Evolving Beings

One of the best ways to open up one’s channels to a higher state of being is through the process of meditation.

Meditation is an amazing exercise that can not only relax and calm the mind and spirit, but one that can also be used to connect with one’s spiritual guides, angels or simply higher self.

Aside from the spiritual, meditation has also been known to help heal the body from various physical ailments.

Some people embrace this activity and incorporate it as part of their daily life, while others resist the practice and may even be skeptical of its purpose and outcomes.

The most important thing perhaps about practicing meditation and enjoying its many benefits is to actually do it properly. In many ways it should be one of the easiest things for us as spiritual beings to do, and yet on the other hand, many people struggle with meditation due to all the noise of our physical world that sinks deep into our minds and clouds our spirit from coming through.

Hence in today’s article, I want to introduce you a little more to the ancient practice of meditation, explaining what it is and what it is not and touch upon some of the proper techniques in order to reap the rich benefits that meditation can offer us.

What is Meditation?

The quickest way to understand meditation is to see it as a tool for calming or emptying the mind.

Meditation is primarily a technique to free the mind from thoughts. This is one of the biggest reasons why many find meditation challenging as it truly requires you to stop doing something you have been doing since you can remember – thinking.

However, over time many cultures and peoples have expanded the definition of meditation greatly.

For some meditation is a practice of quiet contemplation, where the attention is focused inward, rather than outward. Some people may use meditation to contemplate a situation they are in, but if we feel our minds working and busy with thoughts, that is not quite what true meditation is all about.

Others see and use meditation as a way to transcend and connect solely with their spiritual selves and disconnect from the physical – leaving all thoughts completely behind. In deep meditative trances people have often accounted that they no longer felt their body and were connected to a higher vibration of being.

Meditation has originally stemmed from Eastern Spiritual traditions and is today widely accepted in one way or another by almost every culture. It has been in practice now for thousands of years and continues to transform people of the 21^st century as well.

What Meditation is NOT

Meditation cannot be forced. It is not a state of any kind of hypnosis, possession, intense relaxation, dream or daydream. Meditation is also not meant to be some kind of a manipulation of the mind, especially for getting things we want. In fact it is best at removing things from our lives that are not serving us.

Some people confuse meditation with visualization and that is also not what meditation is. In visualization your mind is active as you are thinking up visual images and working your way through scenarios. Although this too can be contemplative and calming, it does not have the same effects or benefits as true meditation.

However, visualization can be a good primer for starting meditation as it starts to put you in a calmer state of just being, which many people in our society have a hard time doing.

What Can I Expect From Meditation?

Spiritually

• Meditation can help us achieve a sense of inner peace and tranquility.
• It can balance out the being by bringing out more of the spiritual side of us that is largely muted in today’s society.
• People who regularly perform meditation are found to be sure about their purpose in life and understand it better.

Emotionally/Mentally

• Meditation is amazing at melting away stresses and concerns. However in order to reach this level efficiently, one usually has to practice meditation for some time.
• It can help balance out mood and self-esteem problems.
• Meditation can also decrease symptoms of depression, as it allows one to connect with themselves on a higher plane and transcend the drama and negativity of everyday life.
• People who practice meditation are also found to be calmer and more easy going as well.

Physically

• Meditation as mentioned above, first and foremost can reduce stress which is in many cases the precursor for many physical ailments.
• Due to its calming properties, meditation has also been found to reduce blood pressure, alleviate headaches and other general aches, decrease the heart rate and anxiety and boost the immune system.
• It has also been found to treat insomnia and fertility issues.

If done on a regular basis, it has the power to be a truly transformative experience in all 3 areas.

How to Perform Meditation

Many experts and books have come and gone on this topic and although there is no one right way of doing meditation, there is a “right” state to be in for the full benefits of meditation.

Most people will perform meditation in a rather quiet and comfortable area. There can be slight music in the background, but it should always be soothing, soft and not vocal. Soft tones and nature sounds work great, such as those from Hush for example, which is the music I often use to mediate on.

Meditation can be done outdoors in nature, but it should be in an equally calm, quiet and private place, not your neighborhood park as cars are whipping by.

In terms of clothing, comfortable clothing should be worn, something like yoga clothes work great. You want to keep in mind too that you are not dressed too warm or too cold as you will be in one position for possibly a fair amount of time and you want to be in a comfortable physical state.

In terms of time of day, many people associate meditation with an end of the day activity, perhaps something calming before bed time. I personally do not recommend this, as by the end of the day many of us are tired and going into a relaxed state can make us fall asleep and miss the whole point. Meditation is great to do first thing in the morning to start your day with, or as a mid-day rejuvenation or break.

So finally you have the right place, time and clothes – now what?

It is best to sit in a comfortable position or possibly lay down flat on one’s back. Many of us are used to the famous Buddha image where one would sit with their legs in their lap crossed over each other and hands on one’s bent knees, with a particular finger position. Although this works great, it is not necessary. You really have to find a position that works well for you.

Next, it is I would say almost necessary (unless you are perhaps a master at this) to close one’s eyes. This is for the obvious reason that we do not want any visual distractions that our mind can focus on or analyze.

Once you are in a good position with your eyes closed, it is usually helpful to start by becoming conscious of one’s breathing and focusing on that. Feel one breath at a time as it flows into your system and out. At the beginning, one’s mind may quickly start bringing in thoughts. When this happens, practice your conscious awareness and allow the thoughts to flow through. This means not give them your attention, but at the same time do not resist them. If you find yourself having a lot of thoughts or unable at first to pass them out of your mind, just try to remember not to judge the thoughts or attach yourself to them. Just let them be and observe them without getting emotionally attached, until your mind can let them go.

Again, focusing on breathing here is a great way to overcome that and that is why so many mediation gurus stress the importance of breathing during meditation. However, just to be clear, we cannot focus on the breathing so much that it becomes fake, strained or forced. Remember, mediation is about achieving a state of calmness and hence nothing can be forced.

The part about letting go of one’s thoughts is usually the part that takes the longest to master and move past. This is why you need to remember not to get disappointed with meditation or feel that you cannot do it, if you are struggling with your thoughts. The more turned on and unconscious your mind is on a daily basis, the harder it usually is to disconnect from and move past one’s thoughts.

Hence, meditation requires practice. Sometimes months are needed of daily meditation to truly achieve the state of transcending the mind. But with daily work, we usually get small improvements that motivate us to continue on.

It is really hard to explain what exactly should happen next as it is such a personally deep experience for everyone. Bottom line, when thoughts are not flowing through your mind, when you cannot feel your body to the point that you feel disconnected from it and when you exist in perfect peace and love, you know you are on the right track.

It is also hard for me to describe for you what else is possible, as I am sure I have not yet myself reached the heights that mediation can offer. From various reports, masters of meditation can achieve some pretty amazing things where the body, mind and spirit are concerned.

Many people will also use meditation, especially once they get comfortable with it, to connect to their higher self, their spiritual guides or their angels. This is in fact how many people start channeling.

Meditation and Science

You may be surprised to hear this, but meditation actually does have some scientific proof where health benefits are concerned.

In 1961 B.K. Anand did a study of a yogi in India, whom he found could lower his oxygen metabolism at will.  These studies were  repeated with Japanese monks who could lower their oxygen consumption by 20% during meditation, by R. Jevning in 1996.

Further studies have found respiration declines of up to 50%, much greater even than those that happen during sleep, in mediation.

In 1984 Jon Kabat-Zinn showed a decrease of chronic pain in 90 subjects after an intensive 10-week program that focused on meditation.

Research has also shown that meditation can lower the heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormone (cortisol) levels, thyroid stimulating hormone, growth hormone and even body temperature. Meditation has also shown to actually increase serotonin levels which help regulate mood, sleep and learning, among other things.

Conclusion

Ultimately, as much as I or anyone else can say about meditation, it is one of those things that cannot be truly understood without personal practice.

Whether you feel you need scientific proof or not, with thousands of years backing up this practice, it cannot be argued that it does not offer amazing mental, emotional, physical and most importantly spiritual benefits.

The main idea however is to remember that meditation may not come easy to most of us in today’s society as we are so bombarded with thoughts and unconsciousness, and so far removed from our spirit – our inner being. Hence, it is so important to note that before you dismiss meditation or discredit it – you should give it a fair chance. It is not beneficial or conscious to judge things ever, but especially when we do not know enough about them.

I have dabbled in meditation here and there, but it was not until very recently that I have decided to make this part of a regular practice. I still have a long way to go but I am loving the experience so far.

If you have tried meditation or perhaps meditate regularly I would love to hear your thoughts of your experiences and what works or does not work for you where meditation is concerned.

*Photograph courtesy of alicepopkorn

About the author:
Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN - is the founder and editor of EvolvingBeings.com – an online publication featuring various topics on spirituality and metaphysics. Evita teaches consciousness expansion and heart-centered living to help people attain deep meaning, peace and happiness in their life. She is also a nutritional science and holistic health expert for optimal health and longevity. Learn more about Evita Ochel or Follow her on Twitter.