Читать книгу Learn to Meditate in 2 Minutes - Lorain Danus - Страница 4

“Think of meditation as a log you throw on to the fire of the soul. If you feed the fire, you feed the soul. You connect to the source and you create inner peace.”

~Sheevaun Moran

Can I really meditate without having a completely quiet mind? Can I really meditate without sitting in a twisted position? Can I meditate and not feel it’s cultish? Do I have to stare at a wall to meditate? Can I meditate every so often? Don’t I need a teacher to start?

Imagine laying in the hospital with the doctor telling you that your blood is poisoned and that you have to stay there for several weeks. He said that blood poisoning is lethal and that you could die if something in your life didn’t change.

Well that’s exactly what happened to me. The body and brain would only take so much abuse. I had been stressing it out, not feeding it good food, not caring if I stayed

out late, not taking care of how much sleep, not interested in the fact that 16 hour days had a price.

I had been told to learn to meditate and I had been told to get more rest. I had also been told that I needed to eat better and drink more water. Like so many others I tried that for a few days and went back to an intense travel schedule and other bad habits.

First, surgery to correct a misdiagnosis and again back to my hectic schedule. That’s when the body rebelled and I landed in the hospital.

Let me take you back to where and how I went from a quiet rural country girl to becoming a meditation teacher.

Now, imagine sitting in front of a creek staring at the water wondering where the day had passed without notice of time or place. Watch as the water dances and plays around the rocks and as it ebbs and flows along the creek side. Listen as the water makes gurgling sounds and slight tapping and droplet noises. Feel your shoulders relax and just stare at the moving water.

As a young girl and into my adult life, I often found myself sitting before my favorite creek watching the water flow against the banks of the earth and over rocks. Little did I know, I was experiencing a form of meditation, also known as prolonged awareness, and I had been doing it most of my life.

Far removed from this image of the creek and the experience of prolonged awareness, I had formed a different image and belief of what meditation was about and how difficult it was. I associated meditation with the image of Hindu yogis in strange robes, Buddhist yogis with orange robes and yellow hats, priests and nuns walking around without ever speaking, and the white robed Hare Krishna people from the airport (those who practice meditation and concentration and loud chanting). I imagined yogis sitting in a lotus posture (a twisted position), using strange hand gestures (mudras) and alternately chanting unintelligible sounds or mantras (commonly repeated thoughts) and the need for complete quiet and stillness. It seemed that most of these meditating people were sequestered away from the world high on a mountaintop in the freezing climate with little or no contact with the outside world. I also thought that I’d need to stare at a wall for hours on end to succeed at meditation. I, like most people, had and judged these images of meditation and yet knew that it would help me. These are only some of the mainstream myths and misconceptions of meditation.

Even the word meditation conjures up many different images for each of us. Many people think of things that are weird or unfamiliar and unaccepted. Some religious practices think that meditation is against their rules and against their God. Meditation can also seem scary because it creates huge expectations, the weight and fear of impossibility. The most common thread that the word meditation brings up is the need for a completely quiet mind. Then there’s the thought that if one meditates then they are going to be subject to the whim of a fanatic or other unscrupulous persons, especially if one is meditating in a group. So much so that people who have never practiced meditation regularly believe that it’s a cult practice, where one loses all control.

To add to our own imaging and possible confusion of meditation, there are so many meditation books and CDs; many major health and wellness magazines with articles on meditation; many fitness facilities teaching meditation that claim in order to meditate effectively, an individual must sit still in a twisted position for a long period of time, completely quiet the mind and invest a lot of money per week in classes to practice meditation in a studio with a large class of other students.

What are your myths and misconceptions about meditation?

These are many of the myths of meditation:

it’s too boring and I’m too busy,

a twisted sitting position,

chanting strange words is required,

the need to discard your own beliefs,

succumb to the whim of others,

must wear strange clothes,

giving up the pleasures of life,

staring at a blank wall,

unless you meditate for an hour a day then it’s not meditating,

that only people who do yoga do meditation,

that it will take years to do meditation right,

lying down is meditating – this is actually resting or sleeping,

I have to be spiritual to meditate,

I’ll be enlightened when I meditate,

I’ll give up all my friends who don’t meditate,

a completely quiet mind is required to meditate,

my religion won’t allow me to meditate, and

my favorite – I’m not like those people, I may need it but I’m not like that.

I am here to tell you that these meditation myths are just not true. Not only are the myths about meditation not true, these myths about meditation are completely impractical. Today’s busy times and diverse cultures create great need for meditation.

Again, the word meditation brings up quite a few strange images that are accompanied by odd beliefs and feelings. Some of those feelings include confusion, but most include fear. Fear of the unknown and fear of the weird. For most people (of all religions and spiritual backgrounds) the unknown is definitely something that is feared. Many of my students, as well as myself, have shared similar feelings of confusion and fear before practicing meditation regularly. For me, one of meditation practices I had seen in the media projected the image of Buddhists who practice the form of Zen meditation. Zen meditation is the form of meditation that tries to get you to empty your mind and attain mindfulness. This practice may be beneficial for some and yet for the beginner it can be daunting. Zen instructs you to sit in front of an empty white wall and stay there until your mind has emptiness. This is nearly impossible for most people. In today’s world we have so many responsibilities that limit our time and our ability to have a completely quiet mind.

Students who thought they couldn’t or wouldn’t meditate and learned our techniques, share:

1 A student new to meditation shared that she thought of meditation as just sitting there, which to her meant meditation was a passive and sedentary activity. She expressed that with her busy schedule and overwhelming responsibilities she did not have time to “just sit there.” Although meditation had been recommended to her to improve her health and overall well-being, she did not see the point and continued to believe meditation to be a waste of time rather than a practice (or part of her life) that allows one to have greater awareness, and act more wisely and skillfully in the world. After learning to meditate and using our techniques she has found more happiness and peace in all areas of her life.

2 Another novice student believed that the objective of meditation was to have a quiet mind with no thoughts of what today, tomorrow and the next days to-do-list demanded. She thought she needed to give up everything to dedicate herself to meditation in order for it to help her. I shared with this student as I share with you, that there is no such thing as a completely quiet mind. With meditation, the mind begins to shift its awareness from mundane tasks to a greater awareness, which brings less stress and more peace to your life. This does take some time and practice more than just a few times.

Students who had already done some form of meditation share their early ideas and images of meditation:

1 One student, an engineer, shared that in the beginning, his image of meditation was that of an Indian yogi (one who practices meditation for spiritual insight). Although he related the image to peace somehow, he had no desire, wish, push or internal drive to research the reality of meditation. His image remained as that of a yogi sitting lotus style using strange hand gestures or mudras. Once we shared some simple techniques that gelled with his logical brain and how it related to peace, he became one of the most avid and dedicated students to meditation.

2 Another, more advanced student, who gave up complicated meditation techniques because she just didn’t feel at peace, said that at first she thought meditation was something for only priests or people of religion; and yet another shared that meditation for her invoked the image of the Hare Krishna (a group that engages in devotional chants to the Hindu god Krishna). She imagined the Hare Krishna in their brightly orange-colored robes at the airport chanting something she couldn’t understand until much later: Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, which to the Hare Krishna invokes Krishna consciousness.

3 One student, a corporate big wig, shared that meditation was something intangible and ethereal. Although meditation practice was something he contemplated, he maintained the idea that if things were not concrete or earthly, he didn’t think those things had any value for him. Since meditation was something that was unfamiliar to him, he did not believe in it. He now meditates two times a day.

4 At the opposite extreme, another student shared that meditation was an adventure where you had to travel to far away and remote places and it was for those that had a lot of money. She believed meditation was a luxury of the rich.

5 Another student shared that she witnessed people paying $200 for a mantra (a spiritual thought form), which really turned her off to meditation for 20 years, until she started our meditation class.

6 And yet another student, a mom of 5 kids, shared that it was something she could never be a part of—meditation was something cultish or countercultural, and not prominent in the United States. Now she has her children meditating with her and her household is much more peaceful.

Despite these myths and misconceptions of meditation, meditation can change every facet of your life. As a teacher of meditation for 15 years, I have witnessed the life enhancing effects of meditation in thousands of students. I, too, have seen and continue to see the benefits of meditation in all aspects of my life.

I give you permission right here right now to allow yourself to delve into this strange and different, yet also extremely valuable world that involves meditation.

Now that we’ve dispelled and de-mystified the image and idea of meditation, let’s step back and look at the definition of the word meditation. Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines meditation as “prolonged awareness.” Prolonged awareness seems more easy to understand because we have all had experiences of prolonged awareness. Yes, each and every one of you has experienced instances of prolonged awareness.

If you have ever driven home from work and didn’t remember all of the details of how you got there, that is prolonged awareness, who knows what you were aware of but likely it wasn’t the road. If you have ever read a page in a book, then turned to the next page, and continued on to the next pages, suddenly then realizing you had to go back several pages because you didn’t recall what you had read, that too, is considered prolonged awareness. When you lose track of time because you’re so involved in your work and you suddenly notice that hours have gone by, thats meditating. If you have ever been so engaged in your project, performance, presentation, conversation that you have been unaware of anyone trying to get your attention, know that those are all forms of prolonged awareness.

Some people may laugh at these examples of prolonged awareness claiming it is just spacing out or zoning out, but actually zoning out is a form of meditation. It may be meditation lite, but never less a form. These examples are a form of meditation because while driving or reading the brain is aware and functioning, yet it is also taking a rest from the task in which it is performing. In other words, taking a rest from the mundane routines of driving or reading, the brain is engaging in a form of prolonged awareness.

The fact is, our brains need a break from the mundane routines, from the constant hum of daily activities, and from the constant onslaught of input. These breaks or prolonged awareness comes to people in many different forms, not just driving and reading; however, these bouts of prolonged awareness do come to each and every one of us daily. It is estimated, because in today’s world our attention span is so short, that we are having an episode of some type of prolonged awareness every 15 minutes. Meditation, which is prolonged awareness, becomes a question of subject matter—how and what are you being aware of in order to meditate?

So now that my students and I have dispelled the common myths of meditation, let me share some of their success stories. Because many students in my meditation classes felt confused and fearful of meditation before they began to meditate and they each succeeded beyond their imagination.

Just because the word meditation may give you concern, don’t let the opportunity to learn to meditate pass you by because you may be passing up the chance to reward yourself with good health, happiness and peace.

Skip to Chapters 10 and 14 if you are ready to start and bypass all the foundational information.

 One student shared that practicing meditation allows him to tap into the rhythm of life in a more direct way.

 Another student who had a drug and alcohol addiction shared that meditation is much better than any dope she ever did—that it really gives her the inner peace she was always searching for when she was using.

 One more student shared that meditation gives her a way to deal with the world and the craziness of people more productively. She is able to bring prolonged awareness into every moment of her life, which directs her life more consciously rather than unconsciously.

 Another student shared that since she began to meditate regularly miraculous things have happened in her life; however more importantly, she had learned that meditation is so much about service to others in the world not just inner reflection.

 One student shared that meditation is a great healing and centering tool—it is an instrument of healing for him, as well as others. In this way, meditation serves to help one live with more compassion and understanding.

 And one more student shared that there is nothing scary about meditation, in fact it is the opposite of fear, it releases it. Meditation relaxes the practitioner and brings happiness and love. She shared that her experience with meditation is absolutely amazing because it allows her to connect with a source of energy that flows internally through her. She said she felt electrified after meditation.

Although the myths of meditation come in many images, from many traditions and cultures, and come from many misconceptions, the most common myths about meditation are the chanting, the twisted sitting position, the strange hand gestures, and the quiet mind. These misconceptions have people believe that meditation is too difficult, only for others of different or Eastern cultures and requires too much money, time and energy to practice.

I am here to tell you that anyone can meditate.

Meditation is for anyone who wants to reduce their stress and bring more peace and harmony into their life. One great teacher said that if you are not able to meditate then you have not learned how to harness the mind. To add to this I say that when you achieve intentional meditation then you are beginning the process of managing the machine (the body, the mind, the emotions) rather than the norm of the machine managing you.

As an ex-corporate junkie in the pharmaceutical business turned meditation practitioner and teacher of energy and spiritual practices, I can honestly say that meditation is beneficial to everyone. I can also say the when I meditate daily it keeps me from being that type A person and makes me sane. I have much more clarity every day because of my meditation practice. There’s a lot of gratitude within me because of my meditation practices and much more joy than I ever imagined possible.

While still working in corporate before I founded the Tree of Life Wellness Center in Huntington Beach, California, the presidents of these large pharmaceutical companies that I worked with asked me to teach them meditation. I found myself having sales meetings and they would start with a discussion about meditation and some basic techniques. The sales pitch became secondary. Meditation is for people in all types of business and business positions, not just those in pharmaceuticals and those that are presidents. It is also for urban housewives, the young, the old, the religious, the logical, the elderly and artists. The four w’s (who, what, where, when and why) and the how of meditation in the following chapter are tools for bringing prolonged awareness into your life more consciously and consistently, which is the foundation of meditation.

You will discover that the tools we share here will be beneficial in other parts of your life. For example, in the following chapters you will find that there’s a tool to help you keep your cool when you are in traffic and it will help you get to your destination much more quickly. The tools are also useful to help you remain open to ongoing meditation and reveal the many treasures of meditation today and tomorrow.