Meditation is fast on the rise. It’s being integrated into churches, schools, and every day life. It’s being taught to our children and those that are in recovery from addictions. It’s an awakening to power and bliss.
Meditation is an ancient spiritual practice that has records of origin beginning in India around the time of 1500 BCE (or BC). The practice was also being followed almost simultaneously in Taoist China around 6th to 5th century BCE. There is seemingly some difference of opinion on accuracy of these origins, but these dates are a general outline. Those, such as Buddhists, that trust in the technique and its principles, strongly, fear that it may be misunderstood or misguided in today’s time. Fortunately a vast number are grasping the true meaning and sharing it across the globe.
I remember lying with my dad in the living room as a little girl and he was playing classical music and shooting straight up, I said, “I want to meditate. I need to mediate.” Too funny that a child under 10 felt the urge to do that. It stayed with me since. It was taught to us in our church while growing up as well. I didn’t practice it until much later in life and recently. A follower of Paramahansa Yogananda (whose teachings were passed along to me by family) I learned the guidelines and means to get centered. There are also other sources such as Gabby Bernstein, that I learned on how to use the only few minutes I might have in a day, for meditation.
Take your most stressful event of the day. Whether it happens at the start of your day or at the end of it, imagine if you can, the amount of energy that event has and how much that energy is covering you. Weather it’s the children refusing to listen to you or someone that has hurt you, we have these things constantly occurring. We can’t escape that. It’s full of toxins and grime that stick to you. It sticks to your heart. So you end up carrying the energy of others with you and in turn treat ourselves or someone else, just as you feel, grimy. Even though we might allow for these daily situations to affect us, we still have the control and power to not let it, not let it stay with us, and how to react when it happens.
Starting your morning or ending your night with a meditation session can help relieve so many of the pressures. As I mentioned above, if your day is crazy to the brim then that’s ok. Getting into a meditative state can be reached by playing calming music in your home while getting ready for work, on the way to work, or at the desk. If you take public transportation in your city, put your earbuds in and zone it all out with classical pieces and reading a good book. Another method is exercise. Yes, any type of workout be it running, Pilates, or lifting weights, is an absolute form of meditation. The trick is to separate your mind from your environment while working out. So envision your body immersed in a calming light in the middle of your class or the gym. Keeping that image in your head helps you sustain that connection.
Here are a few tips from the ever loved, Paramahansa Yogananda. For his detailed instructions you can follow the link below.
- Drawing the breath in slowly through the nose, hold the breath as you tense your body and clinch your fists.
- Release the breath slowly throughout out the mouth, make a loud double exhale sound, and simultaneously release the tension in your body.
- Repeat this three times, on the last time without holding tension.
- Focus on the “Center of Calm” between the brows, breathing normally.
- Envision waves of calm circling and encompassing you.
- Keep in meditative state for at least 15 minutes, working yourself up to 30 minutes as you progress over time.
From the moment you open your eyes in the morning try your best to get into the zone of peace. That way you can carry this vibration with you all day. It’ll help you stay mindful of what you’re wanting to achieve and keep you protected from so much that happens externally in the world. Not to mention, you’ll perhaps begin to notice a nice glow about yourself. That is the power of bliss.
~M
*Sources: Origins of Meditation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_meditation; Paramahansa Yogananda: http://www.yogananda-srf.org/Learn_to_Meditate.aspx#.Ved3m7R-9mA; Gabby Bernstein: http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/health/advice/a2335/busy-girls-guide-to-meditation/