Before I begin, I would like to point out a couple of things very clearly… one is that I make no claim to know everything there is to know about meditation. I simply pass along what I have been taught and what I have experienced. Second, there is nothing wrong with meditation. I was shocked recently when someone stated that they wouldn’t dare meditate because, in their words, “meditation is a tool of the Devil” and therefore a “sin”. I must admit I was flabbergasted. I understand that this person was most likely simply parroting the words of some minister, but it is sheer nonsense. There is nothing “evil” whatsoever about meditation no matter your religion. I guess that person and their minister have never read Psalms, particularly Psalms 1:2 which states, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
That said, I use meditation every single day. Multiple times and different methods. I use walking meditation, tai chi and sitting meditation. In this post I will describe a meditation you can use sitting in your chair or even laying down. I won’t get into the zazen posture in this post but will save it for later. However, this meditation is based on zazen. It uses the breath as a focus point to calm and still the mind. I realize that Dogen, the Soto Zen founder advocated a meditation that is “non-concentration” oriented, but here we will use the breath as a concentration point.
For this meditation, simply sit or lay comfortably and close your eyes. Don’t try to manipulate the breath, just focus on it and nothing else. Don’t have a “goal” in mind for meditation, just meditate. Just focus on the breath. Count each exhalation to ten and then start back at one. For example, inhale, exhale and silently count “one”, on the next exhalation silently count “two” and so on until you reach ten. Then start back at one. Don’t be discouraged if, especially you are a beginner, you find that your mind constantly wanders. Don’t become irritated, just simply return your focus back to your breath every time your mind wanders. It’s important not to become frustrated and it’s important not to expect something or have a goal when meditating because that simply interferes with the meditation. Just keep your mind on your breath and counting the exhalations and return your mind there each time it wanders. Be aware that it is very easy to fall asleep when doing this meditation, particularly if you are laying down. This is where the zazen posture comes in particularly useful to keep you awake but for now we are just going to concentrate on the breath.
It can be helpful when you are just beginning to set a time limit, have something that will make a sound (but not too loud) like a timer after so many minutes. If you find it particularly difficult to concentrate then try for 5 minutes at first, then ten and gradually work your way up. The timer can be especially useful when beginning because if you set a time limit you aren’t always looking at a clock and so disturbing the whole process. Also if you find yourself wondering if the time limit is about to expire, just bring your mind back to your breath. The timer won’t go off any sooner or later by you breaking your meditation to check the time.
Eventually you will be able to keep your concentration and focus for longer and longer periods of time, but don’t expect this at first. In fact, it’s important not to expect anything. Just meditate. Just focus on your breath, silently counting the exhalations to ten and starting again at one. When you settle in to this, you will find that your mind becomes easier and easier to calm the more you meditate. You will find that you no longer need a timer. Just like the body needs proper attention, so does the mind. The two have a profound affect on one another.
There are also chanting meditations, where you chant and focus on something important to you. Many times, instead of focusing on my breath I chant “Amituofo” aloud or silently. This brings a lot of peace to my mind and my whole being, as would probably be the case with a Christian focusing on and contemplating God’s love and mercy, or whatever is precious to anyone who is religious according to their own faith.
I hope this is of some use. In following posts I will describe different meditations from the actual practice of zazen to walking meditation and also tai chi.
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