Meditation Anytime

Photo of Waikiki Beach Sunset by Margaret Stockley

You can find time to meditate anywhere.

Meditation Methods
Finding Time to Meditate
Meditation is a means of bringing the mind into a singe point of focus until after many months of practice you eventually transcend beyond the point of concentration and all awareness dissipates and you emerge into complete bliss.

The journey to bliss is wonderful and need not be time-consuming. While a regular practice is to be encouraged, your whole life should be a meditation.
The mind loves to be in meditation and the results bring you to a more relaxed and peaceful state of mind and body.
Stress dissipates and you are more creative, happy, healthier, and productive and take an optimistic view on life.

Places to Meditate
You do not need to be seated at home or another quiet place.
I encourage people to practice drawing the mind into a meditative state whenever they have a few minutes to spare e.g. waiting for the kettle to boil, standing in line waiting to be served, when out walking or when you are participating in any other activity that you can think of.

Controlling the Breath
We all breathe, but many people do not breathe correctly, only half-filling the lungs and not absorbing the essential nutrients and energy contained within the breath to enable daily tasks to be performed with vitality and clarity.
Practice slowing the breath down and keeping it slow and steady. This may take only a few breaths or it may take several minutes depending on how experienced you are at meditating.
As the breath becomes slower and deeper, feel the different levels of relaxation that are occurring in the body and mind.
Feel stress ebb away with each exhalation.

Monitor Your Thoughts
During your quiet moment, notice your thoughts then allow them to pass without becoming attached to them. As you practice focusing on the breath, you will notice that the body is relaxed and the mind peaceful.

Over time you will discover that during your daily activities, if disturbed or angry thoughts emerge you will become aware of them as they occur and will be able to replace them with more appropriate thoughts and subsequent behavior.
This results in a more enjoyable and peaceful environment that keeps you tranquil, happy, and more prepared to face what life sends your way. All your interactions become pleasant and devoid of extreme emotional reactions.

Music
Listening to gentle music has been clinically proven to induce relaxation, slow the pulse, and lower blood pressure. It also enables you to enter into a meditative state with ease. If you can walk outside, listen to the sounds of nature and absorb the natural sounds and colors that the world provides.
If you spend most of your time indoors, a small water fountain that trickles softly can also generate a relaxed response and help you to remain calm and peaceful.

Make Space to Meditate
Remove any items that disturb your environment. Keep the temperature comfortable.
Fill your space with objects that promote serenity and tranquility.
In time, your whole life will become a meditation, free from anxiety, stress and filled with hope and love.

Gratitude: Guided Meditation

Water everywhere! Swans are enjoying the water.

Gratitude

This week I was reminded of the wonderful power of gratitude and I wanted to share the story with you today, especially as it is a special time of year in both the Jewish and Christian calendars.

Here in New England we’ve had a lot of rain over the past two weeks that has broken meteorological records and submerged roads, houses, and caused bridges to crumble under its mighty force.

In my yoga studio, I have an automatic sump pump installed and since the rain started falling it has been working overtime.

Usually it switches on for a minute and is a gentle soothing trickle, however the last few days have poured a lot of water from the sky and the pump was quite audible on several occasions.

Most of my students have been attending classes at my studio for months and even years and have learned to filter out distractions and focus on the peace within. Their peaceful composure and ability to stay “in the Flow” is a credit to their dedication to practicing all the aspects of TriYoga.

This week though, I was reminded about an incident that occurred about ten years ago. I attended a workshop held by another teacher and at the end of the session one attendee complained to the instructor about the noise in the next room; the footsteps, the doors opening and closing, and the conversations.

To me the noise was very minor and no more distracting than cars outside in the street, planes flying overhead, and the chirping of birds in the trees.
In rented space it is often challenging to have the perfect environment which is one reason why I created my own studio, but few things in life are ever truly perfect.

Perfection lies within.

Anyway, the attendee who was complaining did not see that the problem lay within their very own self, rather than externally. As yogi’s we learn to live in the world free from distractions and to maintain single-pointed focus.

Which brings me back to this week.

I was delighted that my students were able to filter the external noise; some students even thought it was soothing and a deliberate choice on my behalf to enhance the water element theme of the class!
However it was a particular comment by one student, and echoed by the class, that I want to share with you.

Remember, there has been and still is a major amount of flooding throughout New England and residents (including my students) have had boilers, washing machines, computers, and basements ruined, to name but a few items and have spent hours salvaging what they can.

At the end of class, one student said:
“Thank you Margaret, for having the sump pump and giving us a warm dry studio that we can come to, to practice our yoga. We need to be here.”

That was such a wonderful thing to say and a reflection on the inner peace and transformation that is possible for all of us, despite our own problems and the difficulties that we see around us.

Practicing gratitude, following the peace within, and focusing on what is good and beautiful and right with the world rather than what is wrong and being unhappy enables each one of us to remain strong and be a force of light when problems do occur.

Gratitude remains a powerful tool to remain contented and happy. If you are new to the practice of meditation you will discover that it will help realign yourself with light and love and relinquish the hold of emotional irritation, unhappiness and even anger.

It does not mean looking at the world through-rose-colored glasses, but about releasing fear, fault-finding, and doubt.

Instead of looking at a rose and focusing on the thorns, be grateful that thorns have roses.

Guided Meditation
See this earlier posting on How To Meditate


Sitting in a comfortable position, allow the eyes to gently close.

Slowly inhale, filling your lungs completely with air.
Exhale slowly.
And continue, slowing the breath down.
Follow the breath from the tip of the nose to the base of the lungs, and slowly release the air.

Draw the navel in with each exhalation to assist with removing the impurities that are carried with the breath.

Release attachment to thoughts and emotions, focusing on your breath.

Continue as you allow the body to relax and the mind to be quiet and still.

Draw light in a column through the body in front of the spine.
Exhale, and see yourself surrounded by the light.
Continue for 5 slow and steady breaths.


Now, with each inhalation draw awareness to the heart center.

See light emanate from this sacred space.

As you exhale, allow the light to cleanse you and remove impurities, both physical and subtle.

Feel yourself glowing with the pure light that both fills you and surrounds you.

See the light flow effortlessly from your heart center.

Bathe in the light, feel it cleanse and renew you.

SAY WHAT YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR

In the beginning it may be challenging but like all things, with practice it get SO MUCH EASIER and you find that you have zero problems finding subjects to be genuinely grateful for.

Continue to bathe in the light. Feel the warm embrace of peace and light.

When you feel that your meditation session is over, slowly allow your eyes to open.

Demonstrate gratitude through prayers, through acts of kindness, and by monitoring your thoughts and subsequent actions to ensure that you are truly thoughtful with every word and action.

Grazie

Merci

Thank You

No matter how you say it, giving thanks and showing your gratitude is a positive emotion that unlocks the fullness of your energy.
As opportunities open themselves up to you, you will be able to recognize them and act upon them. You have the power to influence your thoughts.

Gratitude
Meditation is often described as a mirror to your Self, revealing to yourself the reality of how you are really doing in living your life with purpose. You will know that all is well when peace flows through you and stays with you for longer periods until your whole life is peaceful.

Think gratitude, give gratitude, receive thanks and love.

Peace

How To Meditate

One peaceful view from my TriYoga and meditation studio

Today marks one year since I started my meditation blog. Thank you to everyone who follows the blog by visiting it every week and to everyone who has it delivered by email.

For those who are new to the blog, I'm an author, teacher of TriYoga and Meditation, and owner of my own studio.
I welcome your comments which can be posted directly on the blog.

Here is a fresh look at one BASIC method of How to Meditate.

Creating a New Habit
When practiced daily, Meditation helps you to achieve a lasting sense of peace and draw on insight. It is a tool that prepares you to comprehend what is required of you and how you can honor creation, assisting you in discovering truth and insight into your purpose in life and in distinguishing the ways that hold you back.

You can use the technique of meditation for a variety of purposes; for stress reduction, for healing alongside current medical treatments and therapies, for solutions to questions such as your career or finances, and also for enhanced connection to God and your own spiritual growth.

Of course, the first few times you do the new activity, you may encounter a few obstacles but over time it gets easier as the brain gets used to firing up the same neural pathway. That’s why bad habits are hard to break; they’re so deeply entrenched in your brain that it takes a few tries to “rewire” your brain to do a different activity.

Choose a time of day when you can allocate at least twenty minutes of solitude in a clean, quiet, and airy space. For most people, this time is available at the beginning or the end of the day. Morning meditation offers an intuitive start to the day, while the evening is an opportunity to unwind.

How to Meditate
Begin by sitting in a comfortable position with the back supported by a wall or sit in a kitchen chair that has a firm back. An armchair is not really suitable as it is often too cushiony. The purpose of using a wall or a firm chair is to have the spine as straight as possible. If you are sitting on the floor and can place the heel of one foot in front of the ankle of the other foot without discomfort and maintain this position for the length of time of the meditation, do so. Otherwise, sit in as upright a position as you are able with your hands in a relaxed manner by your sides or on your lap.

If you have a question to ask, allow the thought to rise up in your consciousness as you enter into meditation.

Mantra or Affirmation
If you are going to use a mantra or affirmation, choose whether it is a word or a phrase, either a Sanskrit mantra or something positive in your own language such as "I am Loved" or "Peace" then gently close your eyes and allow the eyes to remain still. When eyes move jerkily and roll around, it is often an indication that the mind is active and not at rest.
A comfortable place for the eyes to rest is the Third Eye located just above the space between the eyebrow,  With your eyes closed, lift the eyes up to this inner space; too high and the eyes will flutter and you don't want that to happen!

For more detailed explanations on the use and meanings of mantra, see the specific blog postings on mantra.

Power of the Breath

Where the breath goes the mind follows, and vice-versa.
Breathe regularly and fully for four or five breaths or longer as necessary and allow the shoulders to relax and your breathing to find its own rhythm. Focus on each exhalation, lengthening it until it becomes twice as long as each inhalation. Never force the breath. There should be no stress with synchronizing thought and breath. Always allow the breath to find its own slow and casual tempo. Ensure that each inhalation and exhalation flows smoothly, softly, and slowly.

Concentrate on your breath prayer for this particular period of meditation. Any time that the mind begins to wander, re-focus on your chosen word or phrase and notice that eventually a sense of calmness permeates from this singular direction.

Be aware of any thoughts that drift into your mind and permit them to pass, focusing on the space between each lengthening breath.
Remain unattached to any unwanted thoughts.

Don't Give Up
If you find that your mind has wandered, don't give up on meditating. In the early stages this happens. Simply note that this has occured, remain inemotional about it, and simply return to the flow of the breath.
All that matters is the present moment, not what has occurred in the past whether it was two seconds ago or two years ago.

With continued practice, any mantra that you choose begins to flow of its own volition. This arises in response to thoughts that try to enter your mind’s awareness and the mantra acts as a blocking agent against the unwanted thoughts.

You can introduce positive messages of affirmation or praise at the same pace of each inhalation and exhalation.

Continue meditating until you feel that your session is complete. It will be approximately 15-20 minutes when you first begin to practice meditation.

Positive Results
With time, you see positive results through answered questions, contentment, and freedom from the commotion of everyday challenges. Retain your chosen mantra or affirmation following meditation. Carry your word or phrase with you throughout the remainder of the day with a glad heart and when you prepare for bed, repeat it as you fall asleep.

Know that you can return to the peaceful feeling inside of you simply bt returning to the gentle rhythmic flow of the breath.

Peace lies within you.

Overview

• Choose a time of day when you can allocate at least twenty minutes of solitude.
• Sit in a comfortable upright position with the spine as straight as possible.
• With eyes closed, focus on the breath flowing in and lengthening as it flows out.
• On each breath, repeat a mantra, or a word or phrase e.g. Peace, God is Love.
• Acknowledge all thoughts and permit them to pass.
• Do not use a timer. Allow your mind to tell you when you are complete.
• Decide what you want from your meditation session e.g. healing, answers.
• Expect solutions following your session
• Remain focused on either your chosen word or phrase, or the flow of your breath.
• Cultivate feelings of peace within you and practice living in joy every day.
• Do not set an alarm. Stop when you are ready; it will be approximately 10-20 minutes.