MEDITATION AND MIND POWER

Meditation and Mind Power

Guidelines for Meditation

One of the main objectives in meditation is simply to remain conscious. Falling asleep during a meditation does not result in the same beneficial outcomes. Another objective is to extend your consciousness into the slower Alpha frequencies and Theta frequencies. This will happen with little to moderate practice.

Position of the Body

It is important for the novice not to get too comfortable. Getting too comfortable in a meditation can easily lead to sleep. In the beginning, the best position is a sitting position with your feet apart and flat on the floor, your spine somewhat straight, head slightly lowered, and your hands on your lap, palms up or down, whatever feels more comfortable to you. Do not slouch your body, and do not cross your legs, ankles, or arms. This will only make you uncomfortable later on during the meditation, causing you to shift your focus away from the internal mental experience in order to tend to your physical experience. With time and practice you will be able to be in any position you desire.

Duration of Meditations

The duration of the meditation can be as little as 5 minutes to as much as 45 minutes, or even more depending on a your daily time allowance and purpose of the meditation. Ideally, you will meditate no less than fifteen minutes, and three times a day.

When to Practice

Mornings are the best time to practice meditating since your brain frequency is more than likely at Alpha. All you need to do is close your eyes, take a deep breath, and enter your meditation.

The second best time to practice is at night before entering sleep. Since meditation will take your body, brain and mind in the direction of sleep, getting too comfortable in your bed when meditating may result in you falling asleep. If your goal is to meditate, then consider sitting up in your bed for the meditation part, and after meditating, get yourself more comfortable and drift into sleep. If your goal is to go to sleep, you will probably do so faster and easier starting off with a meditation.

The third best time to meditate is some time after lunch. If you have the luxury of having the time to meditate early in the afternoon, then this is a great time for long and deep meditations. We all have a natural tendency to feel a bit sluggish during the early afternoon hours, and meditation can serve to energize you and/or catch you up with needed rest.

Ideally, you will meditate for 15 minutes, three times a day.

Four Steps to Meditating

Step 1: Entering

Step 2: Deepening

Step 3: Purpose

Step 4: Exit

STEP 1: Every meditation begins with some kind of entry. Most meditations begin with the eyes closed so as to eliminate most of the external stimulus, and to "kick in" a sleep-like pattern that will help encourage deep, healthy relaxation. With eyes closed your focus can easily shift from being external towards being internal, initiating the process. Any natural method of entry that shifts your focus from the external to the internal may be used effectively. The Three Deep Breath Method that you will learn is a method that is ideal for entering a meditation.

STEP 2: Once you have entered your meditation it is time to deepen. Deepening is done by relaxing the body and mind through counts done on a descending scale.

STEP 3: By the time you get to this step, your body is extremely relaxed, your brain frequency is slow, and your mental state is at its deepest and most receptive. This makes Step 3 ideal for any kind of mental programming. Programming can be done in the form of self-talk, such as in the case of affirmations, goal setting and problem solving, formula-type techniques, and guided imagery mostly used for self-healing.

STEP 4: Exiting a meditation can be done by simply opening your eyes. You can exit the meditation more gradually by counting slowly from 1-3, snapping your fingers lightly, and mentally saying, "Eyes open, feeling wide awake and in perfect health." Another way of exiting a meditation is by entering sleep.

Wandering Mind and Physical Sensations and Consciousness

During your meditations it is very common for your mind to wander. This is normal. When you find your mind wandering simply bring your attention back to whatever you are doing and continue where you left off. Occasionally, you will even loose awareness, and even enter sleep. This too is normal. With practice, this will happen less and less. Although concentration and focus will be enhanced through time, your mind's wandering nature will never go away completely.

Because everybody is unique, the physical sensation experienced during meditation may vary from person to person. It can be anywhere from a feeling of heaviness to a feeling of weightlessness. You may even have the sensation of floating. Often, during deep physical relaxation, you may experience a sense of desensitization, and feel as if your body is no longer there. All these and other experiences and sensations are indicators that you are doing just fine.

Remember that the element you are adding to something your body, brain, and mind has done all its life unconsciously is consciousness. By meditating you are able to convert the subconscious into the inner conscious. This may be very new to you and something well worth exploring.

Three Deep Breath Method

Before meditating, you will get into a comfortable position; you will then close your eyes, and take the first deep breath.

First Breath: The first deep breath is used to initiate the relaxation process and to learn to relax your body from head to toes in a short period of time. With practice, the first breath will become a trigger mechanism for relaxing your body fully and completely from head to toes. After taking the first deep breath, say to yourself mentally, "Body, it is time to relax."

The first deep breath is for physical relaxation, and it is achieved by relaxing one part at a time. Part-by-part relaxation or fractional relaxation is done by simply focusing your attention on different parts of your body, usually starting with your scalp and going slowly downward one part at a time until you reach your toes.

As you focus on each part of your body relax all tensions and ligament pressures, and place them in a deep state of relaxation that will go deeper and deeper with every breath you take. You may take 15 minutes, 20 minutes, or longer doing the part-by-part body relaxation.

When you do The Deep Relaxation Exercise for the first time, it may be helpful for you to first tense the muscles of your body tightly, and then relax them. This can help establish a clear distinction between tension and relaxation that will make it easier to learn to relax during the exercise and in the future when you practice relaxation exercises or meditations.

Start From the Head and Move Slowly Downward:

Concentrate on the skin covering your head. Feel the skin that covers your scalp. Feel the vibration of the skin caused by circulation, and then relax and release all tensions and ligament pressures from your scalp and place them in a deep state of relaxation that will grow deeper and deeper with every breath. Taking your time, do the same for the rest of your body; forehead, the tissue surrounding your eyes, cheeks, jaws, neck and throat area (Externally and internally), shoulders, arms, hands, back, spine, chest (Externally and internally), abdomen (Externally and internally), thighs, knees, calves, feet, and toes.

Remember to take occasional deep breaths, in through your nose as if filling your belly with air, and then out, exhaling through your nose. Breathe in this manner anytime you want to enter an even deeper more relaxed state. It is a wonderful feeling to be deeply relaxed, a very healthy state of being.

When you reach full and deep physical relaxation, make a strong mental impression of the experience. Allow your body, brain, and mind to memorize how it feels to be deeply relaxed so that you can create it quickly, and easily in future meditations.

Second Breath: The second deep breath is taken once you are physically relaxed, and it is used for relaxing the mind. You will be able to learn to relax your mind in a matter of seconds. After taking the second deep breath, say to yourself mentally, "Mind, it is time to relax."

To learn to relax mentally all you need to do is to think of tranquil and passive thoughts and scenes. Any thought, and scene that makes you tranquil and passive helps to relax your mind. You may want to imagine yourself at the beach on a nice summer day when the breeze is just right, the temperature is perfect, the sounds are soothing, the sand is healing, and the sun is energizing. Spend enough time enjoying the scene, experiencing this imagery with all of your mental senses, and fully associated. Any tranquil or passive image you choose to experience, do so with full association. You may take 2 to 5 minutes or longer doing this. Occasionally, remind yourself to breathe deeply. Do note that time may be somewhat distorted when meditating.

Third Breath: The third deep breath is for establishing your starting point for programming. After taking the third deep breath, say to yourself mentally, "I am now at Starting Point, feeling relaxed and ready to begin my programming."

At your "Starting Point," you can do any type of positive and/or healthy programming you desire. This is a deeper level of mind, deeper than after having taken the first or second breath. You are now ready to begin programming.

Programming is best done when the brain is most receptive. When the body and mind are relaxed and the brain is emitting Alpha brain frequencies, the brain is highly receptive for programming any kind of beneficial information. The results of strongly impressed programs are the full benefits expected from the program itself. Programs are impressed in the following ways:

 Affirmations - Affirmations are positive assertions you make to yourself about a goal. They are statements involving the very things you want to have, do, or be. Affirmations are repeated often, both when wide awake and active and during meditations. Affirmations make deep roots in your being when repeated during meditations.

 Goal Setting and Problem Solving - This can best be done through the use of visualization and imagination. Visualize the present situation or problem, and then imagine the desired goal or solution.

 Formulized Techniques - These are thought out and formulated techniques that when you follow the technique step-by-step during the meditation, the results are surprisingly positive.

 Self-guided imagery - In self-guided imagery, you can program for any outcome you desire such as goal setting or healing.

Breathing Reminder

Be aware of your breathing and become accustomed to breathing deeply and rhythmically throughout the entire meditation. Take occasional deep breaths as you need for further deepening. Deep breaths will help relax your muscles, send oxygen throughout your body and brain, and slow down your pace. Occasional deep breaths will help keep you in a deep state of relaxation.

Deep breathing is achieved when you notice your belly rising and lowering with each breath. It does not involve upper chest breathing. Allow your breath to fill the lower part of your lungs and make your belly rise. This is the type of breathing you experience when you are in a prone position or lying down.

Countdown Deepening Exercises

Further deepening may be done at any time by counting on a descending scale from 100 - 1, 50 - 1, 25 - 1, or 10 - 1, and saying the word "Deeper" between counts. By the time you reach the number 1, you will be at a deeper and healthier state of body and mind. Give the word "Deeper" the meaning of being deeper within or deeper in thought. As you go through the countdown, imagine or bring to mind the descending feeling you experience while in an elevator.

The fastest way to deepen any time during your meditation, is to take a deep breath and say to yourself mentally, "Deeper and deeper," or do a short countdown from 10-1, saying "Deeper and deeper" between numbers.

It is a wonderful, healthy feeling to be deeply relaxed.

In Closing

Meditation is done by choice, and is vital for overall well being. It improves the quality of your health, relationships, job performance, creativity, and problem solving ability. It also allows for you to make better choices and decisions. With meditation you can make the most of your life, and enjoy it, and those you share it with to the fullest.