In a 2-page paper, use the steps for meditation as outlined inHealth of the Human Spiritto design a meditation plan for yourself. Be sure to include specific step-by-step instructions and explain why each step is important and necessary. Be sure to include at least one outside source along with a references section per APA guidelines at the end of your paper to support your sentiments.
Steps in Meditation
Years ago, meditation practices were considered important only by those actively on the spiritual path, but today with the constant bombardment of sensory stimulation from our high-tech gadgets meditation is now advocated by many in the field of psychology as a necessity for everyone. Research now reveals that people surrounded by a flood of information (and choices of information venues) are showing signs of what has come to be called "brain freeze."19 Taking time to clear the mind of excess sensory stimulation as well as domesticating the ego (and its addictive tendencies) is now considered essential for mental health as well as spiritual well-being.
Although there are no hard and fast rules to meditation, the following suggestions may help guide you through the oftentimes arduous process:
- 1.Find a quiet place. Pick a place at home or work where you can sit or lie comfortably for a while and not be bothered. If you have one specific place that is dedicated to this practice, it helps minimize distractions.
- 2.Schedule a regular time each day. The preferred time to meditate is at the start of each day. Although it is not necessary to rise before the sun, it is suggested that you dedicate the same time each day (e.g., 7:15 a.m.). In doing so, this practice is budgeted into your daily schedule, whereas a random time each day soon loses its priority and never happens.
- 3.Minimize any distractions. Before the mind can focus to minimize the mental chatter of the ego, it must first minimize outside noise that can also serve to distract the mind. Do your best to create a place of silence by turning off radios, televisions, phones, beepers, fax machines, computers, and anything else that robs your attention. Distraction can also include people. In this regard, it is important to have good boundaries. Diplomatically tell anyone who may walk in that an interruption is a violation of your personal time and ask that they honor your request not to interrupt.Purists choose to have total quiet, but you may find that some background (white) noise is in order to balance things out. The most popular choice is soft melodic, even repetitive, music (without lyrics). If this helps, give it a try.A note about food and eating: it is recommended that you do not try to meditate after a snack or meal, because the physiology of digestion can be a distraction, particularly when more blood is directed to the stomach and less to the head, which can cause drowsiness.
- 4.Find a comfortable position. The most important aspect of comfort is a straight spine. Sitting with a straight back is the preferred method of meditation. Leaning against a wall may help, as might sitting on a pillow to raise the tailbone off the floor. Sitting with your legs crossed (e.g., the lotus position or half-lotus position) may help to promote a straight spine as well. While lying flat on the floor certainly can promote a straight spine, it also lends itself to a loss of consciousness (sleep), which is not the same thing as meditation (being fully awake).
- 5.Create an object of focus. Many devices can be used to focus the mind. In exclusive meditation, the device is called a mantra. The purpose of the mantra is to help cleanse the mind by focusing exclusively on one thought, which, in turn, helps erase all the extraneous thoughts that beg for attention. There are many types of mantras-a word that is endlessly repeated, sounds that are listened to, beads that are touched, or the cycle of the breath that is observed. Because breathing is something that everyone does naturally, focusing one's attention on the breath, both inhalation and exhalation, serves as a simple mantra.For those with a penchant for Zen (inclusive) meditation, a mental device that allows the mind to expand beyond its normal limits of ego is helpful. Images such as watching logs floating down a stream, clouds floating across an afternoon sky, playing with a koan, and stating an unanswerable question can all serve to liberate the mind from ego attachment.
- 6.Establish the duration of meditation. For those just starting, to sit quietly for 5 minutes may seem like an eternity, but 5 minutes is a good start for just about anybody. For those in a rush, 5 minutes is good, too. Those who make a practice of meditation find that time flies while sitting still, and it is not uncommon to spend 30, 40, or even 60 minutes in solitude. Every person is different, so find a length of time that works best for you.
- 7.Keep a pad of paper nearby. It's a good idea to keep a pad of paper and pen/pencil nearby so that if you have a thought that must be written down to be remembered, you've got the means to do so. This also helps clear the mind, because once you've written it down you can let it go. So people sit with a pen and pad of paper, close their eyes, and as important thoughts bubble up to the surface, down they go onto paper, with lists, ideas, and reminders (and emotional baggage to be discarded!).
- 8.Relieve the boredom factor. One of the most common complaints about meditation is the boredom factor. The conscious mind, once so actively engaged in sorting out sensory information, feels underrepresented, but this will soon pass with time. Some ways to relieve boredom are to pick from an assortment of music while meditating or to vary the meditation themes from day to day (there are eight different meditation exercises at the end of this chapter). Another way to begin your meditation is to read from a meditation book (e.g., the Bible, Earth Prayers, etc.), and then use the meditation reading as a theme to contemplate on.