Tips For Meditation
Throughout my years of meditation and mindfulness training, I have picked up some important tidbits that help me get the most out of each time that I sit. Some of these pointers have come from 40-year monks that I have lived with during my time an ashram. Some have come from books and lessons I have read written by yogis, monks, saints and sages. Lastly, some have come from my own practice, which were found through trial and error. Here is the second tip… I hope it helps with your practice!
When I sit… I remind myself why I am doing it in the first place. I remind myself that I am there to go deep within my mindfulness training and to explore the untouched vistas of my consciousness. I am NOT there to count sheep, think about yesterday or tomorrow, or to race through another meditation just to check it off my “to-do” list.
A little story that fires me up/ always makes me giggle is one of a woman that I used to meditate with while I was in college. She was many years older than myself and had been meditating for several years. At the beginning of our weekly four-hour meditation, she, two other women of about her age, and myself would begin with a chant to focus our minds and set a good intention for the meditation. The chant was an affirmation of the soul’s infinite power over the mind. Without fail, she would stand up and begin marching to the chant to fire herself up and pave the way for a good meditation. It was both inspiring and hilarious, and always helped me engage myself more as the meditation began.
Meditation should never become an obligation, but should be taken seriously. Seriously in the sense that you know how amazing it is for you and how fun exploring the untapped vistas of your consciousness is. The more intentional and focused you enter into meditation, the more you will get out of it.
If you do find that you are simply doing it to do it, stop and reflect on your purpose. Meditation is not about impressing someone else, it’s not about thinking for 20 minutes, and it’s definitely not about trying to sit still without any real focus. It is a practice of diving deep within yourself to uncover who and what you are on the deepest level possible… doesn’t that sound like a worthwhile adventure?!
This blog is the second in a series where I give tips that I have gained from my time meditating throughout the years. Check out the next blog in this series here.
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