MenoSundays; Life Lived Lovingly

When meditation is mentioned, folk often go into a fast-response push against 'why I can't meditate.' Frequently this is due to having tried one approach and felt (often without reason) that it failed and therefore is a write-off. 

True, the ideal of meditation is to stop the flow of thoughts that we call 'mind' and sit in a state of existence, suspended from the concerns of life. Reaching this state of samaadhi, however, requires endless persistence and dedication. Here's a thing - even the most advanced practitioners have days in which that ideal cannot be reached. Fine. Try and try again...

There are tools in the societies in which meditation has been a long and ancient practice that enhance and build the practice into one yielding all the benefits claimed of it. Some of these have been extracted by western practitioners and made into individual practices. (This is not the page for my axe-grinding about the appropriation of age-old techniques and rebranding them as 'new age' and money-spinning formulae... but, well, jus' sayin'.) The first and foremost that arose was that of the Maharishi movement of Transcendental Meditation, which took the original Hindu method and separated it from its source. Latterly, the Mindfulness Movement arose from Buddhism. Both of these have become popular as claims are made of being secular and 'easy' ... all forms of meditation are easy... and all forms of meditation are difficult. It all depends on the individual's approach (see next week). What other meditative forms are there?

Again from the Buddhistic practice, there is walking meditation. Using the principles of this, one could make any movement activity into a meditative practice - which is why being out in nature, sitting beside the water, or swimming, rowing, and cycling can all be used for this practice. Household duties are not excluded from being able to focus and be 'present' - even washing the dishes!

Focus meditation involves using an image or an item to externalise our thoughts for the duration of the practice. It might be a candle flame, a mala/rosary, an image of a saint or the Om or simply a serene scene. The aim here would be to think only about that upon which we are focused. All thoughts should only manifest regarding that one thing, and all other thoughts get delayed or dismissed.

An adjunct to focus meditation is the use of mantras as the focus. Mantra meditation doesn't necessarily have to be traditional Sanskrit. There is no question that AUM has a vibration that adds to the experience, but a simple "I am Blessed" or "Peace is All" would suffice for those starting out.

For many people, the issue is not so much the mind but the restless body. Sitting still is a real challenge for some! This is where a movement practice such as walking meditation can be helpful. However, training to sit is also beneficial, and one can focus instead on the individual parts of the body and musculature, the parasympathetic systems and so forth. Sometimes you will see these referred to as body-scan meditation, but also as progressive relaxation... and the substitution of relaxation for the word meditation can be useful for some who resist the latter.

Another form of meditation is that which is called visualisation; in this, one imagines a scene to which one can add elements to enhance a sense of peace and relaxation. Alternatively, one can create an internal space of Love and Kindness, Compassion and Outreach - imagine a state of being where only gentleness exists. After completion of the practice, retaining the sensations of calm and quietude created in that few minutes of 'you time' can be a great relief against the vicissitudes of life.

Mandala Meditation is another focus practice that can help to cut out extraneous, random thinking and keep us in the moment. If one has a spiritual understanding and desire to further experience that, then clearly the focus can be an inspirational verse or prayer...

Thus meditational practice is not only about reaching the point of moksha/nirvana, but about gaining a more relaxed body, peaceful state of being and a generally improved state of mind.