Here are some tips on achieving a state of meditation:
1. Posture
Whether you sit on the floor with your legs crossed, or lay down, make sure your spine is straight and your body relaxed. If you tend to fall asleep easily, sitting up is probably best.
2. Eyes
You may have your eyes open or closed, whatever works best for you. However I find closing the eyes as a more effective way or settling the mind, as there are no visual distractions.
3. Focus
A good focus for meditation is your breath. Slowly inhale and exhale, and be aware of your belly as it rises and falls. You can also imagine a beam of all encompassing light entering through your crown and slowly making it's way through your body, through your arms and legs and down to your feet, then imagine it penetrating the core of the earth. Focusing on your breath is a great way to be present.
4. Thoughts
When you notice thoughts making it's way into your mind, gently let them go by returning yous focus to the breath. Don't be hard on yourself or judge your thoughts, simply be the observer and move back to feeling your body, and the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe.
5. Emotions
It’s difficult to settle into meditation if you are struggling with strong emotions. The way to deal with strong emotions in meditation is to focus on the body feelings that accompany the emotion. For example, this could be the tight band of fear around the chest or the hot roiling of anger in the belly. Let go of the stories and refocus on your body. Feeling, feeling feeling. Dis-identify from thought.
6. Silence
Make sure you're in a place of silence. Silence is healing and calming and helps you become more peaceful. I know that there are is a lot of ‘meditation music’ around, but nothing beats simple silence. Otherwise the music or sounds just drown out the chatter in your mind.
7. Length
if you're just starting out, sitting for 10 mins or so in stillness is enough. Otherwise however long it takes to settle your mind. When you've had more practice, extend the time spent in meditation. Whether it's 10 minutes or 2 hours - it's up to you! I find the longer I am in meditation for the more beneficial it is and the more I 'experience'.
Experiences:
During deep meditation, a person may see colours, points of light, patterns, visions, or hear sounds or voices. The more common colours seen are blue, purple, green and yellow, and Geometric patterns are common as well. This is completely normal and should not be something to fear. You are raising your consciousness and expanding your awareness. It is your path to the realm of light and spirit!
Accompanying these visions and sounds, you may feel strong emotions when wakening and returning to your normal environment. You may experience overwhelming emotions of awe, wonder, deep peace, gratefulness, connection, love, or that you're part of something "greater" or bigger than your body.
You may even feel like you've been "home", which can be a very emotional but wonderful experience.
There is something beautiful about sitting in stillness and silence, and with practice it becomes easier to achieve a state of meditation.
