Meditation : Why & How

What it was vs. what it is:

Thousands of years ago when we had little distractions, it was far more innate for us to be closely connected to our 5 senses; though, as we’ve evolved, all we seem to feel is distracted & disconnected. 

W

hen we had little distraction and were innately connected to the 5 senses, we began to meditate beyond our physical world, beyond our 5 senses. This is how our Yogi ancestors had the experiences that we read about today & held experiences beyond our physical world; although, some tales are metaphors. 

How? One diligently practiced & learned to harness each and every sense physically, first. They incorporated it into a daily routine. Only when each of these 5 (smell, touch, sight, taste, sound) were appropriately connected & understood, did one begin to withdraw from them into the spiritual realms. Ancient meditators had only the resources of the natural elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether), they noticed how their physical senses held a connection with the elements and explored their qualities, similarities, and effects. 

Everything is experienced through the 5 senses. 

Meditation is a phenomenon : (oxford dictionary) 1: a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question ; 2: a remarkable person, thing, or event ; 3: the object of a person's perception; what the senses or the mind notice. SYNONYMS: occurrence, event, happening, situation, circumstance ; marvel, sensation, wonder, miracle

Today, we are not only encouraged, but forced into distraction. Constantly being pulled into each and every direction within fleeting seconds. Whether we’re distracted by social media, social life, marketing/ads, work, finances, relationships, education, news, weather or politics. you can quickly see how we’re at a disadvantage when it comes to sitting down to meditate. Our ancestors did not face these obstacles. That’s perfectly okay. We can modernize it to meet us where we’re at today. We have different circumstances, different obstacles, and different motivations, goals, or intentions. The reality is that, a majority of us hold far more control over our own lives than we realize; we aren’t used to having this power (ie. taken from past experience, trauma) so we aren’t aware that we can harness it

Fortunately, the 8 limbs of yoga still apply. The 8 Limbs of Yoga is a systematic, building approach for this very reason. How can we incorporate these in our life? By paying attention to our life, our role & steps of action.

Yamas: 

Ahimsa(non harming) self talk, relationships, non judgment, open mindedness 

Satya(honesty) self talk, accountability, journaling

Asteya(non stealing) present moment from self depleting thoughts

Brahmacharya(non excess) all things in moderation, there is time (create it)

Aparigraha(non attachment) let things go, as they are part of past, learn & grow 

Niyamas:

Saucha(cleanliness) take care of the body with loving intention

Santosha(contentment) where i am, with what I have, i meet myself where i am

Tapas(zest of life/austerity) what lights me up? What is my motivation for practice

Svadhyaya(self study) accountability of actions, NON JUDGMENT

Isvara Pranidhana(surrender) the ego, what’s the point our ego binds us?

Asana: we move to release our stored energies stuck within the body

Pranayama: we mindfully breathe to promote our powerful life force energy 

Pratyahara: turning inward (harness senses first) focus your attention

Dharana: concentration on the present (ie. breathing, heartbeat)

Dhyana: de-concentration; letting go of the focus into a state of being

Samadhi: bliss

Why we meditate today:

The importance of meditation today is tenfold; as our physical, external world grows and expands; our internal, experiential world feels as if it is closing in or even foreign. 

How in control are we of our own minds? Whose voices are speaking or directing my path? Do I still believe these agreements? 

Working with the wandering mind offers three benefits:

You’re training the brain: Every time you bring the mind back from wandering, you’re building the muscle of concentration. It actually is like lifting weights. The mind wanders off and you bring it back again and again. Through repetition you build muscle mass and concentration.

You begin to notice thought patterns: When you come back into the present moment and notice where you drifted off to, you can discover elements of doubt, desire, or anger that you were caught up in. This offers insight into hindrances and difficulties, including how the judgmental mind creates feelings of deficiency and inadequacy. You may also become aware of worry, sadness, or confusion, perhaps signaling that you need to pay closer attention to or deal with certain things in your life.

You find out it’s not all in your head: You gain an understanding of the mind-body connection and how the thoughts you think and emotions you feel have a physical reflection in the body. You begin to understand how a tight jaw or upset stomach, for example, is the expression of certain thoughts and emotions in your body

The Five Hindrances: 

Desire or the craving mind, is an aspect of mind that’s preoccupied with things like wanting to feel good. It spends a lot of time in fantasies, daydreams, and plans. When you feel unworthy, you may be consumed with the desire to be better or different. It’s like a thirst or hunger that seldom lets up.

Anger reflects not being okay with the way things are. You may feel mad at yourself for being so inadequate. The angry mind becomes engrossed in aversion, resentment, or hatred.

Restlessness is like a pacing tiger. When your mind is filled with shame, it becomes unsettled and seethes with unharnessed energy that’s uncomfortable to sit with and stay with. It can make you feel like you want to crawl out of your skin, like you need to do something or go somewhere else.

With sleepiness, your concentration will be dull and you’ll feel listless or tired or have low energy. Unworthiness, shame, or inadequacy may feel so overwhelming that you just want to collapse, disappear, not be here, and go to sleep.

With doubt, you may wonder if meditation serves any purpose or can help you in any way. You may become filled with self-doubt and believe that it isn’t possible to heal and be okay with who you are. This makes it all the easier to fall into the other four hindrances.

How to meditate:

We practice* (YOU MAY PLATEAU, KEEP GOING)

SWITCH IT UP: don’t allow your brain to catch on to patterns

Try new meditations, often

Separate thoughts from experiential feeling & vice versa

REMEMBER THAT IT IS A PRACTICE, DAILY

Look for buoys or something consistent, constant, steady and fixed to focus on (breathing, heartbeat, chakras, mala, crystals)

Don’t get caught up in details, each practice has unique intentions, starting points&obstacles 

Remind yourself that your thoughts are simply that, you are not them (observer)

Allow yourself to feel, then let go

Remember, you are the observer; not the thought or feeling

Setting your ideal environment:

Lighting (color therapy, white light, blue light)

Smells 

texture/clothing/posture

SOUNDS***

Background Music:

Solfeggio frequencies

Classical music

Lofi beats

Tibetan bowls

Handpan music

Binaural beats

Mantra/Chant music

Props/Tools:

Eye pillows

Blankets. bolsters, pillows, cushions (get creative)

Incense

Meditation pillars:

Candle, photo (single pointed)

Mantra/affirmation/intention

Breath/heartbeat

Chakras

Mala, crystals