Meditation Articles
 

Meditation and Me
By Amy Phillips-Gary

Meditation is not just for the hard core gurus and yogis. People
from various backgrounds and walks of life have discovered the
benefits of stilling the mind and focusing the breath. Still, images
of pretzel-legged, gaunt, serious-faced practitioners springs to my
mind when I think about meditation-- even though I know better!
Meditation techniques have been shown to not only lower your blood
pressure, help your body become and stay healthy, and improve work
performance, it can also foster a more peaceful life all the while
quieting your mind. By making meditation an integral part of your
day, you can enhance so many aspects of yourself and your life. The
best part is, it's completely free and only has positive side
effects.

Wow! Why don't more of us (meaning me) meditate more often? I ask
myself that question every time I get to the end of yet another day
having cared for children, pets, my home, exercised my body, written
articles, kissed my partner, read a book, and still didn't take a
measly 10 minutes to sit and meditate. So now the guilt about not
meditating stands between me and my often-ignored practice. It looms
as an unfinished "task" on my to do list day after day.

From the time I was 4 or5 years old, I've known how to meditate. My
parents practiced Transcendental Meditation (TM) at the time and I
was taught the technique. I even got to attend a talk by the
Maharishi Mahesh himself. One would think that having had this
training and early positive influences, I would sail through
childhood and teenage-dom aided by breathing and centering myself.
Not so! I seemed to forget how to meditate as more worries about
being liked, not being pretty or smart enough, and feeling lonely
took over. Thankfully, through yoga and reading Buddhist
literature, I rediscovered meditation in my 30s. I sat on my zafu
and breathed in and out counting breaths and opening up to that
clarity and greater sense of peace that, for that moment, serves as
a balm to just about any fear.

Yet even having experienced many times over the fabulous effects and
aftereffects of regularly meditating, it still gets shoved aside and
neglected. I suspect that many share these sentiments even if they
weren't taught TM as a preschooler. Why is it that we make time to
watch that hospital drama or comedy sitcom every week yet can't
manage to give ourselves the nourishing treat of merely sitting and
breathing? Part of the reason is the unavoidable image of
meditation. It seems like a very serious task where you have to
concentrate and focus your mind and breathing. After a long day of
work, chores, kids, or whatever fills your time, most of us just
want to "veg" out rather than tune in. Meditation can also be a time
when those shoved down, inconvenient feelings re-surface just
begging to be acknowledged and released. This, in and of itself, can
prove a deterrent to sitting down to meditate.

When we get sick, feel depressed, or are going through tough times,
that tv hospital drama won't truly help us out. Meditation,
however, is one very effective way to turn toward ease. When you
practice meditation regularly, it can even lessen or erase the usual
difficulties you tend to face. And yes, the grief, fears, anxieties
or whatever it is you work really hard to ignore do sometimes come
up during meditation. Believe it or not, meditating can help you
unwind and release all of those built up knotted emotions leaving
you more open to the life you desire.

If you're like me and want to move through conflicts with greater
ease and enjoy a happier, more peaceful life, meditation is a
wonderful practice. But it is practice and that's the part that
seems daunting to some of us and is why we just don't do it enough,
regularly, or at all. Here are some tips to get started meditating
and to keep doing it.....

1.) Start out simple.
There are many great ways to meditate. You can sit in certain
positions, hold your hands specific ways and breathe in
particular patterns. Meditation can actually be quite a complex
process if you make it that. Taking a class or studying a
certain technique are certainly options you could choose. There's
nothing wrong with chanting specific words, intentions or
following visualizations. But I advise that you start out
simple. Get in a comfortable position in a quiet, undisturbed
spot, close your eyes if you find that helpful and just breathe. Try
not to have any expectations or plan other than to breathe and
keep your mind focused on your breath.

2.) Start out doable.
Some schools of thought recommend that you daily meditate for at
least 30 minutes at a time-- preferably more-- to attain the optimum
effects. This might be something you do at a point in your
practice. But, if you're like me, fitting another 30 minute activity
into an already busy day (no matter how beneficial) can feel
overwhelming and downright impossible. Decide what feels doable to
you. It might be 10 minutes or 5 minutes. Whatever amount of time
you choose to set aside each day-- or even every other day-- do your
best to stick to that agreement with yourself. Don't worry about if
it is "enough;" instead celebrate that you are regularly caring for
yourself in this powerful way.

3.) Relax and be easy about it.
It is almost inevitable that your mind will wander. That's perfectly
normal and ok. Gently notice that your mind is wandering and re-
direct your attention back to your breath. It doesn't matter how
many times your mind goes off reminding you to add cereal to the
grocery list, wondering what your partner meant by a particular
comment or whatever it is. Acknowledge the thought and then come
back to your breath. This isn't a competition with anyone-- not
even yourself-- so take it easy and allow the relaxation to infuse
your mind, body and soul.

Above all, open up to the potential happiness and bliss that comes
with regularly meditating. This ultimately can lead to an improved
life and sense of yourself. There's enough time for all that you
want to do and isn't feeling good worth it?

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Amy Phillips-Gary is a free-lance writer, homeschool mom and personal growth adventurer.

 

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