Meditation isn’t something you learn in one day. It just isn’t. I bring this up for one reason. One of my friends said she was going to start meditating. Okay. So that was about a week ago. Today she says she just can’t get the hang of it, so she isn’t going to waste any more time trying to do it.
Oh, please. Perhaps, I’m just getting too old and too impatient with those who have no patience. I know. That is an oxymoron. But, it’s time that people learned that meditation isn’t “instant Karma.” I have been practicing meditation for forty years. Let me assure everyone that some days I feel relaxed after meditation. Some days I find myself… my mind… not willing to embrace the silence. And some days I touch and become a part of the universe. Those days aren’t as frequent as I would like, but I know they will come.
I know everyone has a busy and hectic life these days. Sometimes I get caught up in life’s drama, too. There are days when I feel hurried and pushed to do things that I find stressful. That’s life. But, let’s get to the art of meditation.
The first thing anyone who wants to learn to meditate should do is to set aside a time for the practice. Personally, for newbies I recommend doing it the first thing in the morning… as soon as you get out of bed. Don’t give me the excuse that mornings, getting ready for work, getting the kids ready for school, and all the other morning activities take all your time and energy. Get up earlier. The most precious time of my day is when I first wake up. I get up before anyone in the house is awake. There is silence.
One of the other benefits of meditating as soon as you wake up is that during the night, while you slept, many of the “busy” thoughts of the day before have been filtered from your mind. They may creep back into your consciousness during the day, but in the early morning they are still asleep. So, before you run down your “to do” list for the day or allow random thoughts to take control, take advantage of the quiet mind.
If the weather permits I go to a special little quiet place in the backyard with my yoga/meditation mat and take a seat. I have a friend who sits in the middle of her walk-in closet and another who climbs into the attic. Wherever you can find quiet is the place to go.
Most often I am still in my nightshirt when I meditate in the mornings. I suppose I could dress, but for me the nightshirt is comfortable. I’m not distracted by a waistband being too tight or a bra that isn’t as comfortable as it should be.
The real key to getting started with meditation is to be comfortable in dress and with the knowledge that you won’t be disturbed. If you have to worry about someone invading your space, that is what will fill your mind. So, my first suggestion is to find quiet and comfort.
Personally, I sit on the ground or the floor in the Lotus Position. For me that is comfortable. For some, crossing one legs with heels on thighs would be the least comfortable position in the world. So, find another position.
If you are just starting out, try sitting in a straight backed chair and keep your feet flat on the floor.
The idea is to keep your back straight and upright. I do have a friend who meditates lying down. She often complains that she falls asleep. Patanjali listed falling asleep as one of the hindrances to meditation… but, I’ll talk more about the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali some time in the future. If you are just getting started, I suggest that you don’t want to get into “Patanjali” yet. It is a rather difficult read and I personally think requires years of study. So, just sit straight and keep your back upright and in line. (Don’t think you can’t meditate if you haven’t read all the great authorities on meditation. I had been meditating for a couple of years before I even heard of Patanjali.)
Quite often I meditate with my eyes closed. It is a personal preference. But, you can use a mandala or a candle or any object as your focal point. I close my eyes because I like the “black screen.”
I’m going to describe this as best I can. When I close my eyes, the background is black, but there are lighter areas of grey on the mental screen. I focus on bringing those grey areas to a single focal point. It’s somewhat like focusing a camera lens. If you use a mandala as a focal point, I would suggest finding one that is not so “busy.” Of course, with a candle the idea is to focus on the flame.
Try to think of focusing your line of sight as if you are taking a picture. At first there is a wide area. There is little distinction between objects. Now, adjust the lens of the camera, zooming in on a smaller section of the area. Continue to refine the focal point, zooming in closer and closer.
I bring the lighter grey spots into a single focus on the black screens of my inner eyelids until I “see” a single light grey or off-white dot. With a mandala one would narrow the focus until you were only seeing the middle (like a bull’s eye on a target). With a candle, one would first see the candle and the flame, then the flame. Flames have varying degrees of colors, but continue to focus until you see a single color inside the flame.
I have suggested to many that before one ever begins the actual meditation process that they learn to sit straight and they practice focusing. Any time there is a minute or two of quiet, wherever you are during the day, straighten your back… no slumping please… and stare at something… anything… but continue to adjust the eye’s lens until you are zeroed in on a single point. Concentrate on getting to the one single dot in the middle of the object. And, keep doing it until you can see the most minute point possible. Practice! Practice! Practice!
So, it sounds like work. And, maybe it is. But, very few of us every played the piano without playing scales first. However, once you learned to play your first complete piece the practice was well worth the effort. It is the same with meditation. Practice! Practice! Practice!
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