The Art of Meditating
Meditation is the gateway to our inner universe, and it is achieved when we manage to concentrate. This concentration acts as a bridge between the outer world and the inner universe. The great Yogi Patanjali called this process Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation).
The most important things when deciding to meditate are patience and perseverance, and above all an attitude of surrender -- of enjoying the process, the journey, and then marveling at the destination.
There are as many ways to meditate as there are souls in the world, which is why in this case we will only focus on concentration on the breath. We rely on the breath as an object of concentration, in order to then reach the meditative state.
The practice of meditation is about being in the present moment, away from the sorrows of the past and the worries of the future. An experienced meditator tends to remain serene through the ups and downs and maintains a sense of balance. They are not enslaved by their senses and are relatively free from attachments.
Meditation is a state of being; one should be meditative in all and through all of our actions. What begins as a practice technique slowly evolves into a state of being. The gentleness and tranquility of the 30-minute practice carry through for the rest of the day. Once perfected, the meditative posture seeps into and permeates all thoughts and actions.
What is meditation?
To meditate is to practice control of the body and mind so that they enter deep relaxation.
Meditation refers to the process through which one reaches a state of passive self-observation. It is a state of consciousness in which one observes thought without thinking; feeling without getting involved in it; and any intellectual, sensory, emotional, physiological, or behavioral content in a passive way -- simply allowing it, without responding or analyzing.
Benefits of meditation.
Meditation stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, resulting in relaxation of the body and mind. The following benefits have been observed:
- Controlled blood pressure, improved circulation, and normalized heart rate.
- Slower breathing.
- Decreased anxiety and stress.
- Reduced frequency and intensity of negative thoughts, decreased anger, and development of positive values such as self-esteem and self-fulfillment.
- Better adaptation to circumstances and reduced fatigue.
- Meditative breathing helps reduce chronic pain and relieve migraines.
- Greater resistance to environmental stress, increased learning efficiency, enhanced memory, and better absorption of information.
These benefits are by-products of meditation practice and not the goal of meditation. The goal of meditation is to enable the practitioner to sharpen their awareness so they can discover their true essence -- that is, the inner Divinity, which is veiled by impurities.
What meditation is not.
It is not introspection, because it does not seek to explore or reach anything.
It is not reflection, since we will not consciously focus on any topic to think about it.
It is not thinking, since it is neither rational nor active.
It is not analysis and discrimination, because it requires neither observation nor active thoughts.
It is not concentration, since meditation consists of flowing and letting be.
Concentration technique for meditation.
Concentration meditation involves focusing the mind on a single point, such as the breath, a mantra, the flame of a candle, the rotation of a japa rosary, the visualization of an object, or a deity. It is advisable to practice initially for just a few minutes and continue the practice with fervor and determination. The mind will wander, but try to refocus it and bring it back to the object of meditation. Involuntary thoughts will occur, but after a period of time, the mind becomes channeled to remain focused on the object of meditation for longer periods. You will notice that this practice also helps develop our ability to concentrate on our daily activities.
A place for meditation.
For meditation to succeed, the meditation space should be quiet, comfortable, clean, undisturbed, and uncluttered. The meditation seat should not be a poor conductor that blocks the flow of energy from and to the earth. The posture adopted for meditation should be comfortable enough for the practitioner to remain stable.
Obstacles.
External obstacles on the path of meditation are generally due to lack of preparation. This includes an inappropriate lifestyle where food, rest, recreation, and work are not taken into account. Internal obstacles to meditation relate to expectations about meditation, a restless mind, worldly fears about meditation, clinging to our identity even while meditating, focusing on objects other than the meditation object, lack of regularity in meditation, lack of enthusiasm, etc. The two most common initial obstacles are drowsiness and restlessness or distraction -- either the mind becomes drowsy or it moves restlessly from one object to another.
Chapter IV, Bhagavad Gita.