Meditation begins very simply: time and location. Find the time when and a location where you won't be bothered. Picking a regular time and a consistent place for meditation will help you tremendously. Whether this place is on your bed, on a stool, in your living room, at the park, or even behind your desk at work, you should pick a place that's safe, conducive, and which works for you.
Once you've selected your location, the next step is to begin clearing the surface Mind. This sounds difficult and complicated, but it's much easier than it sounds. The surface Mind is cleared by eliminating internal dialogue. You know what I mean: when you're sitting at the table trying to balance your checkbook and you can't stop talking to yourself in your head about that awful episode of American Idol. That's thought pressure and when it's permitted to talk freely it's called monkey Mind.
As you hear yourself begin an internal monologue about Simon and Paula's decision to cut down some singer, just nip it in the bud. You'll find that with practice you can command your Mind to stop talking and be quiet. Eventually, you can feel thought pressure and push it away before it turns into a thought. For example:
As you hear yourself begin an internal monologue about Simon and Paula's decision to cut down some singer, just nip it in the bud. You'll find that with practice you can command your Mind to stop talking and be quiet. Eventually, you can feel thought pressure and push it away before it turns into a thought. For example:
- Simon and Paula really didn't have to be so mean to that cute girl.
- Simon and Paula really didn't have to be so mean ... (pushed away)
- Simon and Paula really didn't have to ... (pushed away)
- Simon and Paula really ... (pushed away)
- ... (thought pressure is felt and pushed away)
- (the Mind is held perfectly clear)
This requires a passive awareness in which you listen very closely to yourself and diligently push away thought pressure which would initiate an internal monologue. When I first began, I often became frustrated or upset when I couldn't silence my Mind or I suddenly realized that I had permitted a thought to take shape and run wild for several minutes. Controlling the Mind is beside the point: meditation isn't about control, it's about letting go. The extent to which you are able to acknowledge and release your thoughts is the extent to which you will experience the greatest success in meditation.
As you succeed in clearing and maintaining a clear surface, you'll experience a great silence in your Mind. This silence could be compared to the feeling you get when you're in a very large and quiet library or saintly cathedral. The silence may feel uncomfortable at first and like when I began you may feel the need to think something to fill the space, but remember the first goal of meditation: let go of yourself. Only by releasing your surface Mind and the desire to accomplish or do something will you enter the inner sanctum of the peaceful Mind.
There are several ways to achieve and maintain this level of clarity:
- Focusing on External Sound
- Focusing on Internal Sound
- Focusing on External Images
- Focusing on Internal Images
- Focusing on External Sensations
- Focusing on Internal Sensations
Focusing on external sounds means to listen to any sound outside of you. This can include music (of any variety - it need not be "meditation" music), conversation, the noise of passing traffic, bird song, and so on. Any sound, any sound at all. Direct your attention to this sound - whatever it is, wherever it is - and let your attention stay there. As with any external method, this is a useful way to direct your attention away from anxiety related to personal issues.
Focusing on internal sounds means to listen to the sound of your breath, or to assign a particular sound to your inhale and exhale. This is useful if you're in a very quiet place with no external sounds upon which to focus. As with any internal method, this is a useful way to direct your attention away from anxiety related to external issues.
Focusing on external images means to visually focus your attention on a candle, image, pendulum, picture, tree, vase of flowers, or any physical thing that you can see. Look only at this one object, and don't permit your eyes to wander. As with any external method, this is a useful way to direct your attention away from anxiety related to personal issues.
Focusing on internal images means to close your eyes and create an image in your mind of anything your deem worthwhile. This internal image can be a visualization of how you'd like to see yourself, the face of a friend or family member, a colored square or circle, and so on. The size and complexity of the image has no relevance to this meditation so long as it focuses your attention. As with any internal method, this is a useful way to direct your attention away from anxiety related to external issues.
Focusing on external sensations means to focus on the feeling of the wind upon your skin or other tactile sensations. This can also be done as a moving meditation (such as found in tai chi or yoga). The use of a rotating fan, an open window during a windy day, or an outdoor location is helpful for this method. As with any external method, this is a useful way to direct your attention away from anxiety related to personal issues.
Focusing on internal sensations means to focus on what you can feel happening inside your body. The easiest method is to focus on the feeling of air passing through the mouth or nose, down the windpipe, and filling the lungs; and back again from the lungs, up the windpipe, and out the mouth or nose. With enough practice, you can also learn to feel the throbbing pulse within your entire body according to the rhythm of your pumping heart. As with any internal method, this is a useful way to direct your attention away from anxiety related to external issues.
The answer is clear: to work the Light within yourself and the recipient. Your clear mind pairs with your pure heart to provide spiritual protection and allows you the focus to pull and push the light.
When giving light for yourself, no hands are necessary because the light is already within your body. Direct your attention the point of stress within your body and on your inhale pull the light from that place to your heart. On your exhale, push the light from your heart back to the point of stress. You should continue this pull-push practice during a session for as long as you feel a benefit. You may self-treat other areas in your body in the same way during the same session, but there's no rule that says you must treat other areas.
When working with a client, Lightworking can be done with only one hand, but is generally performed with two hands on for the following explanation. On your inhale, pull the light from the recipient up your left arm and into your pure heart. On your exhale, push the light from your pure heart down your right arm and back into the client. This inhale-pull and exhale-push creates a circular exchange of pure, healing light from recipient to Lightworker and back to the recipient. By cycling the Light, a current of healing energy is created and stress is purified as it passes through the pure, clear heart of the practitioner.
For what purpose is this clarity used?
The answer is clear: to work the Light within yourself and the recipient. Your clear mind pairs with your pure heart to provide spiritual protection and allows you the focus to pull and push the light.
When giving light for yourself, no hands are necessary because the light is already within your body. Direct your attention the point of stress within your body and on your inhale pull the light from that place to your heart. On your exhale, push the light from your heart back to the point of stress. You should continue this pull-push practice during a session for as long as you feel a benefit. You may self-treat other areas in your body in the same way during the same session, but there's no rule that says you must treat other areas.
When working with a client, Lightworking can be done with only one hand, but is generally performed with two hands on for the following explanation. On your inhale, pull the light from the recipient up your left arm and into your pure heart. On your exhale, push the light from your pure heart down your right arm and back into the client. This inhale-pull and exhale-push creates a circular exchange of pure, healing light from recipient to Lightworker and back to the recipient. By cycling the Light, a current of healing energy is created and stress is purified as it passes through the pure, clear heart of the practitioner.
No comments:
Post a Comment