Beginning Meditation/ A Spiritual Practice

Meditation is a profound spiritual practice that can also have many positive effects on your health. It relieves stress, is uplifting and can help you to deepen and expand your spirituality. For some people the idea of trying meditation can seem daunting one. Very often people will think that you need to dedicate long periods of time to it or that it can only be done in a certain, rigid fashion. Others may have not had a good experience the first time that they tried meditation and gave up in frustration. But it’s important to keep in mind that there is no one “right” way to do meditation and there are many types of meditations to suit many different personalities.

One of the key purposes of meditation in any form is to clear the mind of clutter and distractions. Our minds are almost constantly on the go with worries, problem solving and a myriad of thoughts. This clutter of thoughts can often leave us feeling stressed out and spiritually depleted. By clearing and calming the mind through meditation, we can allow our inner spirit to expand and thus feel more centered and spiritually whole.

As mentioned earlier there are many meditation techniques to choose from. If you try one  and it doesn’t go well for you or just doesn’t seem right for you, remember not to judge yourself. You can always try it another day or you can try another type of meditation that is better suited for you. The most important thing to remember is to practice every day even if you can only do it for a few minutes at a time. In fact, short regular sessions are better than long, infrequent ones; in this way they become more of a habit and part of your every day spiritual growth.

One of the most common and simple techniques is conscious breathing. This is where you sit in a comfortable position (usually seated in a chair or cross legged on the floor) and focus on your breathing by drawing slow and gentle breaths, in and out through the nose. Often this is accompanied by counting slowly as you breath in and out, such as breathing in while counting to four and breathing out while counting to four. This helps you to better focus on your breathing and to keep your mind clear of intrusive thoughts while relaxing your body. If you try this type of meditation be sure not to force the breathing in any way; it should be a steady, gentle flow.

Mantra meditation is another common technique. Again you sit in a comfortable position and you choose a focus word or simple phrase that is meaningful to you. It can be a neutral word such as love or peace, or it can be a more spiritual word such as the name of a Divinity or a short phrase from a prayer such as “Hail Mary”. You breathe in and out slowly and naturally, but rather than focusing on breathing you instead focus on the mantra. The phrase can be repeated either aloud or to yourself. It is used as a way to keep your mind clear and focused as you relax your body and expand your spirit.

If you don’t like the idea of sitting still then you may want to try movement meditation. This is a way to gently move your body while focusing on your breathing. Yoga is one of the most common forms of movement meditation, but you can also try Tai Chi, Interpretive Dance or take part in Dances of Universal Peace.
 
Chakra meditation is a technique used to cleanse and align the seven major energy points (chakras) of the body. It can also help an individual to awaken their consciousness in an integrated and balanced way. This is often done with an instructor who is experienced in chakra work or by listening to a guided chakra meditation CD.

One of the best ways to learn meditation is in a classroom situation, and very often you can find beginner’s meditation courses offered through adult education centers, at spiritual centers or community centers. Even if you want to meditate in the privacy of your home, these classes can be a good starting point so that you can learn proper technique. Guided CD’s and DVD’s are also very helpful, as are books on meditation. The following is a list of some choices you may be interested in: