Meditation

Most of the content of this article was derived from: HOW TO MEDITATE: A Guide to Self-Discovery (by Dr. Lawrence LeShan, Ph.D.)

Definition

Webster defines it as :

1. deep, continued thought
2. solemn reflection on sacred matters as a devotional act
3. reflect upon; study; ponder

Meditation is an activity wherein you do something in a focused, defined manner. You concentrate on doing only one, or a few, thing(s) at once. It involves hard work and takes time before you are able to execute it REALLY well.

Benefits

There are physiological and psychological benefits in performing this activity. While doing it, your body does only a few things; what you're consciously working on and a few involuntary activities (like hearing, pumping blood..). The body's chemical composition is altered (not in so great proportions that will make you mutate) through production of compounds beneficial to the body (endorphins may be) and slowing down the production of those that may cause harm (especially if you're under stress or pressure). This reduces stress and promotes relaxation. Meditation also trains your mind , as it is a tough activity, which will strengthen your personality structure. Staying focused is hard, so when you become so, you become more efficient in your everyday life. Also, as you progress in this discipline, you will gain a different perspective on things, another way of looking at the world. Meditation helps you achieve your "fullest"; some even describe it as "coming home to oneself", because later in life when we pass childhood, most of us seem to be "lost".

Types (Different paths of meditating)

1. Intellect - in this type, one strives to understand deeply two realities: the normal one we're accustomed to, and one which is "on a higher plane", a new way of thinking. Jnana Yoga and Habad Hasidism are disciplines of this type.
   
   
2. Emotion - this one delves on loosening feelings to expand the ability to relate to, care for, and love oneself, others, and God.
   
   
3. Body - involves awareness of the body and bodily movements until this awareness is the only thing you have in mind, and nothing else. Some examples include Tai Chi and Hatha Yoga.
   
   
4. Action - it consists of "learning to be", being totally immmersed in what you are doing, including even the small tasks. Flower arrangement, aikido and other martial arts, singing, and praying fall under this category.
   
   

Subtypes (for meditations that are done through thinking):

1. Structured - In structured meditations, what you're doing must be in done so in a precise way. You follow the instructions regarding the activity completely. If you deviate by starting to do other things, you must go back to what you are originally doing. Structured meditations are further classified into the following:
   
   
   • Inner - In this classification, you focus on observing what is going on within your consciousness; what you think of; what comes up. It cultivates acceptance of self and expression of emotions
     
     
   • Middle - One strives to achieve emptiness of the mind; not a trance or drowsy state, but having nothing to think of, which allows you to respond dynamically to events with no thinking about the past or future. It allows enables to remain calm in the face of outside events
     
     
   • Outer - An external point of focus is given , such as a word, image, or event. You just look at it, exploring and studying, in a nonverbal way, without talking in your head. Self-confidence, ability to cope with the world, and fast decision-making is developed by this type.
     
     
2. Unstructured - This kind is not as well-defined as structured meditations and the one meditators of the path of Emotion use. Here, you have an object, word, phrase, image or concept to reflect upon. Realizing what you think and how you feel (reactions) about it. The primary goal is to loosen and free your personality structure in a certain area. You have to deal with the "facts of the matter and how you feel about them."

How-to

Generally, before performing a meditation, you should select a quiet and comfortable place, one which has good vibes. Usual positions involve cross sitting, sitting on a chair with hands on the lap, lying on a bed, or even standing. Assume a position you are comfortable with. Don't ever slouch or be in a stance where internal organs are crammed. You may close your eyes if you wish, if it's more effective for you. When doing it, try to concentrate only on what you are doing in a relaxed way. Focus; go back to it when you get distracted. You'll almost always get distracted, and that's normal, so just resume your work. Also, don't expect to become an expert in a short amount of time. It takes a long while before you are able to focus only on consciously doing one thing and nothing else. The persistence in meditating strengthens your personality. Choose meditations that feel good to you. Create a program by choosing meditations you like best and performing each for a few minutes (5 - 10), increasing the time as you progress. Try a meditation for about a month. If it doesn't make you feel good, use another one. Make it a daily habit. Spread your meditation activities throughout the day if possible, twice is good, upon waking up and before sleeping; better if done during midday.

Examples

• Breath Counting
  
  A structured meditation of the outer way. In this exercise, concentrate on counting your exhalations. Be aware of your breathing and nothing else. The goal is to be involved only in your breathing. The usual way is to count from 1 to 10 then starting over from 1 and count up to 10 again. This should be the only thin you're doing. The counting may be shortened to only four if ten is too difficult, or you may count up to the highest number you can till your meditation time is up, but you may be tempted to be thinking of the next number that follows, which you shouldn't. Just count your breath, nothing more. The following are some other distractions: consciously having thoughts, feelings, impressions, sensory perceptions; thinking about your counting (or anything else), modifying your breathing rhythm. If you get sidetracked, you'll notice it, resume your counting.



• Bubble Technique
  
  A structured meditation of the inner way. Picture yourself sitting at the bottom of a lake and watch bubbles rising. For each bubble that rises, look at the image in it, which is something that springs up from your mind. Look at it for a few seconds (5-8), acknowledge the presence, then picture it going up and away. Now, look at the next bubble that passes by and do the same thing. Do not explore it or associate with anything, just observe it and saying to yourself "Hey, that's what I'm thinkin.", then just wait for the next as the first one goes away. It is normal to see the same image several times, and if you see none, that's pretty usual too. The goal is that you learn to contemplate on each thought for a certain amount of time then let go. The second is that it helps you look at each thought individually and not need to to find connections between them. If you don't like the idea of a bubble, you can imagine logs (thoughts) passing along a river (stream of your consciousness), or some similar setting.



• Mantra
  
  A structured meditation of the outer way. The goal here is to only chant and be aware of your chanting only. Choose a word or phrase (any: religious, material, a trait, etc.) The author prefers meaningless phrases because you do can't associate anything else with it. Chant the word or phrase and do it audibly, but not loudly, if possible. Just do it calmly with no excessive effort. Just immerse yourself in doing the activity and stay with it even if some freaky things come up. Stay focused on doing the chanting.



• Contemplation
  
  A structured meditation of the outer way. First, choose a solid object. Nature objects like a pebble or twig is good. The use of a flower is discouraged because you may become enthralled with it. Select simple (not necessarily dull) things which you will not readily associate anything with. A cross should then be probably out of the picture. Next, place the object in front of you at a close distance where you can oberve it well, a foot away will do. Then, look at the object, only look at it. Don't try to form connections with other things. Avoid thinking of words regarding the object because language is just a limited way of expressing things. Just look at it, actively exploring and "feeling/touching" it with your eyes. Don't stare at only one spot, examine it at different places or you'll get eye strain. If you experience distractions, like seeing an energy field or light rays around the object, you are being tempted by yourself to stray away, so acknowledge ("Hey, I feel this and that.")) those sensations, then continue ("Back on track we go..."), you may slow down your meditation pace to get rid of the distractions.