Often people not familiar with meditation or yoga think that it would be very difficult to try to meditate. Perhaps they are put off by images of cross-legged bearded old men or supple middle class house wives in leotards performing seemingly impossible bodily postures down at the local church hall every Wednesday evening. The good news however is that this is not the case. Meditation can be easily practised without the need of bending your body at the right angle whilst reciting mantras and stinking your house with incense.
Yoga is a sanskrit word that simply means union or, in plain English, is a vehicle for connection of the body to spirit. There are many different kinds of yoga that stem from the various schools of hinduism and buddism. Some yogas, like hatha yoga, are predominantly physical in nature, whilst others like raja yoga, are focused on the mind as the vehicle for union or connection of mind and spirit. So, it is the case that many of the images and conceptions that newcomers associate with meditation and yoga, are part of a wide and varied pantheon of spiritual practices that can take many years to master, though simple meditational practices can be achieved without any formal training, studying under a guru or bending your body backwards much to your own discomfort. The golden rule is: if any yoga or meditational method makes you uncomfortable or is too difficult, then leave it and try something much more simple.
One of the easiest ways to achieve a meditational or highly relaxed state is by listening to relaxing or new age music. New age music is the most common genre of music used to aid meditation. The music itself can range from minimalist ambient textures to colourful, rhythmical, and often ethnic compositions. I suggest that for the beginner music that is atmospheric but not too busy, should be used as a meditation tool. This is because it is difficult to still the mind if one is not used to it, therefore music that has fewer distractions but yet provides a calm focus for the mind to be still so that it may enter a relaxed state for your first yoga practice.
For your fist meditation then, I would suggest sitting in an upright chair with your hands either face up or face down on your lap, whatever your are most comfortable with. I also find it useful to light one or more candles and though some do not like the smell of incense it can be very conducive to inducing a meditative state. For the music, it may be useful to wear headphones especially if there are distractions nearby, such as the irritating bark of your neighbour's dog or the noise of the traffic from outside. Once the music is started, try to clear your mind of any particular thoughts or distractions. One way to do this is to imagine a candle burning in the centre of your brow. This should be done with the eyes closed, of course. Once you are comfortable, relaxed and focused on the calming nature of the music, and the stillness of your mind, then you should try some simple breathing techniques. Firstly, draw in your breath deeply and hold for several seconds. After holding, release your breath outwards slowly and calmly before repeating the process. Do this as many times as you comfortably can, try to focus on the candle if your mind strays. It will keep you there. If you like, you may say some words as you breathe in such as 'the way' and 'as you breathe out, 'to God'. If you do not like using the word God, change it to peace or something else that you fancy.
Once you try several cycles of this breathing and the focusing of the mind, you will find that supplemented by the atmospheric and relaxing music, you will indeed, drift off into a deeply relaxed and meditative state. Try practising this method whenever you feel the need. It is not difficult, you do not have to attend classes and the only teacher that you need is yourself.
There are examples of newagemusicdownloads.com new age music that can be used for meditation or as newagemusicdownloads.com yoga music on my website. There are also several free downloads available on mp3. An ideal way for you to begin your meditation experiments. I wish you a peaceful and interesting inner journey.
Paul Landry
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