Anyone can meditate. It does not require a special room or an elaborate set-up. A quiet corner or a favourite chair can be excellent meditation sites.
Meditation and yoga often go hand in hand, as yoga is a concentrated set of postures for the body designed to develop wholeness of body and spirit. But one can practice meditation without becoming a yogi.
Why Practice Meditation?
Richard Hittleman, in his book Yoga 28 Day Exercise Plan, describes meditation as a “profound state of quietude for the entire organism. In quietude, and only in quietude, self-realisation or Yoga is attained.”
Hittleman goes on to say that becoming acutely aware of what is within, of becoming aware of the source of existence, is the individual freed from the limitations perceived as “me” and “I.” Being free from protecting the ego frees the consciousness and releases many energies that were tied up in protecting the ego.
Meditation not only brings with it improved health, such as stress reduction and lowered blood pressure, but also sets one on a course of enlightenment.
Becoming aware of what is occurring within the body, and removing focus on what is happening outside of the body, is a key not only to improved health but also to an increased spiritual existence that makes life richer and fuller, for there is no more burden of the ego to carry on one’s shoulders.
It is no wonder that meditation is an ancient practice. It does not just benefit health, but it also increases spirituality and the overall quality of being.
Breath as an Object of Meditation
Andrew Weil, M.D., in his book Natural Health, Natural Medicine, discusses an excellent technique for newcomers to meditation.
“Breathing is a natural object of meditation,” Weil said. “In this sort of meditation you can try to experience the dimensionless point between inbreath and outbreath and to glimpse enlightenment in that space. You can come to know reality itself as an eternal oscillation between being and non-being.”
Breathing is a natural, involuntary action, one that everyone engages in, and Weil said that if one can increase awareness for ten seconds more than the day before, then that person is on the road to wholeness, enlightenment, and overall better health.
How to Focus on Breath for Meditation
Weil suggests this technique for breath meditation. Sit upright, perhaps on the floor on a comfortable pillow, or in a comfortable chair. Become aware of breath coming in and out of the body. Then begin counting breaths, counting each breath as one, continuing until five breaths have been taken. Then begin back at one. It is easy to tell if attention has strayed if the meditator is counting to six or more.
If this happens, simply bring concentration back to the breath, and continue counting up to five, then starting over with one again.
Try this technique for five minutes at first. Then sit longer, for 10 minutes. Work up to 20 or 30 minutes per day.
“In the Buddhist and yogic traditions are many examples of people who reached enlightenment by doing nothing other than paying attention to the rising and falling of their own breath,” Weil said.
Objects as a Focus of Meditation
Whilst breath is always an important element in meditation, other techniques focus on visualisation, perhaps of a golden light encircling one’s body, for example. Hittleman suggests a simple candle meditation.
Using candles as meditative objects is a way of connecting the outside world and state of being with the inside being. Concentrating on candles is also a good way to develop the focused concentration necessary to effective meditation on a deeper level.
Candle Concentration
Hittleman said meditators should place a candle about three feet from them. Either sit on the floor in a cross-legged posture, or sit in a comfortable chair with the candle on a table. Gaze at the flame for about two minutes.
Close eyes and gently press the palms against them. The image of the flame will appear. Concentrate only on that image of the flame for one to two minutes. Hold the image and do not let the flame image wander or disappear.
This practice not only serves as an introduction to meditation for beginners, but also prepares the mind for more focused meditation on a deeper level.
Sources:
28 Day Yoga Exercise Plan, by Richard Hittleman; Bantam; 1973.
Natural Health, Natural Medicine, by Andrew Weil, M.D.; Houghton Mifflin; 1995.
Pamela Mooman - Pamela Mooman I am an award-winning writer and editor. I have more than 19 years of experience working in a variety of subjects and ...
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