|
||||||||||||||
Some Thoughts on MeditationI work in a type of customer service position. Naturally, talking to different customers all day every day can get quite stressful. My friend Gabe was also in my department. He always had a rough time dealing with it, found it very stressful. One day he asked me how it was that I always so level headed at work. He couldn't understand, and sincerely wanted to know what my "secret" was. After I laughed and told him I wasn't THAT calm at work, I said I meditate regularly, and it has helped me considerably. He wanted to know more about it, how to do it. I didn't have any handy materials that were short and concise, so I wrote him an e-mail on it. I did not consider myself an expert on the subject at the time, nor do I now. But I thought that if I told him what I did, it may help out, and he could always improvise and expand on it from there. This document is the majority of that e-mail message. Take these things and try them for yourself - keep what works, and put aside what doesn't. But remember what you put aside - it may work for you at some later time, or you may pass it onto someone else and it may help them out. Posture - how to sit? The truth of the matter is that you can meditate in nearly any position. Your hands don't have to be in a particular position. Your legs don't have to be in a particular position. Your back doesn't have to be in a particular position. The general idea is to be relaxed.. Monks (at least Zen monks) often meditate as they go about their daily work. So don't go worrying about exactly how to arrange your body parts in the chair/bed, floor, or other place you decide to mediate in. To quote a famous Zen master, Yoda (from Star Wars) "There is no try. Do." So don't confuse yourself about it. Don't try to do it, just DO it. How do I sit? When to meditate? How long to meditate? What
does your mind do during meditation? Is
meditation a religous thing? What is the connection (if any)?
Some meditation methods use a special sound that is repeated (a mantra). Other people use meditation tapes, and the person on the tape takes you through a peaceful, pleasant experience (this is called guided meditation). There's lots of room for creativity here and experimentation to find what works for you. Don't be afraid to let your mind go. What is meditation
like? Over time, as you meditate more frequently and regularly, the thoughts won't be racing by, they'll be walking by. Eventually, the thoughts stroll by every so-often. As the thoughts slow down, you'll experience your feelings more, you'll start feeling more stuff. You'll begin feeling (if you haven't already) the peace and harmony that mediation brings. In mediation, you might go places, see various things, and feel things. What are those things? They're different for everybody, and impossible to generalize. However, I can give you an example of my own. There is a place I like to drive to by myself every so often. It's a beautiful place. From my car, I can see the high cliffs and water, although it is impossible to walk to it. When I go there I feel peaceful and filled. I went there in meditation one time. I could see the cliff and the water, and could feel the peace of that place. I was standing in mid-air near the edge of the cliff, over the water. You can see, hear, feel, smell, or taste in meditation, almost like you do during normal waking existence. Your experiences are internal to you instead of external, that's all. For example, I saw the cliff face and the water in my mind's eye. If someone (in my meditation experience) would have been standing next to me in mid-air and would have said hello, I would have heard it in my mind also. You won't usually hear it in your ear literally, although that is possible. Tell me more about what meditation is like - where does
Spirit come into this? What you typically get in meditation is far more subtle. Experiences like my trip to the cliff and water are far more common in meditation than any of the things people commonly expect, such classic religious images, symbols, clergy, and the like. It doesn't mean you can not get that kind of stuff. Just don't dismiss the value of the cliff and water because it's not a "lightning bolt" filled with the religious images, symbols, and clergy that you are familiar with. I am getting various things in my meditations. What should
I make of them? (1) deny it all - whatever experiences you have don't really
affect you either way, don't really matter Number 5 is the way to go. You will likely get stuff from both your inner self and Spirit. It isn't usually easy to tell the difference, but you can, over time. Review your experience in meditation and remember it - keep it on the back burner, or write it down. Stay somewhat detached from your experiences, take them in, review them, think them over, and drop them into the back of your mind for later. Over time, you might be able to put 2 and 2 together and get something out of them. Maybe they make sense right away. Maybe not. It depends. And don't underestimate the value of experiences that you feel come from your inner self - they can be very useful for you as well. You could keep a log of your meditations, which is a good idea. Remember to find what works for you in meditation. Try things. Keep what works for as long as it benefits you. Toss aside what doesn't. Change things when it is needed. Don't obsess over the particulars of how to and when to meditate. Don't obsess over your progress or (apparent) lack of it. Don't obsess about analyzing and understanding the meaning of each experience you have in meditation. Just DO it. |