What is meditation? How do we quiet our mind? Have you ever tried to quiet your mind? Does it seem like as soon as you try to quiet your mind thoughts are rushing in? Meditation is a practice, like playing the piano or being involved with sports. If we are truly to excel at any practice we must commit to doing it on a regular schedule even if we are not yet good at it.
When meditation becomes a practice we will eventually learn the simple process of removing our attention from our thoughts. Little by little we will begin to remain alert and become the witness to our thoughts without being involved and without judgment, similar to what we would do if we are listening with attention to a loving friend share something with us. With regular meditation practice we can eventually learn to drop our thoughts and have a quiet mind during meditation. With regular meditation practice we can even eventually learn how to expand the stillness and quietness of mind into other aspects of our life.
I first began experimenting with meditation more than 25 years ago. I learned how to meditate directly from Roy Eugene Davis, a living direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda. Initially I found it difficult to sit still and calm my mind using the tools Roy presented. I discovered, though, that I could easily slip into a meditative state during and after prayer and after reading my Bible and other spiritual writings. I have found that practicing the presence of God has been the best tool for me to quiet my mind and spend time in quietness. However, I continue to experiment with the tools presented by teachers for meditation, read, and take instruction from teachers I feel drawn to in order that I might help others learn. Meditation is a personal experience for everyone. What works for one person, doesn't always meet the needs of others. I have not yet had a personal guru. Life has been my guru thus far.
It is good to begin a practice of meditation by finding a comfortable position to sit. Gentle stretching or hatha yoga before you begin can help you to find that comfortable position. You can sit upright in a comfortable chair or sit yoga style on the floor, whatever feels comfortable for you is best.
One tool you can use immediately is to gently focus your attention on your breathing. Sit quietly and just notice your body breathing. The body can go for days without eating or drinking, but can only go for minutes without breathing. Gently focus your attention on your body breathing. Imagine your body filling with air as you inhale, your diaphram and stomach expanding like a balloon. Now imagine the balloon deflating as you slowly exhale. Gently watch your body breathing. If your mind wanders, gently bring your focus back to your breathing. It's okay if you get anxious at yourself because your mind wanders. It's okay and it's part of the practice. Keep going back to watching. Relax and breathe. Be open to what happens or what doesn't happen during meditation. Open your mind and your heart and just experience whatever happens. Be still and know that I am God - Psalm 46:10. Just let it happen.
Here is a link to free online guided meditations from UCLA School of Medicine mindful meditation research center: Guided Meditations from UCLA
I took 200+ hours of Yoga Alliance certified training in 2011/2012 to become a yoga instructor through The Deeper Studies conducted jointly by Still Point Yoga Center and the Yoga Center of Haddonfield in New Jersey. The Deeper Studies included Teachings in Silence with Dr. Bhagwan Awatramani of Zurich, Switzerland. Teachings in Silence continues to be beneficial to me helping me deepen my practice. Listen to a 50 minute MP3 audio of Dr. Awatramani here: Question and Answer Session or you can watch a 10 minute movie about meditation here: Dr. Awatramani Movie
Jesus would often go off by himself and get quiet. If Jesus needed to do it, why wouldn't we need to do it? I find that the regular practice of yoga to be very beneficial in quieting my mind. Be still and know that I am God - Psalm 46:10. Meditation and yoga are beneficial and have brought me closer with my Lord - 1 Corinthians 10:23. Here are some of my other blog posts relating to quieting the mind: The Practice of the Presence of God and The Secret Place of the Most High and Entering the Secret Place
Thank you for stopping by! Peace, love and blessings to you always!
If you enjoyed this post, please go on and read my post Looking into Infinity and Yin Yoga: Surrender and Receptivity of Body, Mind and Spirit. If you enjoy this blog, please share a link to it with others! Thank you, Terrie Harmer
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