Meditation

Whereas muscular relaxation concentrates on calming the body physically, meditation relaxes the mind. Meditation has been a central part of many different religions, and has frequently been used as a means of achieving spiritual awareness and fulfillment. For others, however, meditation can be used simply to release inner turmoil and achieve a state of deep relaxation by sweeping all distracting thoughts and worried from the mind. Although a number of different organizations teach meditation, the most commonly practiced form in the west is transcendental meditation (TM) where the individual is given a focal device, or mantra, which the meditator say over and over again to their self. The mantra is a personal secret word or sound which should have no emotional meaning whatsoever. The word could be ‘om’ or ‘rah’. Some prefer to use a word with a peaceful connotation such as ‘ocean’ or ‘void’. Having chosen the focal device, follow these steps.

1.      Choose a quiet environment and a comfortable position.

2.      Take off your shoes and loosen all tight clothing.

3.      Consciously let go and be aware of the silence around you as well as the gentle ebb and flow of your breathing.

4.      Breathe in and out gently though your nose.

5.      As you breathe out say the word ‘rah’ silently to yourself.

6.      Breathe in again gently repeating the word ‘rah’ as you exhale.

7.      Carry on doing this, concentrating only on your breathing and the repetition of the word ‘rah’.

8.      Clear your mind totally of all distractions. If you find that your mind wonders, or that distracting thoughts start to intrude on your concentration, take yourself back to your breathing and the word ‘rah’. Force out those distractions and try not to follow them.

Meditate for five minutes at a time until you find it easy to clear your mind of all distractions. With sufficient practice you will gradually be able to increase your meditation time for up to twenty minutes. If you can set aside a specific time each time everyday to go through this technique it will more than reply itself in terms of the potential benefits. The best time to do it is first things in the morning or last thing at night. As Grandhi said, ‘meditation is the key to the morning and the latch to the evening’.