MEDITATION Meditation is best described as a way of being. It’s like weaving a parachute. You don’t want to start weaving a parachute when you are about to jump out of the plane. You want to have been weaving the parachute morning, noon and night – day in and day out, so that when you need it, it will actually hold you. You have to carve out some time every day that’s your time for just being. Then when stressful situations come up, and you feel like doing more, you have a calmness, stability and insight. By Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD. Meditation is simple, natural and effective but it is a skill that needs to be learned and then well maintained. The following practical hints and recommendations will help you to establish a regular and effective pattern of meditation. 1. Find a position that is slightly uncomfortable. Sitting upright in a chair, feet flat on the floor, arms resting in your lap, or on the armrests, in the best position to start with. 2. Adopt a gentle, passive easy going state of mind. Be prepared to wait and see what happens. Do not worry about whether you are doing it right. Meditation is an individual and unique experience for everyone. Don’t try or make yourself be still; let it happen naturally. 3. Consciously let go of tension in your body. Follow the progressive muscle relaxation by tensing and then relaxing the muscle groups in your body. Initially this is a formal process but with time and practice you will release body tension automatically. 4. Allow your thoughts to drift in and out of consciousness like clouds drifting across a blue sky. Do not worry that you can’t stop thinking. Just observe the thoughts without getting involved in them – and if you do, don’t force them away. Return to the focus of your breath to help still your mind. The mind is not used to being still so accept that it will take practice before you feel you are ‘doing it right’. 5. Select a regular time each day in which to meditate. Establish it into your routine e.g. after showering in the morning, so that meditation becomes a natural ingredient in your day. It is best not to meditate after eating for at least 30 minutes. 6. Ensure you will not be interrupted. Take the phone off the hook and place a “DO NOT DISTURB” sign on the door. Choose a room that is quiet and create your own special place. Light a candle or place fresh flowers if this room if you like.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 07:00:00 +0000
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