An introduction to meditation
Meditation is the practice of focusing the mind on a particular subject, place, or thing that brings forth desired outcomes such as awareness, mindfulness, and clarity.
My first introduction to meditation came way of my explorations in Buddhism when I was 16. Buddhism was the first religious philosophy I started learning about and putting into practice outside of the one I was brought up into. I didn't think it was weird to learn about other religions because I had also been learning about Greco-Roman mythology in my 10th grade English class. But Buddhism was definitely my first deep dive into other belief systems.
I resonated a lot with Buddhist teachings, practices, and ways of life, the first being meditation and why meditation is a fundamental part of their religion. Buddhism teaches meditation as a tool to achieve a state of nirvana, a state of higher consciousness and freedom from samsara ( the never-ending cycle of life and death ).
This practice dates back as far as 5000 BCE and since been seen in ancient Egypt, China, India, Ecuador, and later United States. Meditation popularized itself in the United States in the 1960s and 70s by music group The Beetles, Indian gurus, yogis, and Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda. Other religions that practice meditation are Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Voudou.
Besides the spiritual aspect of meditating, medical studies have shown that meditation has benefits on both the mind and body. Meditation can reduce anxiety, stress, increase mental clarity, improve the immune system, help with memory loss and the brains' ability to remember, and even helps to manage and control pain in the body. In recent years more and more medical physicians are recommending meditation as a part of integrative medicine treatment.
Practical Application
Let's start with a simple and very general way of how to begin your meditation process.
First, you want to prepare your space. This is different for everyone as I like to tidy up a little bit and get some fresh air flowing into the house. I light candles and incense sticks and begin to start seeing intention in my mind. Make sure that you are in a place where you won't be disturbed for 15 minutes. When I started meditating I think I started at about 10 minutes and worked my way to 30 minutes then eventually an hour. You will want to grab a floor cushion or some pillows, maybe even some blankets if that will make you more comfortable.
Now you want to get in your meditative position. Sit on the floor with your legs crossed with your hand placed on your knees facing up towards the sky.
Close your eyes and begin to focus on your breath as you breathe inhale and exhale. Your mind might begin to trail off many times in the beginning but your goal is to bring your focus back to center and focus on your breathing. Try and visualize in your mind's eye a place of serenity, peace, and wholeness.
Stay in this mental state for your time allotted and when you are done simply open your eyes when you are ready.
Doing this regularly will have beneficial outcomes on your mood, perspective, and energy levels. As you learn more about meditation you will find out there is a lot more to meditation than just this. Down below is a list of many other ways to meditate.
10 Ways To Meditate
Some of these meditation techniques take time and many years of practice to achieve. There is always a higher level of consciousness that is attainable. So give yourself time and patience when trying new ways to meditate.
1. Visualization
In meditation, you can use your mind's eye to create safe spaces and focus your attention on objects and even scenarios. This strengthens your ability to manifest outcomes because you have already visualized yourself in this state of reality. You can visualize your happy place or reimagine a place that makes you feel happy and at peace. This technique will take you through all the other techniques and is the first technique you would want to master on your journey.
2. Breath-work
While learning to visualize you can begin to incorporate breath-work into your meditation by simply staying aware of your lungs inhaling and exhaling. As you exhale rid yourself of negative ideas and thoughts. Inhaling positivity and other high vibrational thoughts. This brings more oxygen into your lungs allowing easier blood flow and circulation. Breathwork can also help you learn how to focus your mind, developing your meditation skills.
3. Sound
If you live in a large city like me you will likely hear sirens, kids playing outside, and the occasional party next door. Help drown out some of the noise and mind chatter by playing music. I like listening to African drumming, shamanic drums, sound bowls, meditation music, and sometimes high-frequency sounds for chakras on Spotify or Youtube. This helps to set the mood and bring more healing loving vibes to the room. Listening to music or sounds can amplify your meditation by raising your vibration and stimulate thought patterns.
4. Prayer
Meditation can also be done by focusing your mind on god or spirit to communicate desires, confessions, or petition for help. Along with communicating through prayer, you can use bible scriptures to worship or show praise and gratitude. Scriptures can be memorized repeated out loud in contemplative prayer for answers and guidance. This is also a form of divination.
5. Divination
Divination is the act of receiving information through higher consciousness and other energies, spirits, higher powers, gods, and goddesses. In meditation it is often we need answers for life situations we may be going through. During meditation is the time to get those answers. Try focusing on a certain problem and asking for divine intervention or instruction. Sometimes meditating on a problem can bring clarity to the situation as well.
6. Spirit Guide
Find your spirit guide through meditation! This is also a form of divination so this is a conversation, a petition where listening is key. Ask your spirit guides to appear to you in meditation and dreams. Allow them to guide you through your mind and the astral world. This is when it is okay in meditation to allow your mind to wander but still focusing on the visualization.
7. Chakra
Balance your chakras with meditation. Sit in your meditative position and visualize your first chakra the root chakra in the form of a glowing red ball of light at the base of your spine. Visualize the next chakra, the sacral chakra, as a glowing orange ball of light and do this for all the chakras. When you reach the crown chakra you may repeat this visualization and envision this rainbow of colors and energy charging you up and filling you with the sense of alignment.
8. Dance
In many African religions such as Vou Dou from Benin and Hoo Doo in parts of the Caribbean and Latin America, dance is used as a form of meditation to commune with ancestors. Using drums and anecdotal songs, people call their ancestors by dancing to petition and honor them. This is similar to contemplative prayer where the meditators can go into a trance by chanting scriptures.
9. Astral Travel
For someone far more advanced in meditation, astral travel may seem like an interesting and exciting way to meditate.
Although I see astral travel as more of a result of meditating to astral travel rather than a way to meditate because astral travel is pretty much only attainable through meditation. If you know another way let me know in the comments.
Astral travel or astral projection is when the astral body and the physical body separate allowing the meditator to travel the astral world. This meditation can be done in your meditative position on the floor, this way the body can feel grounded after the astral body returns. This may take some years of practice and discipline but I’m going to spill the beans.
Go into your standard meditation where you feel the most relaxed and connected to your inner spirit. See your physical body with your eyes clothed and see and envision what you may come to see as your astral body. Two different parts of you, one in the physical world and one in the astral world where you typically go to meditate. Allow your astral body to let go of any earthly bonds, and see yourself floating gently away from your physical body, gliding into the darkness of your mind and the other world that is the infinite universe.
There is so much to say here and I am open to questions about this. Let me know in the comments if you feel like you need more information on this subject. When ready, simply release your breath and float back down into your physical body feeling for your toes and fingers and arms and legs. Open your eyes slowly.
10. Psychic
I am particularly excited to share this last piece on meditation because I reached out to an expert in developing psychic abilities, Sabrina Von Stock, a medium and energy healer. Sabrina specializes in helping people understand their past lives and has developed her own abilities through the help of regular meditation practice. Below is a written piece by Sabrina Von Stock "Sitting in the Power".
"Sitting in the power“ is a foundational meditation that helps enhance psychic and mediumship abilities. This meditation was developed by the late Gordon Higginson, who was principal teacher at the Arthur Findlay College, which is the modern-day Hogwarts in England.
The meditation is very simple. You sit in a chair, feet firmly on the floor, eyes closed, and hands in your lap. I suggest you set a timer for 10-15 minutes and see how long you can just sit without looking at your phone or fidgeting. How long can you sit in total stillness? You’ll find that your mind wants to wander and tell you about the grocery list or the conversation you had with a friend.
The key is to master quieting and slowing down your mind, so you can connect with spirit.
Concentrate on your breathing, count to 4 when you inhale and exhale. Challenge yourself and see how long you can be still. At first, it’s not going to be easy, but after a while, the desire to sit in stillness will grow and the benefits of this meditation is invaluable!
Here are just some of the benefits:
You start to become aware of yourself as a soul being.
You enter into deeper connection with your higher self and subconscious mind.
It allows your vibration to become higher as your own energy becomes lighter.
You can receive amazing downloads from spirit.
I have found that it helps in dealing with the daily stresses of everyday life.
And of course, the amazing insights you can receive
Before you know it, you will begin to notice how your own natural mediumistic and psychic abilities start to flourish!"
And there you have it! 10 ways to meditate for beginners and experienced meditators.
Try one of these meditation practices and let me know what your experience was in the comments below.
What is your unique meditation practice look like? Do you find meditation to be helpful in anyways I have not mentioned here? Let me and everyone else know!
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Many Blessings <3
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