Meditation For Beginners - Key to the Inner Realm Have you discovered the rewards of meditation? Meditation is the method for opening a pathway to your soul record, the cosmos and the voice of Spirit.
By quieting all thoughts of the ego mind, meditation allows us to bask in quiet consciousness, to be at peace and to listen within.
In this inner silence we can sense our soul yearnings and our ultimate purpose.
We may receive "knowing" insights and gain clarity with regard to internal dilemmas by listening to our hearts' truth, for the heart is where we commune with spirit and learn how to heal our past and present soul grievances.
Meditation enables us to exercise our intuitive skills and become more confident in our psychic abilities.
When our thoughts are stilled, we become open channels of pure consciousness.
In the silent space of consciousness we are open receptors to the higher perspectives of illumined guidance.
We may receive intuitive insights and often times the inaudible communications from guidance known as telepathy.
Telepathic communication from Spirit is most often subtle, and this can cause us to doubt ourselves.
We ask ourselves, "Did I make that up? Was it really guidance? How do I know?" We know when we're hearing the truth by how it resonates within the heart.
Truths gleaned intuitively speak foremost to the heart and soul, not to the reasoning mind.
The heart's truth is undeniable and should not be questioned based on logic or intellectual knowledge.
Illumined guidance is consistently wise and loving, and always for our highest good.
How do we go about getting to this still place within? Stillness is accomplished through single-minded focus; in other words, through extended focus on a single point.
The point of focus can be an object, an image, a thought or a sound.
Mental stillness through focus allows the senses to open to higher consciousness and the mind, body and spirit to simply be.
Deepak Chopra explained the concept of meditation and the process of achieving a meditative state in a manner that finally made sense to me.
He explained that there is a pause between each of our thoughts, especially as we switch from one subject to another.
It is this pause that we want to focus on and learn to extend.
The following is an example of the typical whirlwind of internal dialog common to so many of us: "What should I fix for dinner tonight? Doesn't really matter - I'm going to get home late - let's make it simple.
(Pause) The auditor is coming tomorrow - what should I wear? Be conservative.
No.
Well, maybe.
What dress slacks do I have that are ironed? Yeah, the gray ones.
(Pause) Did she mean what she said? Damn, she can be such a witch.
(Pause) She probably didn't mean it.
Let it go.
(Pause) Oh, man, I forgot to pick up the dry cleaning.
I'm not going to have my favorite blouse to wear.
Oh well, (pause) let's start that diet tonight - no time like the present.
Oh, yeah, right.
Well, maybe tomorrow.
" Yackity-Yackity-Yak...
Consider the letter X to be thoughts or internal dialog and the dash - to be pauses between thought: Thought X Pause - In meditation, our goal is to recognize the pauses between thoughts and to extend them purposefully into one long, drawn out pause (-).
And each time we return to a chatty thought, (XXXXXXXXXXX), we need to bring ourselves back to center and pause again (-- XXXX-- X,- XX - XXXX -- XXX -X--­­­­­­­­­-).
To quiet the mind for an extended period, choose something simple to focus on.
It can be helpful to focus on a pinpoint of light in your imagination, or to concentrate on a mantra or affirmation.
Many teachers say to simply focus on your breath or chant "OM" repeatedly.
Any object or idea that feels right to you and enables you to focus without mind chatter will be effective.
I imagine a horizontal line that extends over my inner vision.
Sometimes this line becomes thehorizon, where the sky meets the ocean or the land.
Use something that feels good or neutral to you, something that will allow feelings of relaxation and well being.
The key is to use something so simple it will enable you to focus without any interest, thought or judgment.
Simplicity is the key; the goal is to simply be and to observe the presence of silence within.
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