Meditation. Being present and letting go
August 23, 2009 by Symbolic Living
Filed under Articles and Commentaries, Inspiration and Wellness
Practicing Meditation for Peacefulness
There are many different styles of meditation. The following is a good foundation for general practice. It is a basic meditation for self awareness and being present.
Meditation is a practice because it takes a few sessions to get the rambling thoughts in our mind to calm down as we progress.
Starting to meditate is easy when you make time for it. To meditate only requires a few moments of your time. Only 5 to 10 minutes are needed to begin practicing.
Don’t have time for 5 to 10 minutes? Choosing to find time is possible with intention.
Getting Started
Set aside a time to practice and clear away a space for you to sit calmly without distractions. Turn off the television, turned down the telephone, turn off the stereo.
Start by sitting on a comfortable cushion, a pillow, or whatever you have nearby to create a comfortable sitting arrangement. It is recommended not to lie down, as you may drift off to sleep. Sitting upright provides you with the need to be attentive.
You may want to place a mat or blanket below you as well to provide comfort for your legs.
In the seated position you may cross your legs for a standard posture. Imagine a string from the base of your spine out the top of your head is pulling you in an upright posture to prevent slouching. However, do not force the position. Do not be militant about your posture, feel supported and comfortable, allowing your shoulders to rest.
Rest your palms face down on your thighs, not your knees, so your arms are comfortably at your side.
Pick a spot about 5 or 6 feet in front of you on the floor, so your eyes gaze slightly opened in a downward direction while keeping your head straight ahead. Do not get fixated on a spot, as this is forceful and requires the mind. Be gentle with yourself. Allow your eyes to gaze seeing the whole space, being fully present.
Keep your mouth open slightly so that your teeth are not clenched. Allow suppleness in the face. Feel relaxed.
You may breathe naturally through your nose or mouth or both, whichever comes most naturally to you. Do not force the breath, just let it flow.
Notice your physical body and surroundings. Bring your attention through your body from your feet, up your legs, into your abdomen, into your arms, face, head, be present with your whole body. Take it slow without rushing. Now that you’re focused on how you feel in your body, let it go, just be.
Sit here for a few moments focusing on your breathing, with focus on the outward breath with each natural cycle.
When you notice your mind thinking on various subjects, return to the breath. Saying something like “let it go” when you catch your mind chattering can be helpful to break the cycle of thoughts and return back to the breath. Of course, “let it go” are words and thus thinking, but it is a good step to focus your thinking rather than have it wander off into a lot of random subjects. You may need to say it a lot, like a mantra, if you notice your mind wandering frequently. Choose something that is a positive mantra for you to stay focused and attentive to the moment.
Do this for a few minutes, gently without judgment. Do not put labels on any of the experiences you are having or the thoughts you are having. Be at peace with them and let them pass like clouds, dissolving away whenever you realize you are getting caught up in them. Do not worry, do not try to be perfect, enjoy the process and be easy on yourself. Feel yourself at peace, content, aware, and loving who you are, right now in this moment.
Important points of beginning practice and awareness.
The Word Meditation actually meant ‘frequent’ in latin. This points to the importance of practice. Regular, frequent meditation is an important part of the process of letting go and gives you more opportunities to treat yourself to “You Time“. Detaching ourselves from thoughts does take time because our minds are so used to being absorbed into our thoughts unconsciously, suddenly realizing we have wandered off once again with our thoughts leading the way.
There is no goal in meditation, having expectations is only a distraction. You should have no preconceived notions of your meditation experience. Remember meditating is about letting go, and that letting go also means letting go of your ideas of what should and should not happen. Just simply be who you are in the moment, chattering thoughts and all without judgment. If that’s who you are right now, accept it, experience it, become aware of it.
When we be kind to ourselves and allow ourselves to observe the moment that is enough. Do not wish for a mystical experience. Do not ‘try’ to experience something profound. This is precisely what your chattering, desiring mind would want. Remember to let all that go. The real magic is living right now.
Meditation teaches us to enjoy the journey rather than living for the future goal or expectation. When beginning the journey of meditation you may feel that meditating is actually making your mind wander and chatter more than it does regularly. However, it really isn’t, you are really just becoming aware of how much your mind actually does race. You’re not alone, it happens to all of us. Observe this rather than labeling it. In these early stages of meditative practice you may notice you can not help from following these thoughts with much frustration. This shows us how little control we have over our mind including our thoughts and emotions when we are living without self discipline. When thoughts are out of control it may also be a reflection of how our lives may be out of control.
Stumbling through the clouds. Breathing in the mist.
When you stumble, pick yourself back up gently and lovingly. Don’t replay in your mind what you’ve done, that you’ve got lost in thoughts. ‘Success‘ occurs when you let go of the desire for success. You’ll notice you’ll have moments of emptiness, and likely many more moments of chattering. It’s ok. It’s all part of the process towards self awareness.
When the thoughts wander just observe them as clouds passing by, without getting attached to them. Thoughts really can be as unpredictable as weather patterns. Meteorologists can study the weather for years with sophisticated equipment and computer analysis, and still not know what’s happening outside their own window until it’s happening before their eyes.
The best way to come back to the silence is through the breath. The breath represents our connection to our bodies, the outer world and the life force that runs through us. Our breath is both under unconscious and conscious control just as our thoughts are. By working with the breath we realize our ability to be conscious of our interaction with the external world rather than being directed mindlessly. Focusing the mind on each breath offers a connection to the moment. Feel the breath, be present with it.
Take time for yourself whenever you have an opportunity.
It’s a busy world out there, and a busy world in our minds.
By meditating frequently, every day if you can, you will likely notice it becoming an essential part of feeling connected and grounded. When you connect with this deeper, inner self you will eventually awaken to seeing the external world in a different light and your connection to others will be brighter because you are becoming lighter within.
What could be more important than taking time for your self? Letting go of stress and connecting with your true self, the inner witness, is necessary for a more peaceful inner and outer world. Everyone in your life will benefit from you getting to know yourself better. When you become more of who you are, you have more of yourself to offer.
“We could say that meditation doesn’t have a reason or doesn’t have a purpose. In this respect it’s unlike almost all other things we do except perhaps making music and dancing. When we make music we don’t do it in order to reach a certain point, such as the end of the composition. If that were the purpose of music then obviously the fastest players would be the best. Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point. And exactly the same thing is true in meditation. Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment.”- Alan Watts
This article has been inspired by my own personal experiences and from years of interest in the subject. One notable author that I greatly enjoy is Eckhart Tolle. I recommend his book “The Power of Now” for anyone interested in reading more on getting in the moment and living in the present.
