Meditation is one of the simplest, yet most effective practices you can learn to improve your life in any way you can perhaps imagine. In fact, meditation facilitates:
- concentration
- the reduction of tension, anxiety and stress
- clarity of thought and less emotional confusion
- The lowering of blood pressure and cholesterol
- The freedom from addictions and other harmful behaviors
- The development of creativity and performance at work and in general
- greater self-knowledge and acceptance of ourselves
- joy, love and spontaneity
- emotional intimacy with friends and family members
- experiences of the spiritual dimension
- …and many others
All you have to do to meditate is sit in silence, bring your attention inward and focus your mind. That`s all. There`s nothing to do, only to be. There are numerous types of meditation and they all have the same purpose which is to calm the mind, thoughts and empty it so to speak. It might seem like a difficult thing at first but with a little practice it`s possible. Normally we focus our attention on one thing, it could be the breath, the flame of a candle, the point in the center of the forehead, something we visualize, a sound we repeat or whatever we choose. There are no better ways to meditate, only different ways of doing it. After a while thoughts and emotions transcend and we perceive, feel our superconscious part. There are also active ways of meditating, walking, exercising, washing dishes or doing anything else. We are in a meditative state whenever we are completely engrossed in what we are doing, whenever we become one with what we are doing. The main reason why it`s useful to formally meditate while sitting comes from the fact that the mind and body are so closely connected that when the body is still, mental activity also slows down. By doing this we train the mind to listen to what is going on inside us. These moments are when we can consciously perceive the essence of our being, what we might call our soul even though it doesn`t matter what name we give it. There is a stream of energy constantly flowing through ourselves. We can block this flow or we can facilitate it. When we meditate or when we are totally present we amplify it. We are energy beings and when we meditate or when we are totally present we feel it. This is one of the reasons why we feel different while and after meditating. Whenever we do this we accumulate energy that comes from what feels like empty space, from the field, from Life itself. This is why after meditating or when we are totally present we feel up, calm and full of love. It`s because we had an intimate encounter with our higher being, with Life itself, we connected with unconditional Love. (Love is synonymous with energy). When we are in a meditative state we produce a chemical called seratonin, which makes us feel happy. The more we meditate or are able to be present, the more easily and frequently we produce this chemical. The most appropriate times to meditate are in the morning as soon as we wake up and in the evening before going to bed. Any amount of time is beneficial. It has been determined that 20 minutes of meditation is equivalent to about 2 hours of deep sleep. The benefits that come from meditation are not only felt during and immediately after meditation but also later. Whenever we consciously calm the mind we erase the conditioning we have accumulated in the past and realize who we really are and what resonates with our inner reality.
Our unconscious is like the hard disk of a computer that has been programmed by external inputs. By meditating these conditionings rise to the surface, thus giving us the opportunity to understand those that do not benefit us and those that are helpful. In other words, by meditating we come to know the unconscious so that everything becomes conscious to us. All this is possible because when we meditate or are totally present we connect more with the most powerful part of us, what we might call the superconscious. One thing we learn by meditating is to really listen. In fact that is exactly what we do. We sit in silence and listen to everything that is going on. Once we start listening with our whole being Life starts to be really fun because it is itself that will point us out, suggest what we need to get what we want. Things will happen faster and we will perceive many synchronicities. We cannot control Life or others but we can control the way we react to what happens to us. By meditating or simply being more aware, more present, we can take control of our thoughts and consequently of our emotional state. By meditating we train ourselves to be present, to focus on the moment. We live more serene , able to focus on what we are doing. When we are totally present everything is more intense and enjoyable. Food tastes better, music is sharper and everything seems purer than before because our mind is not filtering as much as before. Our perceptions/experiences are filtered by our beliefs. By practicing meditation and presence we perceive Life without the mental stories, without the filters, being able to make fewer judgments and be more objective about our surroundings. Whenever we meditate or are more present, we not only raise our vibration and accelerate our own evolutionary process but also help everyone else evolve and be more aware. In 1993, a group of 4,000 people meditated together in Washington for one hour twice a day for a period of three weeks, focusing on emanating thoughts of peace in the city`. The rate of violent crime in the city decreased by 20 percent. This happened because we`re all one, we`re all one energy system. Whenever we alter ourselves energetically we also alter others. During the Self-Awareness courses I teach, I introduce participants to different meditative practices so that everyone can choose to do the one they prefer.