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Creating
a Routine: Steps to Deep Meditation
1. Prayer.
Sit upright, relax completely, and then offer a prayer to God. If
you are not comfortable with the concept of God, then ask for guidance
from your own higher self.
2. A Relaxation
Technique for the Body. Inhale, tense the whole body, then throw
the breath out and relax. Doing this three to six times will help
rid the body of unconscious tensions. Now, consciously relax the
various body parts, starting with your feet and working your way
gradually to the head and brain. It may help you to visualize space
or light filling each area as you relax it. Physical relaxation
is the first step necessary for deep meditation.
3. Regular
Breathing to Relax the Mind. The breath is intimately linked
with the mind. By controlling and relaxing the breath, we influence
the mind to become calm. Inhale slowly counting one to twelve, hold
your breath for the same number of counts, then exhale for the same
count. This is one round of "regular breathing." Do six
to nine rounds. Your may either lengthen or shorten the number of
counts according to what is comfortable, but keep the inhalation,
retention and exhalation equal.
4. Concentrate
Your Awareness. Concentrate at the point between the eyebrows
and dismiss all thoughts from the mind. Don't think about the past,
or worry about the future, but be completely centered in the here
and now. As you begin your meditation, you will find it helpful
to take a moment to consciously decide to leave all preoccupations
behind. If you find that your mind stills wanders, gently bring
it back to the point of concentration. Try to deepen your meditation
until you become completely absorbed. Meditate with energy and enthusiasm,
but stay focused and relaxed.
5. Meditation
Techniques. Start with the Hong-Sau technique for five to ten
minutes. Then you can practice one or more of the following techniques:
a.
Chant Silently. Chants are usually simple prayers such as, "I
want only Thee Lord, Thee, only Thee," set to music. Chanting
is very important because, as well as providing a point of focus
for the mind, it helps open the heart and develop devotion. As your
chanting becomes more internalized, try to "get behind"
the words, and silently, non-verbally, express the vibration of
the chant. Paramhansa Yogananda often said, "Chanting is half
the battle."
b.
Repeat a Mantra. A mantra is a spiritualized word formula, often
in Sanskrit. Mantras are normally chosen because of the inherent
power in the sound of the words themselves as much as for their
meaning. In both chanting and repeating a mantra you should try
to concentrate totally on it, excluding all other thoughts from
the mind and letting it carry you into a state of complete stillness.
c.
Do a Visualization Exercise. One of the best practices is to
try to clearly visualize the eyes of a master. You may want to start
by looking at a photo or painting of a master who inspires you.
Then close your eyes and try to see his or her image at the point
between the eyebrows. As you visualize more and more clearly, try
to commune with the consciousness behind the eyes. The eyes are
the "windows of the soul," and the eyes of a self-realized
master will help attune you to cosmic consciousness.
d.
Call to God with Deep Devotion. Call to God in the simple language
of your own heart, and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Let His
light enter into you and transform you in whatever way He knows
will be for your highest good. The best time to pray for yourself
or others is when your mind is calm and your heart is pure. By praying
for the world or for the welfare of others, you will inevitably
be moving toward the goal of meditation: an expansion of your consciousness.
6. Enjoy
the Results. Do only one or two techniques during a single sitting.
The goal is to dive deep and become absorbed in the meditation experience.
Don't fill your whole meditation time with techniques. It is very
important to simply sit and enjoy the silence, or love, or joy that
has been awakened through the practice of the techniques.
7. Concentrate
Deeply on What You Are Experiencing. Try, through deep receptivity,
to increase and expand the experience. If, for instance, you are
experiencing a feeling of love, let your love continue to expand
until it embraces the whole world and every person and living thing
in it. Continue to expand beyond the personal, giving and receiving
love, until you feel that you are floating in the universal ocean
of love which sustains the universe.
8. Feel God's
Response. Spend the last few minutes of your meditation trying
to feel God's response in your heart. After the more active first
phase of a meditation we should become receptive, since meditation
is meant to be a dialogue with the Infinite. If we listen sensitively
His response will come. We receive, not through the senses nor through
the mind, but through intuition. The heart area is the center of
intuition and it is important to end our meditation by concentrating
here.
9. Transition.
As you leave your meditation try to hold on to the feeling of peace
and joy for as long as possible by bringing your meditative consciousness
into your daily routine. If you will learn to do this, you will
transform the quality of your life. You may want to take short mediation
breaks during the day to recontact your inner center.
From How
to Meditate, by Jyotish Novak, Crystal Clarity Publishers,
1989
More on the
Art and Practice of Meditation:
• Be
Still and Know: The Importance of Meditation
• Practical
Hints for Meditation
• How to Sit Comfortably
• Creating a Routine: Steps to Deep Meditation
• Meditation Keys
for Beginners
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