to improve your mind power overall via application of the focus you can achieve. Should you yearn to operate in the sphere of a to some extent dissimilar manner then you can add specific meditation musical factors to your meditations, one of the new age factors arriving through within this ground is that of brain wave therapy, that has music in exact frequencies that tug you brain into selected states much earlier. Having operated alongside a selection of these previously to test their effects there are several which I do happily suggest, with Kelly Howell and Tom Kenyon both of whom bear potent reputations in the function of sound healers.
Unsurprisingly by improving your brain power in support of greater memory and concentration you are therefore able to meditate more efficiently too, whilst such a spiral for progress is shaped in which you reap the benefit of improving mind power for so long as you perpetuate the cycle, with your work and relationships flourishing and becoming more successful as a result. Where ever you are, I wish you inspiring meditations, namaste.
Meditation Your Route to Stress Relief and Happiness
How individuals survive and carry themselves through instances of stress and friction generates a massive defining element in their lives. Frequently individuals just sadly crumple up and cease to survive at all, as an alternative of taking charge and working alongside the selection of techniques offered they more or less just submit and turn out to be overwhelmed. However while faced with stress and problematic phases nearby is much which might be done, very noticeably while your mind is amenable to meditation. Taking time out to meditate is an excellent way to calm your heart and mind, the meditation you do truly aids you to free yourself of any stress in your life.
Meditation in the function of a important position meant for stress reduction generates a formidable location to operate from. Initially by cleansing your head efficiently you mitigate the prattle which is existing permitting portions of stress to subside, by subsequently expanding out the clearance you often produce a soother system for yourself which is able to look upon situations in conjunction with expanded clarity. The clarity and composure created via meditation in turn may be utilised to achieve new valuable solutions to allay the causes of stress. Of course should you truly aspire to carry it to the crux you could place yourself in cause of all things inside your life and at that time work out the function and reasons designed for making every highly stressful position inside your life.
Whatever state you decide to carry things to and admittedly in conjunction with time the deeper you meditate the more efficiently you may resolve things, although within the mean time if you are merely practising how to meditate in that case the preliminary cleansing is of course to be of benefit. To make a start cleansing your system is comparatively straightforward, every point a thought arrives into your head merely thank your mind for yielding it to your attention and after that release the thought away. While you initially begin you would likely observe a lot of feelings coming through, notably if you are stressed. Alongside time and repetition you shall be able to bring a blankness inside your head, this blankness is what is able to bring the calm and liberty from stress which you seek. Furthermore it often yield a profound awareness of contentment and happiness, as such efficiently bringing you far away from stress and generating you an chance to attain real liberty in the field of your life.
While firstly you get underway to go along this method of meditation it is paramount to acquire a really still location to meditate within, such as the meditation place you have with any luck created, however while time gets onwards and your practice enhances you will be able to meditate akin to this any place. The reasons for this are largely obvious, when you are learning meditation any sounds or background happenings just serve to distract and frustrate, hence a quiet out of the way place being good.
If while practising you yearn to shift this by working with calming music and/or incense in order to further help the relaxing of your system then that is absolutely ok. Equally a tip of annotation upon all of these items however, select music and incense that is liberated of all associations inside your mind and is able to assist calm. Music notably must be liberated from lyrics, due to the detail that they could merely give rise to additional views coming into your head. In general however carry out what feels beneficial for you, take it easy and beyond all relax in conjunction with it. Wishing you like at all times blissful meditations, Namaste!
Meditation and Work Stress Reduction
Work life balance is a problem for various persons, like indeed is stress, except if you are part of a minute faction of the world which get a pretty tranquil life in conjunction with slight stress. Various partake of jobs which are supposed to stay 9 to 5 however in truth are more akin to 7 to 8, and I mean 13 hours rather than merely 1! So whilst you graft remorselessly and execute extended hours how do you progress as regards getting clear of stress and balancing out your life? Well meditation is an extremely helpful way to yield an element of balance back and cut stress.
Definitely I have communicated the value of producing a specified meditation place which you might draw back to at home or else wherever, the realism of manufacturing one of these within the place of work, except if your employer is massively forward thinking is vastly difficult. So what you could see to is merely obtain a quite setting outside, otherwise close the door all through lunch otherwise break period should you bear your own office, otherwise anywhere you could tune everything off. I do in point of fact know a person who did meditate at their desk for 10 minutes a couple of instances a day within an open plan office, all they needed to make sure of was focus on the meditation and clear everything besides away, largely associates believed he was simply studying his computer display closely!
After you do decide to enjoy a small period to meditate in the course of working hours, such as a break that is, you would learn that your entire manner through the day along with your faculty to focus and concentrate enhanced. When it does so your productivity and the quality of work improves as well, alongside your level of enjoyment you get from work. Plus with these things shifting you create an improved atmosphere around you, your colleagues will relax a certain amount over time as you get a routine of it, whilst your boss is likely to congratulate and thank you for the shift you have achieved.
In order to meditate at the workplace you are likely to be best off working with either a brief guided meditation or else a quiet meditation. With a silent meditation which I recommend, just pick out a small spot in front of you that you can focus on, like the candle meditation that you may have seen my tutorial for, then focus your entire attention on that spot. Every occasion you have a reflection arrive into your mind acknowledge that brain wave and subsequently disperse it into your place of focus and allow it to vanish into the universe leaving your mind empty and with serenity. In conjunction with time and repetition this gets way easier and all the chaos about you shall entirely disappear for the duration of your meditation, the further you practice the further your stress reduces and disappears and the more peaceful your meditation becomes.
Meditating at some point in breaks at work furthermore yields you with a diverse alteration from your occupation, permitting your brain to reset and rejuvenate which is what aids to mitigate your stress and subsequently feel calmer and further collected. By practicing meditation within this manner you might additionally master meditation more hastily due to repeating regularly, in this way drawing you to deeper plateaus of contemplation and yielding enhanced serenity into your life and the lives of people surrounding you. It really is amazing the effect with the purpose of meditation has within the place of work, very noticeably within what have been stressed workplaces, a more peaceful aura comes through yielding improved productivity and clearer interaction.
So take some time and think in conjunction with consideration on the subject of how you could take meditation to your office, if you are able to meditate at your desk or else somewhere else inside your office I advocate you to do so, you may perhaps well discover other folks wanting to join you at what time they observe the effects upon you! Wherever you are I wish you insightful meditations, Namaste!
Creating Your Mediation Space
While meditating the surroundings you select is crucial, put basically it should be peaceful. At best you must appoint a entire room aside which you can metamorphose into a meditation retreat, though I acknowledge that may be tough alternatively even not possible for certain folks, in which case put aside a exact location inside a calm room will have to be ok. Maintaining a place put aside meant for you to meditate within is massively key because with time the energy and air around that place builds into a very calm and relaxing place.
Furthermore you must make sure that area stays emancipated of mess, everything excess to meditation inside the area would have an effect the meditation practice you begin. Piles of stuff draws the energy of chaos, which at times can be fine to go to work alongside, although whilst you are departing into meditation especially whilst you initially begin chaos can be detractive and constrictive. The place ought to ideally stay very comfortable, with a pillow or else something alternative which could support your comfort while you meditate. Working in conjunction with light colours, white, cream, et cetera, could add deeper to the feel of serenity and respite, the aura of kindliness exuded by these kind of colours generates an environment of mellowness which makes easier and promotes your meditation practice.
Should you prefer to meditate alongside music it follows that either a high-quality set of speakers in conjunction with a stereo put within the background, otherwise if you are inside a household that peace is tricky to realize it follows that noise cancelling earphones connected to an ipod would be useful. The music itself is very key should you desire to meditate to music, natural sounds would support shifting into a enjoyable state of meditation, on the other hand there is a first-class selection of calming relaxation music to be had to otherwise even guided meditations. The focus at this time in conjunction with music is have it soft and calming, think and pick with care, if it promotes a deeper state of calm it follows that it ought to remain beneficial to meditate alongside. Try a number of varying C.D.s alternatively mp3s and look at how you progress in conjunction with dissimilar items, and benefit from.
Incense is a thing which folks assert varying ideas and feelings around, personally I do utilize incense and observe it works well and numerous aromas can create diverse types of meditation. Choosing incense is very delicate though, a few favour earthy scents or else woody or else flowery, and you ought to pick out a scent which brings you bliss and serenity. Of which a addendum on this also be cautious what the incense is made of, there are many of man-made blends available and they can impart headaches, further living unnatural they lessen from your meditation practice. Choosing an incense which is purely natural will help your meditative state and the depths you can get to. Frequently whilst starting out folks go in favour of Nag Champa which numerous notice advantageous to a calming state, there are numerous options available and Nitiraj too do an impressive selection. On an additional supportive footnote, get hold of a superior ash catcher designed for the ash while the incense stick burns down.
Candles can be beneficial too, though good caution must be taken alongside them, be incredibly painstaking with them. As long as you can maintain candles safely inside your meditation surroundings then please do make use of them, and I urge working with bees wax candles due to the purer burn they produce than paraffin candles which do create an distasteful odour. Again make sure you use good quality holders used for the candles in order to stop wax drops on carpets and alternative items.
In the highest make sure it is a place which you can feel easy meditating inside, with some time practicing in the field of the same place is going to assist you to take your meditation to deeper states. Hence relieving further stress, bringing you enhanced calm, bliss and motioning you to a new fulfilling state. Wherever you desire to create your meditation place I wish you blissful meditations and joy, Namaste!