I've been meditating a long time and, trust me, I've been there. I know what it's like to sit quietly, almost begrudgingly, while I'm fighting with my mind to give me access to my spirit while my body fights back with an unrelenting itch above my eyebrow.
I know.
But it doesn't have to be that way! Actually, meditation doesn't have to be any way, really. Did you know there a multitude of different types of meditation? Did you know that you can even (GASP) make up your own? Well, you can! And you probably should, especially if you don't have time for a class, a teacher or even an instructional video.
The basic idea behind meditation is stillness. It is a path to something deeper within you. It is a journey into the space in between your thoughts, into the bottom of the basin.
What do I mean by "basin?" I'm referring to a line in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston:
There is a basin in the mind where words float around on thought
and thought on sound and sight.
Then there is a depth of thought untouched by words,
And, deeper still, a gulf of formless feeling untouched by thought.
Meditation is a path to that "gulf of formless feeling," those depths of your mind which rest within your soul beyond sight and sound, thoughts and words. It is in this space you find true relaxation, peace and your connection to the Divine.
How you get there is up to you.
For beginners, I strongly suggest guided meditations. Purchase a CD or DVD that you can listen to and give yourself over to so the task at hand is just to meditate. Guided meditations take away the how. The worry and preoccupation of whether or not you're doing it right can be dismissed once you give yourself over to the person's voice who is guiding you. Make sure to choose ones in which the narrator's voice DOESN'T annoy you, because that could be maddening. Trust me. I know that experience very well, also.
As another option of meditation for beginners, I'd suggest trying a moving meditation. Again, you can make this one up on your own. Choose a movement, like a tai chi, qi gong, or hatha yoga movement, that you can do in repetition without having to think about it. It can even be as simple as sweeping the floor. Just make sure you can do the action without actually engaging your mind, and with your eyes closed, safely of course.
Repeat the motion slowly, with your eyes closed, putting your attention on your breath and every small move your muscles make. Notice how your feet touch the floor and how your shoulders feel. Notice the back of your neck and release the tension in between your eyes. Do a scan throughout your whole body as you move, and keeping your attention on your body and your breath.
For those of you that have trouble with sitting meditations, the moving meditations are wonderful. Once you find stillness in the moving meditations, you may be able to return to sitting still (or lying down). One of the things I've found in myself, and many others I've taught meditation to, is that the busyness of your mind can communicate itself into your body as pain when you're trying to sit still. Calming your mind may actually help calm your body, and thereby alleviate some of the pain or unease you experience when you try sitting meditations.
And don't forget, if you're not doing a guided meditation, to use a mantra. Mantras are words or sounds that instill concentration in the mind. Obviously, meditation teachers all have their preferences. Some examples are: So-Hum, Ahh-So, or Ahh-Om, or any derivation of these. Basically, choose two sounds, one for the inhale and one for the exhale. Choose sounds that contain a vowel (as opposed to grrr or mmmmm) so that you can voice them with your breath as you meditate. You can say the sounds to yourself silently in your mind, if necessary, when meditating in a public, quiet place. Just make sure to choose sounds you're comfortable with saying out loud, if only in your own home, and stick with those consistently.
Now, add those sounds to your moving meditations, or when you're finally ready to sit still. For a meditation of physical stillness, make sure to find a comfortable position so you're not distracted. Most of all, make sure to return to your mantra even as thoughts move into and through your mind. Anchoring yourself with your mantra, and therefore to your breath, helps you release your thoughts as they enter, removing the frustration of trying to fight them off.
Most of all, relax. Yes, it may be harder than it sounds, but continue to remind yourself that THAT is one of your goals - relaxation. Let yourself go. Let the sound or the movement take you. Keep in mind that you want to get to the bottom of the basin, and for that you need stillness. With continued practice, practice YOU enjoy, I promise you will get there. Make it your own, and you'll get there more quickly than you thought possible!
Enjoy!
