 Beginning Meditation - Five Steps
Meditation is a key to inner peace and deepening
intuition. When we think of learning how to meditate, we view it as
difficult and mysterious. As a result, most people don't make the
effort. They believe that meditation is the absence of thought. This is
not true. Step one: Find a specific location inside your home
that you will dedicate to meditation. Decide what you need to put there
to encourage yourself to sit. You can use a small table to place
special photographs, statues, candles, and other meaningful objects
that will connect this space in your mind with meditation. Step
Two: Make a commitment to meditate every day before you leave your
home. This sounds like a tall order but if you put if off, there is a
good chance that you won't get the meditation in that day. The length
of time that you meditate doesn't matter. It can be one or two minutes,
twenty minutes, etc. Start with very short sittings. The single most
important factor in developing a meditation practice is consistency. It
is better to meditate two minutes each day than one hour once a week.
If you skip a meditation, acknowledge this without judgment and return
to it the next day. With consistency, meditation becomes a habit. Step
Three: Make yourself comfortable. You can use a meditation cushion or
several folded blankets. Make sure your buttocks are high enough off
the floor so your back is straight. Cross your legs with knees bent.
Some people find that using a straight backed chair is more
comfortable. Make sure that your feet (bare feet if possible) touch the
floor. If you are short, put folded blankets on the floor so that you
make solid contact. Step Four: Close your eyes and focus your
inner gaze at the point between your eyebrows called the third eye or
spiritual eye. Let your eyes rest there. This position holds your
concentration and keeps you from falling asleep. Take three deep
breaths (diaphragm, belly, chest) through the nose. Feel the release of
tensions throughout your body. Don't set up expectations or ask for
results. There is nothing you have to do now, no where to go. Put your
worries and concerns in a separate place. This is your time to "be." Step
Five: Observe the breath naturally moving in and out at the tip of your
nostrils. The "in" breath is cool; the "out" breath is warmed by your
body. Watch the breath move in and out like you're observing someone
else's breath. Your thoughts will swirl and loop back and forth; your
senses will interrupt you; your body may become uncomfortable.
Acknowledge these distractions without judgment and return to the
observation of the breath. After you have finished, sit quietly in
stillness for a few moments to appreciate and integrate this
experience. Congratulations, you are meditating. Linda
Martinez-Lewi holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a licensed
marriage family therapist. She has extensive clinical training in
narcissistic and borderline disorders. Dr. Linda Martinez-Lewi is the
author of the book "Freeing Yourself From the Narcissist in Your Life." Dr.
Martinez-Lewi has worked for many years with patients experiencing
psychological problems as a result of personal and professional
relationships with narcissistic personality disorders. She has clinical
experience treating patients suffering from childhood trauma, anxiety
disorders, and depression. Dr. Martinez-Lewi has been interviewed on numerous radio talk shows throughout the country. Visit her website at:http://www.thenarcissistinyourlife.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Martinez-Lewi,_Ph._D.
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