MEDITATION: PRESENCE AND AWARENESS

Animals live fully in the present

Meditation: Presence

Who is the most important person in the world?
It’s not a trick question and this individual is someone that you actually know.
The most important person in the world is the person you are with at any given moment in time. All too often we fail to notice this individual or give them our complete attention because other distractions get in our way.

Nothing on Earth is permanent and we never can tell if we will be the last person this individual will see, or conversely the person we are with will be our last.
Awareness and presence develops through meditation. Being mindfully present in all your interactions, means that you have an opportunity to treat others differently from this point on.

Presence is both an awareness of your own existence and what you are witnessing at this very moment in time. It releases you from expectations about what you think might happen or from speculating about why things are unfolding a certain way. Speculation is different from intuition and I’ll talk more about intuition in a later posting.
Take your time with this meditation. Allow at least 15 minutes and practice regularly until you notice that your ability to remain present in every situation is occurring with ease.

Meditation
In a seated position with the spine straight and the flesh of the body relaxed, bring your awareness to the breath.
The eyes can be open or closed, but the gaze should be soft with the eyes still and attention focused directly in front of you.
The shoulders are relaxed, the hands resting on the thighs with the palms facing up in Om mudra. (Tip of thumbs and first fingers lightly touching. Also known as Inner Om Mudra.)
Observe the breath from the tip of the nose into the base of the lungs.
Feel the belly gently rise and fall with each inhale and exhale.
Keep the breath slow, smooth, and steady.
Don’t rush or force the breath.
Continue to watch the breath as it flows effortlessly from the tip of the nose to the belly.
Feel the belly gently rise and fall.
Draw awareness fully to the breath.
Experience the sensation of the lungs expanding and contracting, the air entering and leaving the body.
If the mind wanders (which it often does when you start to learn to meditate), simply draw the awareness back to the breath.
Do not judge or think that you have failed or cannot learn to meditate.
You are retraining the mind and new habits can take up to four weeks to become part of your regular routine.
Continue to watch the breath and direct it from the nose to the base of the lungs.
Feel the breath flowing in the present moment.
When you feel ready, in your own time, shift your attention from the breath to the present moment
Continue to focus on the present moment and dissolve into meditation.
Go deeper and deeper into the awareness.

After Your Meditation
You will strengthen you ability to be present in all that you think and do.
Your relationships will improve.
You remain open to experiences and lowly eliminate obstacles that block energy.
Your heart center opens as you give your full attention to the person that you are with.
You strengthen your ability to remain in the present moment and to be present with everyone that you meet.
You cease to be lonely as you experience contentment with your Self and connection to the source of all Love and Light

OPEN HEART MEDITATION

The energy of the heart is represented by the color green because Creation which is all around us in grass, trees, and plants, stems from Love.

Open Heart Meditation
Songs and poems from cultures throughout the world describe the peace and happiness that stems from the source of love. While there are different energy centers within the body, the heart is the energy center of Love.

There are many heart opening techniques and meditations that can be used. The following meditation is a wonderful technique that can be done by beginners and experienced practitioners alike.

The important thing to remember is to see meditation as a part of your whole life, not a separate entity that works on its own.
The efforts that you expend to open your heart do not begin and end with meditation.
You need to embrace it as a way of life.
This meditation will help you to prepare the way for loving energy to flow effortlessly through you by removing any obstacles that are within you, and yet you are not aware that they are there.

Once the obstacles (they vary from person to person) are gone, you will experience wonderful joy. Along the way, sometimes shaking or trembling or tears arise. It’s important to know that this is normal and not be afraid should it occur. Simply let it flow through you and breathe it away and continue focusing either on the light or the peaceful loving feeling within you.

Restoring Balance to the Heart
Method
Sitting in a comfortable position with the eyes gently closed and the spine erect.
Draw the attention inwards to the breath.
Keep the eyes still in this inner eye gaze.
Follow the breath from the tip of the nose into the base of the lungs
Follow the breath all the way out in a steady stream
Keep the lips closed and the facial muscles relaxed
Allow the breath to flow effortlessly into and out of the body without your input or control
When you feel the mind and body relaxed, concentrate on seeing a light at the base of the spine within your mind’s eye
Hear the sound of Om resonating deep within you
Feel light flow through the body from the base of the spine to the crown of the head
Concentrate on the sensation of the energy
Concentrate on Om and try to feel its vibration and meaning
As you reach the top of your inhalation, see the light pour from the crown of your head to surround you
Feel Om change to the sound of bliss which is Ahhh
Release anything that arises
Know that you are safe in your meditation
Feel the cleansing energy of the light flow through every cell of your mind and body
Dissolve into meditation
Continue with your meditation until you feel complete

After Your Meditation

• Continue to maintain a connection to the heart center and keep the loving energy flowing through you.
• Nurture love by replacing any negative thoughts with ones of kindness and love.
• Bringing your awareness to the heart will change your perspective on life and positively impact the people around you.
• Remaining in the present draws awareness to maintaining an open heart and permitting the flow of love.
• Try to choose peaceful situation e.g. avoid watching violent movies
• Practice kindness rather than reverting to previous negative thought patterns
• Promote happiness by being a beacon of light and love to everyone you meet.

Breathing Meditation

A breathing meditation helps the lake of the mind remain calm and still

Meditation has numerous applications and there are a variety of methods that you as a practitioner can use depending on your needs.

A breathing meditation serves as a single-pointed focus and both calms the mind and develops internal peace.
You can choose whether to concentrate solely on the breath prior to entering your meditation practice, or to stay with the breath and actually meditate upon it during your entire practice.

Breathing Meditation

Sit in a comfortable position with the spine erect. Your chosen place for meditation should be free from distractions including being too hot, cold, drafty etc as it’s not only noise that can be annoying.

With the eyes gently closed, draw the attention inwards to the breath. Keep the eyes still in this inner eye gaze.

Follow the breath from the tip of the nose into the base of the lungs.
Follow the breath all the way out in a steady stream

Keep the lips closed and the facial muscles relaxed
Allow the breath to flow effortlessly into and out of the body without your input or control

Continue following the breath as it enters and leaves the body until you feel the body and mind relax and the breath becomes slow and steady

Note the sensation of the breath as it passes through both nostrils, over the back of the throat and into the base of the lungs
Never force the breath

Deepen and lengthen the breath
Feel the breath flow into the body, permeating every cell

Maintain awareness on the sensation of the breath
Concentrate on how the breath feels

If any thoughts enter the mind’s awareness, simply allow them to pass on by.
Don’t follow a train of thought.
Remain focused on the breath and all the impressions that it leaves.

If you discover that you have inadvertently allowed the mind to wander off, don’t judge yourself. Accept that this has happened and simply return to the gentle rhythmic flow of the breath.

Eventually, the deeper you concentrate on the breath, the fewer distractions that will appear as there is no room for other thoughts to enter.
With practice and dedication the mind will stay with the breath. It will be comfortable in this new attentiveness.

All distracting thoughts subside and the mind experiences deep relaxation and profound peace.

A feeling of expansiveness of body and mind will permeate your entire being.
It is not uncommon to actually lose all awareness of even possessing a physical body as the mind joins with the source of the peace.

Knowledge and understand thrives and flourishes.

Once your thoughts have melted away and awareness is only on the sensations of the breath, let the mind dissolve.

Stay in this peaceful state until you feel that your meditation is complete.

After Your Breathing Meditation Session

• Notice the different levels of relaxation that occur within the body and mind simply by following the breath and remaining with the breath.
• Excluding other thoughts enables you to stay calm and peaceful.
• You control your thoughts and the body by controlling the mind.
• Any time that you find yourself in a stress-full situation, simply return to the rhythmic flow of the breath and you will be able to bring your mind into a relaxed state.