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Meditation Made Simple

Balboa Press

Contents

Acknowledgements......................................................viiForeword by Chrissie Astell...........................................xiiiPreface...............................................................xviiIntroduction..........................................................1What Meditation Is....................................................6And What Meditation Is Not............................................8Why Meditate?.........................................................9Why Free Your Mind?...................................................11How Will Meditation Affect Me?........................................12Anyone Can Meditate...................................................13Top Tips To Get You Started...........................................14Meditations To Try Alone..............................................181. Counting The Breath................................................202. Flickering Flame...................................................243. Transform Negative Emotions Into Positive Ones.....................284. Meditating On A Word or Phrase.....................................345. Meditating On An Image or View.....................................386. Mindful Eating.....................................................42Guided Meditations....................................................46PART THREE – Continuing Your Practise...........................53Recording Your Findings...............................................56A Final Word..........................................................58My Meditation Record..................................................59About The Author......................................................64Other Material by Jo Barnard..........................................65Jo's Other Offerings..................................................66The Complete Meditation Experience....................................67Recommended Resources.................................................68

Chapter One

Useful Information

What Meditation Is ...

Meditation is the process of turning our attention away from the busy, wandering mind (thus releasing ourselves from negative thought patterns and emotions) in order to be who we truly are in the present moment. This can be achieved by focusing our minds either on something specific, or by consciously following our train of thoughts objectively.

To lose ourselves in something creative like painting, sewing or writing is an effective form of meditation as it switches off the chattering mind and focuses us on one thing only – the job in hand.

And for those of you who enjoy gardening, perhaps you'll agree that weeding the garden, whilst a seemingly mundane task, can be highly therapeutic for the soul. A bit of mind-numbing can really help!

Often we enter a meditative state without even realising; gazing dreamily out of a window perhaps, or going into a daze. By doing this, we are unconsciously giving our thinking mind a much needed break.

The goal of meditation is tto train your mind to work in your best interest; as a great ally, rather than a destructive force.

Training the mind to think peaceful thoughts ...

We may find that reading a book, or watching tv before we go to sleep at night, helps to shut off the thinking mind.

Although these methods can serve a purpose to an extent, their content, if not peaceful, can also have a detrimental effect if unpleasant emotions are stirred. This may result in disturbed, stressful sleep, and therefore, in us waking up feeling more tired than when we went to bed!

It is therefore so important to be conscious of what type of information or stories we are feeding our minds with, and when. If we want a peaceful night's sleep, we must encourage our minds to think peaceful thoughts.

Rarely do I choose to watch the news before I go to bed these days, as the stories covered are often pretty harrowing.

Although I like to keep up to date with what's going on in the world, I prefer to catch the morning summary instead, and read something positive or loving before I go to sleep at night.

... And What Meditation Is Not ...

To dispel a few myths ...

Meditation itself is not solely connected to Eastern religions (although it is practised more widely in the East than in the West). Regardless of religion, culture or personal beliefs, meditation can be practiced by anyone.

Meditation is not necessarily about being holy or connecting to the Divine. You needn't be religious in order to practise – we can all gain from the vast array of benefits.

You do not need to be able to sit in the lotus position in order to meditate effectively. No special sitting postures are necessary. Sitting on a cushion or chair with your back straight, or lying down, is perfectly adequate.

Why Meditate?

There are so many beneficial reasons to bring meditation into our lives. The examples below are ones that I have experienced, either personally, or through my work as a therapist and teacher, and so I feel confident to share them with you. I'm sure there are numerous other benefits too – ones which I look forward to discovering and sharing with you at a later date!

• Meditation has the potential to help you create a better life for yourself.

• It can increase energy levels and also your enjoyment for life.

• Simply meditating on your breath can lower your blood pressure, slow down your heart rate, and decrease anxiety levels.

• Regular meditation can help with pain management, it can heal illness, and it can prevent illness from occurring.

• Meditation sharpens your mind and brings about greater powers of concentration and focus.

• Meditation can help you to balance your emotions. Some meditations can help you transform negative emotions into positive ones. This is very powerful.

• If you feel caught up in materialist matters, meditation can help you to understand the true meaning of your destiny – why you are here - your soul's purpose.

• Meditation provides you with an opportunity to check in with yourself, and make sure you're on track with where you want to be going.

• It encourages your natural intuitive wisdom to come forth and become clear.

• From this useful insight, you can draw your own answers to your problems and dilemmas, without the need to seek the opinions of others (which may not necessarily be right for you).

Why Free Your Mind?

Of course we need our minds in order to carry out tasks and get jobs done, but we need to understand that the mind is simply a tool that can be picked up and used when needed, and then put down again. Putting it down allows us to be who we truly are, in the present moment. And realising this can be very powerful indeed.

Carrying too much in our minds, and not switching our thoughts off, can lead to high stress levels, which often results in ill health and/or insomnia. Stress is usually caused by us allowing our negative emotions, such as anxiety or anger, to take over us and become all-encompassing.

A useful point to keep in mind, is that those negative thoughts and feelings are related to either past events, or future worries. None of those things are happening now – the past is gone and tomorrow never comes. The only thing that is ever real is the present moment – the now. To meditate is to be in the present. And when we are totally in the present, we can experience an amazing sense of peace and liberation.

Eckhart Tolle's wonderful book, `The Power of Now', talks about this point at length. It is truly inspirational and well worth reading.

How Will Meditation Affect Me?

To begin with, you may feel frustrated, as the process will probably feel un-natural to you, and possibly somewhat of a chore. It is very easy to give up, thinking that you can't do it and that you've failed.

"Am I doing it right?", "This is really boring", "I haven't got time for this", are all thoughts that I struggled with at the beginning (and occasionally still do now!).

But the realisation that such thoughts come from giving too much power to the mind, gives us all the more reason to persevere and learn to train it effectively! And it does get easier - I promise. In fact, once you've experienced the incredible benefits, you won't want to stop!

It's important to note that various things can surface during a meditation, and we can choose to either look at those things head-on, or bury them back down to deal with at a later date. For this reason, it is possible to feel quite emotional during a meditation.

Please don't be alarmed or let this deter you from your practise. It's all good stuff!! Generally, a meditation session is a very peaceful, balancing and enjoyable experience.

Anyone Can Meditate

Many people who try meditation find it difficult, and quickly conclude that it's not for them.

"I can't meditate, it's just too difficult" "I can't get these thoughts out of my head" "I can't sit still for long enough"

These are comments that I've heard so many times along the way, but please don't give up.

Rest assured that you can and will learn to meditate if you want to – we just need to find a way that works for you. Your intention and commitment to practise, teamed with an effective method for you, is a concrete recipe for success.

Some people, for example, are very visual, and tend to respond well to guided meditations, like the ones on the you-time website. Other people, however, may prefer a different technique – something more structured perhaps.

We will shortly begin to explore a handful of basic meditation techniques to find which works best for you. But before we begin, I'd like to share a few useful tips with you to help make the process a little easier ...

Top Tips To Get You Started ...

• Meditate regularly – daily if possible. Find a time of day that suits you and stick to the same time every day so that it becomes a habit. Don't beat yourself up if you find this difficult. If you miss a day, forgive yourself and make the intention to go back to it tomorrow. There's no set deadline here.

• The numerous benefits of meditation will accumulate gradually, so please be patient. Don't forget that "Rome wasn't built in a day"! Little and often is better than not at all. Be gentle with yourself.

• It's easier to meditate on an empty stomach, as foods stimulate the mind and make the process more difficult. First thing in the morning and last thing at night may work well for you for this reason.

• Create a nice, peaceful space to carry out your practice and ensure you won't be disturbed. You may wish to light candles, burn oils or incense, and have a shawl or blanket especially for your meditation.

• Wear loose, comfortable clothing and make sure your feet are warm and cosy.

• Have a good stretch before you start. This will help to relax the body.

• Set the intention to receive whatever it is that you currently need from this meditation session.

• Keep your mind and your heart open to whatever arises during your meditation.

• Always breathe from the abdomen (stomach area) rather than the chest. This depth of breath in itself is very healing.

• At the end of each meditation, spend a few moments appreciating the experience.

Chapter Two

Let's Get Started

Simple Meditation Techniques To Try Alone

Guided meditations are wonderful, as they allow someone else to take you to a different place in your mind.

It is, however, perfectly possible to find that space without assistance from anyone other than yourself. In fact, many people prefer to meditate alone.

There are so many different techniques to try, and it is important to discover which ones best suit you. Some people, for example, prefer to meditate with their eyes closed, while others like to focus on something with their eyes open.

In the pages that follow, you will find a handful of basic techniques to get you started. Once you have found your preferred method/s, you can add in new elements to mix things up a little. The list of possibilities with meditation is endless ...

As we go along, it is useful to make notes of your findings. What did you experience? How did you feel? Did you like this method?

To enhance the experience further, you could play some gentle music softly in the background.

For each of these exercises, I suggest setting aside at least 30 minutes to carry out the meditation, appreciate the experience, and document your findings in the pages that follow.

Please remember to work at your own pace. There's no time limit, and it's important to experience each technique fully before moving on to the next one.

Meditation 1

Counting The Breath

Sit comfortably with your back straight. Relax your shoulders so that they are level, and rest your hands gently on your knees.

Lower your eyes and focus about a metre in front of you, or close your eyes if you prefer.

Breathe normally through your nose, allowing your abdomen rather than your chest to rise and fall with every breath.

Relax any part of you that is tense.

Begin counting your breath on each exhalation, and when you reach ten, begin again, counting from one to ten on the out-breath, and so on.

Whenever a thought intervenes, simply acknowledge it, let it go, and return to counting your breath.

After ten minutes or so, end your session and spend a few moments appreciating your experience.

Top Tip –

If you like this method, you can use it anywhere at any time.

If you go for a walk or a run, try counting each step. This enhances your connection with the solid earth beneath you, helping you to feel grounded. Great if you're feeling stressed, emotional or overwhelmed.

So ... how did you find counting the breath? Use these pages to record your findings ...

Date of meditation:

How I felt before the meditation:

How I felt during the meditation:

How I felt after the meditation:

Date of meditation:

How I felt before the meditation:

How I felt during the meditation:

How I felt after the meditation:

Date of meditation:

How I felt before the meditation:

How I felt during the meditation:

How I felt after the meditation:

Date of meditation:

How I felt before the meditation:

How I felt during the meditation:

How I felt after the meditation:

Notes:

Meditation 2

Flickering Flame

You will need to light a candle for this one (unless you happen to have an open fire on the go!).

Dim the lights and sit a few feet from your candle, ensuring a clear view of the flame.

Keep your eyes focused on the candle flame throughout the meditation.

As you breathe in, imagine its pure white healing light filling your body.

As you breathe out, imagine that any negative thoughts or feelings are leaving you in the form of black smoke.

After ten minutes or so, end your session and spend a few moments appreciating your experience.

Please note that your eyes may take a few minutes to re-adjust again.

Top Tip –

If this method works for you, you can choose to focus on other moving objects too, such as:-

- the flames from an open fire

- fish swimming around in a fish tank

- trees or long grass swaying in the breeze

- the tide coming in an out

The list really is endless. Just find something that works well for you.

So ... how did you find the flickering flame? Use these pages to record your findings ...

Date of meditation:

How I felt before the meditation:

How I felt during the meditation:

How I felt after the meditation:

Date of meditation:

How I felt before the meditation:

How I felt during the meditation:

How I felt after the meditation:

Date of meditation:

How I felt before the meditation:

How I felt during the meditation:

How I felt after the meditation:

Date of meditation:

How I felt before the meditation:

How I felt during the meditation:

How I felt after the meditation:

Notes:

Meditation 3

Transform Negative Emotions Into Positive Ones

Sit comfortably with your back straight, resting your hands comfortably in your lap.

Think of a negative feeling you'd like to transform e.g. anger, fear, resentment etc.

Then think of something positive you'd like to replace it with e.g. love, trust, or understanding. In other words, the opposite emotion.

Take a few deep breaths, breathing from the abdomen rather than the chest.

As you exhale, breathe out your negative emotion, blowing it away.

As you inhale, breathe the positive emotion right into your core, and allow it to stay.

Continue this process until your negativity lessens.

Sit quietly and enjoy focusing on the positive feelings for five minutes or so.

Spend a few moments giving thanks for what you have experienced.

Top Tip –

Remember that our life is what our thoughts make it, so transforming your negative thoughts and feelings into positive ones will help you to move forward in an optimistic, constructive and loving way.

To take this exercise one step further; as your negative feelings lessen, begin to focus purely on the positive emotion; breathing it in, and then blowing it out to all other living beings.

So ... how did you find negative into positive? Use these pages to record your findings ...

Date of meditation:

How I felt before the meditation:

How I felt during the meditation:

How I felt after the meditation:

Date of meditation:

How I felt before the meditation:

How I felt during the meditation:

How I felt after the meditation:

Date of meditation:

How I felt before the meditation:

How I felt during the meditation:

How I felt after the meditation:

Date of meditation:

How I felt before the meditation:

How I felt during the meditation:

How I felt after the meditation:

Notes:

Meditation 4

Meditating On A Word Or Phrase

Find a word or phrase that resonates with you. It could be taken from a song or poem perhaps, or from a conversation you've heard or shared maybe. If you like to work with spiritual cards for example, then you could draw a card and meditate on its message. Or maybe you've been inspired by a positive affirmation or quotation.

Sit comfortably and quietly, with your word or phrase either in your mind, or in front of you.

Breathe slowly, and welcome in the meaning and the message of your chosen word/s. Allow the true meaning to touch your heart. Feel it fully.

Acknowledge any thoughts, feelings or images that may emerge.

Continue with your contemplation for ten minutes, giving thanks for any messages or enlightenment that you have received during the process.

Top Tip –

Words are all around us every day. Meditating on a simple word or phrase can be incredibly powerful.

When you listen to music, pay close attention to what is being said. Open your eyes, ears and heart to words. (Continues...)

Excerpted from Meditation Made Simpleby Jo Barnard Copyright © 2012 by Jo Barnard. Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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