Home » Games News » Basic Meditation Technique - Shifting Gears
When active, my mind is engaged in observing, discriminating, deciding, analyzing and accomplishing. For me, meditation is like shifting gears. My mind is allowed to disengage; to let go of its usual outer-directed focus and to experience a more peaceful, silent state - a very natural, profound state of ease.
Learning to meditate is experiential - a very individual matter. Some people do best learning from a teacher or structured course, while others discover how to meditate on their own. There is no one right way to meditate. I encourage you to experiment with several methods; in doing so you will find your own style.
I have many clients who gave up on meditation because they tried a method that was not suitable for them and never looked back. Personally, I have difficulty being still for extended periods of time. Because of this, I practice a type of movement meditation. I would encourage you to explore until you find a way to meditate that works for you.
Posture
Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to get into a precise or difficult, pretzel-type position to meditate. If you are uncomfortable or straining to be in a certain position, you won't be able to relax and your energy won't flow freely.
Consistency
Meditation can be done at any time of day. I like to frontload my day, so I meditate in the early morning. The key to my meditation practice is consistency. Weather permitting, I meditate outside.
Thoughts
When I first started a regular practice of meditation, I thought that if my mind wasn't "blank" I was a failure. I have come to learn that success and failure are not part of meditation; it is a matter of fullness. Thoughts are a natural part of meditation; don't try to push them out or resist them. Simply notice that thoughts are present and let them go the way they come - effortlessly.
Down Shifting
As I disengage the gears of my mind, I am gifting it with the opportunity to settle down; to idle. My thoughts become more vague, and at times I experience an "otherly" sense - a knowing that I can't translate into words.
Breath Awareness Meditation
Breathing is first and foremost to survival and self-preservation. Breathing is the only thing which humans cannot go without for more than a few minutes. We can live without water and food for days, but oxygen is the source of our sustenance. Within the breath we encounter the rhythm of energy which all life emits. Breath awareness is the most basic of meditations.
Whether you lie down, sit, stand or move ... take a few moments to "simply be." Notice whatever is being experienced in the moment - sounds, physical sensations, thoughts, feelings - without doing anything about it. Continue like this for a little while. Give yourself the opportunity to settle down.
Bring your attention to your breath. Become aware of it as it moves in and out of your body. Notice how you inhale and exhale automatically, effortlessly. Don't try to manipulate it in any way. Notice all the details of the experience of breathing - the feeling of the air moving in and out of your nose, and the way your body moves as it breathes; the rise and fall of your stomach. Your mind will wander away from your breath - that's fine, it doesn't matter. That's a part of the meditation.
When you notice that you are no longer observing your breath, easily bring your attention back to it. Let all of your experiences - thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations - come and go in the background of the awareness of your breath. Notice how all of your experiences - thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, awareness of sounds and smells - come automatically and effortlessly like your breath.
In time, you will become aware of the tendencies of your mind. You will see how it resists certain experiences and embraces others. The natural settling down of your mind allows you to notice these underlying tendencies and creates the possibility for you to release them. If you experience a resistance to what is occurring, an attempt to change what is happening, or a tendency to hold on to some experience - let it go.
I end my meditation sessions by voicing something that I am grateful for.