Tips for Meditation By Joylin Hall in EWAO (Files) Edit Doc

This document is a starting point for anybody who is interested in meditation but not sure what to do. I will share my pointers, and anybody else who wants to add their own input in the comments is encouraged to do so, as there is no one right way to meditate.

Meditation, to me, at its very core, is the practice of quieting my thoughts so that I may just feel, to hear from God/the Universe/my inner self/the Divine. Many different techniques and practices may be utilized in the process of doing this, and many different purposes may be achieved through this.

Because we are all one, because there is only one thing in the world, of which we are a part, and of which we are the entirity.... we are healthiest and most whole when we recognise this oneness and tap into our higher power source at all times. We must realize that all of the answers to everything we ever need to know or feel are within ourselves, within that place of connectivity to all of life. Every religion has their own way of languaging this concept. I was raised in a Christian background and taught to think of this as prayer and listening to God -- trusting the Holy Spirit for guidance. Whatever way you like to refer to this, the concept is universal.

While rational thinking, the thinking of the brain, is clearly very useful and necessary, the place of the brain in a healthy consciousness is to sort out the intelligence of the heart and the solar plexus -- the heart being the organ in the body with the largest electromagnetic field, which communicates energetically with all other life on a heart level; and the solar plexus being responsible for those "gut" feelings we get. Realizing that we have different types of intelligences is helpful in directing consciousness for meditation, as, like I said previously, meditation is about quieting the thoughts (brain) and opening the heart, feeling the feelings of the solar plexus, and tapping into the divine source. In the

dominant culture we are taught that the brain is the only source of intelligence, that rational thinking is the only thinking that is valuable, and that all worth while answers come from logical thinking. This is the type of thinking that short-circuits our natural, holistic processes, and makes us do greedy and selfish things. The brain can be easily corrupted when not tapped into the higher source.

Here is one basic starting method for meditation:

Sit cross-legged on the ground (preferably outside, in direct contact with the Earth) and close your eyes. Sit up straight so you're not slouching, but not stiff either. Visualize the energy of the Earth breathing up into you, filling you. (This is not just imagined -- it is really happening. Google "grounding" if you'd like to learn more about the energy of the earth and how it effects us physically.) In the same manner, visualize the energy of the Sun pouring down onto you and soaking into your heart space, and into your crown, into your whole self. We humans are the connectors of Mother Earth and Father Sky - Father Sky, the great life-giving energy source, and Mother Earth, the great composter, who transmutes all negative energy into something beautiful.

As you breathe, visualize positive energy entering your body through every inhalation, and as you exhale, breathe out any stress or negative energy that you may have within you. The breath is the connector of the body to the spirit, and mindfulness of breath is one of the easiest and quickest ways to begin a practice of connecting your whole self consciously.

If you do nothing else in your meditation, remind yourself to stop thinking, and to start feeling. Open yourself to be receptive to the connectivity of the universe. I love the phrase I found on one of my Yogi tea tabs once: "Empty yourself and let the Universe fill you."

Any time your mind begins to wander back to its usual thought patterns, don't feel bad, simply remind yourself again to start feeling instead of thinking, and gently put yourself back on course. And realize that meditation can be very difficult, especially at first, and depending on your mood and mindset. Don't be discouraged, just keep practicing.

If you have trouble quieting your thoughts, try attending to your physical needs first. For instance, a beginner may have trouble meditating if hungry or particularly tired. It is better not to discourage yourself unnecessarily. Being in nature rather than indoors is also extremely calming, and contributes to the feeling of connectivity that meditation strives for, and therefore makes meditation easier. In fact being in nature changes our brain chemistry and lowers stress in measurable ways, which I encourage you to research if you are interested.

If you are looking for a specific answer through your meditation, then focus your intention on the question, and again, most importantly, gently remind yourself to feel, rather than thinking. You want to receive answers from the divine, not impose answers from your ego. For example, if you are looking for the spiritual root to a physical problem such as a food allergy, you will open your heart and focus on the question, "What does wheat represent to me, symbolically?" and allow insights to be shown to you. As they come to you, open yourself to further clarification, and allow yourself to delve into the insights that do come to you. Once you feel the question has been answered to your satisfaction, ask the divine to lead you in how to resolve that. In my case, the answer was that wheat was symbolic of my family, my roots, the traditions from which I came. I then felt lead to forgive my family members, to meditate on the feelings I had toward each of my family members, why I reacted in a positive or negative way, and why all of those things really are reflections of myself, not actually problems with those individuals. From there I was able to re-integrate each feeling that gave me a reaction and reconcile the judgments I

had toward those individuals, reestablishing those areas of life into a positive light. And yes, ever since then, I have been able to digest wheat with no problem (after having been severely allergic for 2 years).... meditation is useful for far more than just stress relief!

For beginners, guided meditations can be very helpful, and are easy to find on Youtube. Guided chakra meditations provide an excellent introduction to the basics of the chakra system, which is incredibly powerful in understanding the layers of our being, progressing from most physical to most spiritual, so that we may learn to integrate every layer of the self fully and become whole and healthy.

Who else has advice on meditation for beginners?

Love and light to all, and may you find peace with your inner self so that we may all be elevated to our highest possible vibration together!