MEDITATION

What are the benefits of meditation? It has been shown to reduce stress, increase happiness, enhance concentration and give one a greater feeling of connectedness. By learning more about our own processes we are in turn able to help others to discover how to improve their lives. And they in turn will pass on the joy. Happiness is irrepressible and continually flows onward in its journey.

Have you ever found yourself day-dreaming while having a bath? Or fallen into a reverie while sitting in front of a fire? The natural calming effect of water in the bath or looking into the flames produces clarity of mind, which allows us the restful state of relaxing the stresses and strains of modern living.. This naturally occurring process is the essence of the simple yet profound gift that meditation has to offer.

What was once a strange and unusual word is now appearing regularly in books and magazines, but there is a bewildering range of possible courses and styles. It could conjure up pictures in your mind of Asian monks seated motionless staring into space, but in reality meditation is as natural to us as breathing.

Throughout history we have learned that it is possible to train the mind with simple exercises to increase our awareness of our own spiritual existence, the mind / emotion side of ourselves. This enhanced perceiving carries itself into all the circumstances we meet during our everyday lives. Some people might call it the awakening of the psychic or spiritual senses, indeed clairvoyance is a natural progression of awareness and meditation.

That sounds very grandiose and you may well ask "but what will it do for me and my problems?" Quite simply we are not separate from the universe, we are part and parcel of it. How we perceive our environment affects the way we react within it. The vibrant colours of an early dawn, mist rising from the stillness of a lake, leaves tumbling by on an autumn breeze, all these scenes evoke quite different mental states, and so too do our thoughts and feelings.

The more we are aware of these continually shifting/changing mind states, the more we see how our home environment, occupation and relationships are affecting us. This insight then allows us to see through the mirage of our personal problems and to get to the root of the matter.

We are, all of us, struggling to find better ways of living our lives. Often people get curious about meditation at a point in their lives when they are hungry for change. This can be at a time of crisis, a time of transition, a time when they are at a crossroads searching for new directions.  Some believe that we are attracting the circumstances we need to learn certain lessons on this life’s journey, and those who practice meditation feel that the contact with the inner or higher self gives guidance through the emotions to the physical mental self.

The fact is, once we have been fortunate enough to realize that we need to change, then we have already made the first steps away from the past problems we do encounter on life’s pathways.

If you would like to begin to study, it is always much easier to learn from those who have gained some mastery over the subject. Working with a meditation teacher is a delicate dialogue. You need to find someone who can assess what type of meditation practice would best support your development and guide you with skill and sensitivity.

Take your time and choose well. Ask yourself questions such as - Do I feel confident with this person? Does he or she seem sincere, trustworthy, knowledgeable, and patient?

Meditation is not just about sitting practice. There are many types of meditation practice, each with its own virtue. Any meditation you do will fit into one of seven basic categories:

·  Breathing

·  Visualization

·  Point (or chakras)

·  Sound (mantra)

·  Movement

·  Devotional

·  Direct essence of mind

The possibilities from meditation are immense! Why else would people have meditated for thousand of years? Developing a practice will require some discipline, but the fruits of your efforts will be immediate and far-reaching - beyond your wildest imagination.