Meditation Made Easy

This is the first of several Meditation Made Easy articles I'll be posting in the near future. My aim is in providing you with practical ways to gracefully (and in your own time) enter more relaxing, more profound meditation. I always feel it can be enjoyed like a holiday where everything has been prepared and planned for you. All you have to do is sit back, take it very easy and enjoy what's there.

Photo: Canadian Veggie

I'll offer a great tip for easing you into meditation. I'll remove the idea of effort so you can remove it too. Together we'll add the idea it is a pleasurable, insightful, refreshing, natural way of being. A benefit of this is you can do it at home, at work, on public transport and in your free time. I can't describe enough how this can benefit you. You'll have to discover that for yourself.
So make the decision here and now, to focus entirely upon meditating during your sessions. Be gentle with yourself.


Before we begin, I realise many of us have demanding lives where relaxation is almost a rare luxury. If you feel you need to relax more before meditating (and be able to relax more regularly), use my previous posts here: Quick and Easy Relaxation, Feeling Good or check out the other articles under Deep Relaxation to find which works best for you.


A highly valuable way of beginning is to regularly meditate for a short period of time, several times each day. The Easy Steps below will show you more.


Three very useful points to remember:

• Make any distractions your friend by using them to increase your ability to return your awareness to the inside.

• Meditation is about using relaxation and gentle focus as a foundation. This article will help you strengthen these foundations.

• Meditation is a natural ability and potentially very powerful for your well being. Like many great tools and gifts of human nature, it's vastly underrated.

Meditation - The Easy Steps
Read through the following steps then put them into practice and meditate.

• It's best to begin by sitting quietly, comfortably upright with both feet upon the floor.

• Close your eyes, allowing your body to ease itself into a state of relaxation.

• Tell yourself any noise or distraction is simply there to help you focus on the inside.

• Allow any memories, sounds, images and feelings from the outside to slip away naturally as you focus gently upon the inside.

• Just notice what it is like to sit quietly, calmly and still.

• Gently have your awareness on the inside.

• If you get distracted simply relax and return your awareness to the inside.
  

• The time you sit meditating is entirely your choice. Be aware of what is appropriate for you. As short or long as is beneficial to you.

Benefits to You:

• This helps to create a habit and strengthen your association with a state of meditation.

• It's easy to practice. You can schedule it into any free time you have during the day.

• Whilst meditating regularly each day, you will find it easier and easier to return to meditation if you're ever distracted.

Helpful Hints:
It's excellent to cultivate an attitude of both relaxed curiosity and allowing whatever happens to happen. By following my suggestions you'll have done all the preparation you'll need for now.
Remember: thinking is not meditating and you're about to begin to find out more.



Do this

• Aim for 3 - 6 short sessions a day. You'll quickly notice the benefits of your meditation.

• Begin a session in the morning and afterwards decide in advance where you will meditate during the day.
  

• Have in mind that you will find opportunities to meditate during the day. For example during a 5 or 10 minute part of your lunch break (if you have one).

• Whenever you feel less than comfortable or you feel it's time to stop, do so. You will gain more from sitting to meditate regularly the same day at this early stage, rather than struggling with a sitting.

• As you meditate more, you will naturally be aware 'inside' for longer. Distraction of the outside world we decrease noticeably so meditation will become easier and more beneficial.

• Make the decision here and now to focus entirely upon meditating during your sessions.

I hope you find this helpful. Let me know how you get on.
Wishing you the best.

Jens