SIMPLE MEDITATION TECHNIQUES

We acknowledge we are enough by doing things that aren’t too much.

MEDITATION: Anything done with single-focus is meditation. Any activity can be turned into a moving meditation. You can literally live in a state of connectivity to pure consciousness throughout your day. In fact, that is our highest calling- to be connected to the broad, universal collective un-interrupted. To be completely self-aware as part of the whole of creation. To stand in our uniqueness, unbound and confident in our role in this world. Living TRUE in complete authenticity. Living without fear, judgement or the need to compete or be better. Just living REAL as created by God. No more no less. Perfectly imperfect, unique, flawed, fitting into God’s perfect plan with plenty of room for improvement. Joyful. Peaceful. Totally Enough.

Meditation techniques will change as you advance. They shouldn’t cause any distress although you will most likely be challenged, poked and prodded out of your comfort zone. That’s the point. But hang in there, stay with it, the best is yet to come.

Growth is always on the other side of vunerability.

No matter what your meditation technique, always begin with a breathing practice to bring awareness to the physical body and your physical space. This will begin to calm the mind, soothe the nervous system, queing the parasympathetic relaxation response. Chanting AUM (OM) is a great way to begin a meditation practice as well. Ideally you will want to be seated in a comfortable place (chair, couch, sitting up on floor pillow, blanket or bolster with your back supported.) Hands can be relaxed on lap or you can take a mudra if you like. The main thing is to feel physically supported and as comfortable as you can be without laying down (unless you are doing a guided yoga nidra or body scan where it is good to drift off - yogic sleep.)

Meditation helps us learn to attend to what WE CHOOSE to focus on. It puts our mind in its proper place. We want to honor our hard-working, onboard computer: our mind. But we must train ourselves to USE OUR MIND instead of letting our mind USE US. We need to learn how to control the mind and use it for problem solving (and not let it whip us around in useless worry.) To put it in its place, we first start with controlling our breath. When we get practiced at that, we can bring our mind under control. We separate our Self from the rest. We become the boss and the mind becomes the employee. Here are some simple techniques where we use our breath as a focal point as well as a partner on our journey to peace.

  • Mindful Meditation

    • Find a comfortable seat

    • Set your timer (begin with 5 minutes)

    • Close your eyes and observe your breath

    • Let your thoughts come and go (don’t grab onto any thought)

    • Let your ears hear and your body feel

    • Rather than trying to ignore, keep your attention on inhale and exhale

    • Effortless

    • Training your stillness and directing your attention

    • Add time on as you build your practice

    • When timer goes off, give yourself time to observe and feel

    • Work up to 20 minutes

  • Mantra Meditation (set a timer begin with 5 minutes add time with practice)

    • Pick a mantra that speaks to you

    • Mantra should be short enough to easily remember

    • Examples:

      • I am enough

      • Spirit lead me to where my trust is without borders

      • I am open and unbound

      • My commitment to myself is unbreakable

      • Nothing is impossible with God

      • I am willing to be wrong

    • You can have several mantras and use them depending on your mood

    • Begin seated, take some deep calming breaths

    • Let your mantra roll around, swirl slowly around in your mind

    • Say it softly to yourself without speaking

    • Let yourself “hear it” softly

    • Let it fade in and out

    • Use your breathing to create a steady pace

    • Let it settle in, sit and be quiet

    • When the timer goes off, give yourself a moment to observe and feel

  • Present-Moment Living Meditation

    • mindfulness is a skill that can be trained

    • calms the body and the mind in real time

    • creates a sense of calm and control

    • off-loads stress in an instant when we connect with what is real and happening

    • Practice awareness while doing mundane, daily activities

      • whatever you are doing, example: unloading dishwasher, folding clothes, talking on the phone, driving your car, sitting on the couch, whatever you are doing….only do that.

      • Say to yourself, “I am putting this dish in the dishwasher.” “ I am driving the car, I feel my hands on the wheel.” “I am calling my mother.”, “I am standing in the kitchen and breathing.”

      • Resist multi-tasking

      • Do one thing at a time and feel empowered

      • Example: when you are at the grocery store, don’t talk on the phone. Connect with what you are doing and the people around you.

      • In daily life as you move through your day. Make eye contact and smile. Stay present to what is happening around you and look for ways to help people and add value.

      • Slow down. Periodically say through out the day what your are doing and where you are. Nothing brings us into the present moment like connecting with our physical surroundings.

  • Visualization Meditation

    • this is a way to deal with the scattered mind

    • great way to focus the mind when it is racing

    • give the mind something to do while you detach and relax

    • This trains us to attended to what we choose and to learn to bless and release.

    • Technique:

      • Same thing here, get comfortable, take some calming breaths and set your timer

      • Begin by focusing on inhale and exhale

      • Visualize a slow-moving river

      • Let your ears hear and your inner gaze see the flowing river

      • As your mind produces thoughts, see them as leaves floating down the river

      • Let them float by, resist the urge to grab them

      • Let the thoughts come, see them as a leaf, and let them float away

      • When the timer goes off, sit, observe and feel for a couple of moments.

  • Body Scan Meditation

    • soothing exercise to feel grounded

    • sit in a comfortable seat

    • relax, close your eyes and begin with a few calming breaths

    • Using your internal gaze (mind’s eye) bring focus to each body part, starting at your toes, working your way up to the top of your head

    • Linger on a body part as you take a full deep inhale, pause, slow complete exhale

    • Take as much time as you have

    • When finished open eyes slowly, connect back to your immediate surrounds, observe and feel