What ? Me?

Are you sure?

Let’s check if this is for you…………

Are you interested in being:

a)Happier?

b)Less anxious or stressed?

c)More relaxed?

d) Healthier?

If you answered “Yes” to any of the above questions then this article is definitely what you need.

Firstly let’s try a little visualisation:

If I say the word ‘bus’ do you visualise a large vehicle with four wheels?

Correct answer.

If I say ‘sun’ do you imagine a large bright golden sphere in the sky?

Correct answer.

If I say ‘meditation’ do you imagine a group of hippies in the sixties, sitting cross-legged, humming and chanting?

No points this time!

Not that there’s anything wrong with being a sixties hippy, humming or chanting, but meditators come in all guises,we just have to alter our preconceptions until they include us!

Young, old, men, women, in business suits or jeans, bankers to builders, all are becoming happier and healthier.

Healthier, because meditation has proven health benefits such as lowered blood pressure,decreased anxiety and depression, improved resistance to pain, improved mental health.

Happier, because meditation is a cause of happiness, it helps us overcome our inner problems such as anger, impatience, greed, jealousy and it functions to improve our inner peace which means we naturally experience happier minds.

There are lots of ways to meditate:

Generally we think of meditation as taking place sitting quietly on a cushion or chair, and often this is a good way to gain deeper experiences.

However, as meditation can also involve analysing or ‘contemplating’ a subject before we focus on our conclusion, (known as ‘placement meditation’), it’s easy to see how we can contemplate anywhere, as we take our mind with us everywhere we go; on the bus, to the beach, in the garden, shopping or cleaning. Anytime we contemplate an appropriate ‘object’ or idea e.g. love, compassion, cherishing others, patience, overcoming anger and so on we are beginning to positively transform our mind and our life.

Seated meditation can be as simple as following our own breath (see here for more details) or may focus on techniques for gradually transforming our minds from negative painful states into positive happy states.

Meditation can be a lifesaver (or mind saver!).

When you are experiencing turbulent times or going through life crises, even a simple breathing meditation can provide a peaceful haven allowing you to take a break, clear your mind, tune-in to your inner wisdom and approach your problems from a less painful, more objective viewpoint.

The more familiar you become with the practise of meditation the easier it will become to use it as a reliable friend and problem-solver during times of stress.

Everybody can meditate, even those who argue: ‘I’m just too distracted’, find that a even a small decrease in the amount of mental chattering they experience, for a couple of minutes during the meditation session, can leave them feeling more relaxed and calm afterwards.

The key is not to try to fight our distracting thoughts, the more we go head-to-head into battle with them and the more energy we give them, the harder they are to ignore. Gently let go of any thoughts you find yourself following and bring your attention gently back to your breath. Meditation is a gentle, calm process, it’s not about being tough on yourself and becoming tight and tense. We can all be distracted and we can all learn to gently let go of our thoughts, just like wisps of clouds floating away in the sky.

Once you become familiar with this basic meditation, you will be able to use it either as a ‘stand-alone’ practise or as a preliminary to calm your mind before engaging in a more transformative meditation aimed specifically at improving your better qualities and diminishing your poor mental habits. This is when we will really experience even better results; happy mind, happy body, happy life.

More information coming soon…………

More info coming soon or check out this page or this book for more details on further meditations.