|
Prayer and Meditation |
|
“Though you are in the body, you are not of the body; and this is not the reality from which you hail.” Quan Yin
Prayer and meditation have been used for eons of time as methods of divination. In some regards, prayer can be considered a meditation and meditation can be considered a prayer. They are somewhat different aspects of the same divinely attuned inner focus. Many would view prayer as more an activity of praise or invocation where as meditation is considered less an activity and more a quieting of body/ mind consciousness in order that one may turn within themselves in introspection.
There are many different types of meditation that one can try and experience and there are many different reasons why one chooses to meditate. Some desire to just relax, some to contemplate a challenge or conflict which has arisen in their lives, some desire to better know and understand the Presence of Spirit/God within them--the Source of their beingness, some to receive divine revelation, guidance and inspiration, some to develop multidimensional awareness, mastery of the mind, and self control. There are many other possible reasons and all are valid. So meditation can be about what you want it to be and it doesn’t have to be the same every day. It is merely the process of turning one’s attention inwardly within one’s self to examine, to explore, to discover, to understand and to experience the self and its potential. We can allow our own intuition to guide us to what type of meditation would best serve our needs in each new day and we can allow it to just be whatever it is on any given day and to evolve spontaneously in its own beautifully unique way. |
|
MENU
|
|
On the path to healing and wholeness it is essential that one allows for time to contemplate their present condition and the events which led to same. In doing this, one opens the door to greater awareness of the subtle matters which contributed to their present condition. This is of vital importance to the soul who wishes to heal and evolve because we all have certain patterns and tendencies which are in need of refinement; those things about ourselves and our nature that we often prefer not to look at or that we have buried deep within our consciousness. In order for one to attain true healing and wholeness, one must be able to get to the truth about themselves, the truth about who they really are and what they are carrying in their own consciousness so that they can evaluate what it is within their own consciousness which created the present conditions. In order to do that, one must allow time and space for this sacred reflection, this sacred communion with the Spirit within. So we have observed that it is well to ground any routine with the practice of daily prayer and meditation.
Daily prayer and meditation also helps to keep one heart centered and pointed in the “right” direction. It also helps one to awaken to the divine within themselves. And as a result of doing this every day, one will observe a great shift in their life and in their entire being which will ultimately bring the true and lasting peace and joy that one’s heart desires. The practice of daily prayer and meditation also awakens the higher spiritual centers which may have been somewhat veiled or dormant; and the forces of light then become highly active and supportive to one’s healthy new goals. So great strength, power, and momentum is gained through daily meditation and this becomes like a beacon of Light, leading one into wellness. In meditation, Spirit reveals to us through a quiet mind, through what we have come to know as “our conscience” and through our own intuition; and over time, and with practice, these sublime inward reservoirs of consciousness and communication systems will grow, and evolve and strengthen. We have observed that anyone who spends some sincere and heart centered minutes every day inviting Divine Self/Source/God/Spirit into their lives, and into their consciousness, will surely see results.
So in meditation we practice learning how to quiet and focus the mind and tap into areas of awareness that are beyond our ordinary busy mind experience, and that the fruits of this discipline allow us to better know and understand our self and the Source of our breath, that Being we have called God-[or Great Spirit--Divine Self--Source; whatever one prefers] and that through this quiet and sincere introspection, that one may access greater knowledge, wisdom, understanding and illumination which ultimately leads one to a more happy, healthy, soulful and joyful life.
While we see that goals are fine, we have observed that it is not well to become too polarized towards a certain goal in so far that an expectation is created, as this can interfere a bit with the free flow of consciousness. So we kind of embrace this experience with the mental posture of simply allowing the body/mind/personality/ego consciousness to become still for a time, and trusting that the wisdom and the Presence of God within us will support us and over-light the developments that we earnestly seek. And when we just allow our fears and worries, and our desires and expectations to sort of recede, we can open to greater things, and we can trust that whatever we experience on any given day is a valid and acceptable part of the process-- and that we can glean some wisdom and insight from it and learn from it.
So the idea is that as one practices and learns to still the mind and focus the mind, that one finds that a greater calm, and clarity, and control begins to take shape in one’s being, and by connection, in one’s life; and one is afforded a clearer perception of one’s self, one’s life, and the events that unfold within it and around it. We would offer that one can find a lot of good books and CD’s on this subject by simply going online or to the book store and browsing until one finds something that they are drawn to. But we can offer a very basic format to get one started.
First, we recommend setting a regular daily time that one can sit in meditation. This will be supportive to the goal of making it a new healthy habit. It also starts to train and program the brain and body to become accustomed to this new experience and to support one’s practice of it. Additionally, by setting this as a daily appointment, it honors the time, the space, and the intention which one has created and insulates one, to some degree, from allowing the mundane daily busyness of life to lure them away from their newfound intentions to create a more healthy, more conscious, and more joyful life.
Sometimes one may wish to set aside a special place in their home for this communion, and create a space that feels sacred to them. Sometimes one may like to have a special candle, incense, flowers, crystals, spiritual pictures, or some other item that contributes to making their space feel sacred or inspirational or special. But we also observe that anywhere and anytime that one turns their attention towards the Presence of God within them, that they are in a sacred place no matter where they are. So one can pray and meditate anytime, and anyplace, and under any conditions.
So we start by turning off the telephone and any other potential disturbances which could interrupt our special time. A sitting position with back straight encourages a supportive energetic flow in the body. Feet can be flat on the floor if desired. One may like a soft blanket to place around their body or a pillow behind their lower back to create warmth and comfort. Either way we suggest that one finds a comfortable position where they can forget about the body for a while so that they can move into other areas of awareness. Lying down is somewhat less desirable only because one is more likely to fall asleep; and we want to stay awake and aware in meditation.
After one is in a comfortable position, we may suggest taking some time to consciously quiet the physical, emotional and mental bodies by taking some deep breaths. We allow the breath to go where it wills. We make a decision that we are just going to let go of our stuff for right now. And as we breathe, we allow the breath to clear away stress and tension. We allow the breath to clear away worries and fears. We allow the breath to cleanse and quiet the body and mind. Perhaps when we are breathing in, we can imagine that we are breathing in pure light. And as we are breathing out, we can imagine that we are breathing out worries, pain, fears, and tensions.
Once we have brought ourselves to rest we can go into the energy of our heart center and we can see, or feel or imagine the light, the love, and the Presence of God within us. Sometimes we might like to remember for a moment that the God within us loves us without conditions and finds great joy in our seeking more of Its Presence. Perhaps we can imagine that this light and love is now expanding through and from our hearts to fill our entire body. We can allow this light to expand further still so that it extends all around our body and we are surrounded by a cocoon of light. If we find it a struggle to imagine or visualize we can just allow the breath [which is also God] to fill us with peace and calm.
And we can just sit in this energy for a time and simply enjoy the calmness, the quietness, and the peacefulness of the light-- and the easy flow of the breath. Maybe we desire to say a little prayer or an invocation of some kind. Maybe we don’t, and that’s fine too. Our prayer can be whatever we want it to be. We have observed that saying prayers in a rote and dogmatic way renders them empty and hollow. So we stay in our heart of hearts and we offer what words come forth from that space knowing that they will be received with great love, with great care and with great joy. And what we do is we just sit for a time and just be aware and open, peaceful and calm. We allow whatever thoughts or feelings that pass through to just pass through. No judging, No criticizing, No condemning.
Not too far into this we realize that being busy is much easier than being still. Nevertheless, we see the wisdom in what we are doing and know that over time it will become easier. We may notice also that our personality is only too happy to remind us of all the things we “have to do” today. But we allow those thoughts to just pass on through without picking them up and ruminating with them.
Sometimes it helps us to just hold our focus on the breath because the breath is easy. The breath brings us the life force. And it does not judge us or criticize us. It does not require for us to be “perfect” or to believe in any dogma in order to breath us. It just breathes us without conditions! Hmmm. How nice. So we can focus on the breath and watch as it itself becomes more still, and even, and quiet—and we too become more still, more even, more quiet.
Sometimes, as the stillness evolves, we find that there is perhaps a moment where we become aware that we have picked up some subtle information or ideas, or perhaps some subtle inspiration, or perhaps some subtle imagery. We allow what appears to just pass through effortlessly. We don’t chase it nor run away from it. Being still and aware. Perhaps our experiences in stillness will help us to understand a challenge that we are facing. Perhaps our experiences in stillness allow us to feel a peacefulness that escapes us when we are busy. Perhaps our experiences in stillness will reveal to us things about our self that we had not seen before. Perhaps in our experiences in stillness we will see where there is need for refinement. Whatever it may be, we will use the experiences to better weave our own path to healing, wholeness, awareness and joyful spiritual connectedness.
Sometimes we find that our mental body is making a lot of noise [“got to do this, got to do that”…]. Sometimes we find that our physical body is distracting us with complaints of discomforts. Sometimes our personality [ego] is deluging us with self doubts or anxieties, or other reasons why we can’t meditate or commune with our Source/God/Spirit . Sometimes our conscience is bothering us over something that we have said or done or thought which we did not feel right about. Either way, we see that we are doing wonderfully right now, even amidst the resistance, if it be there, for we have chosen the better path and we have laid down the first step. So we allow whatever thoughts, feelings, questions, and concerns which desire to arise, to arise. We neither chase them away, nor become attached to them. We simply allow them to pass through. We can even consider it a gift for the observation of these things as they will allow us to bear witness to our present condition and to gain a clearer perception of self and where there is need for refinement. So really, it’s all good as they say.
After our meditation feels completed, we take a moment to jot down our thoughts, impressions, feelings or imagery in a journal. In this way, we honor our self and the Spirit within us and what we have observed this day. We use the information that we witness to build a better life, a more noble character, and a bridge and union to the Divine within us.
From time to time we go back and peruse our journal and we find that some things that did not make sense then, make sense now. We are reminded that this is a journey of wonderment-- and that the Presence of God within us reveals to us not just in meditation and in prayer but through all people, places, things, times and events in our lives. In knowing this, we walk through our day in keeping of the peaceful centered awareness that we have cultivated through our meditative practices.
Copyright © 2003
|