Doc harmony is proud to share Mrs. Neo's blog about meditation!

10 Positive Practices for Meditation

By: Mr. & Mrs. NEO

Mrs. Neo is a Favorite Guest Blogger and always knows how to share the Right Things at the Right Time.  Thank you for allowing us to share this message with our audience. The Neos are creating blogs and audios about becoming Superhuman!

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To meditate is: To engage in contemplation or reflection. To engage in mental exercise, (such as the concentration on one's breathing), for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of awareness.  To focus one's thoughts: to reflect on or ponder over. To plan, visualize or project in the mind.*

“The best meditation is effortless. The best meditation is a gentle awareness”. -- Maxime Lagacé

 

Absolutely nothing has passed the test of time like meditation. If it didn’t offer vast benefits, it would not have been such an integral part of the human consciousness for more than 6000 years.

There is no doubt that meditation works; yet, why is it that some people find it so hard to meditate? What makes meditation difficult to embrace consistently, how long should one meditate and how exactly do you meditate? I am frequently asked these questions, and below you will find 10 simple solutions for the student wanting to begin meditating and learn more-- to an advanced meditator who will resonate with the reminders.

“Praying is talking... Meditation is listening.” -- Paulo Coelho

 

1) Good meditation guidance. Guidance you do receive for meditation needs to explore the vastness of techniques, positions and locations allowing your heart and mind to relax and remain open. It need not be rigid with specific rules, protocols, expectations or outcomes. Remain open and invite awareness, peace, harmony and balance.

“In practicing meditation, we’re not trying to live up to some kind of ideal – quite the opposite. We’re just being with our experience, whatever it is.” -- Pema Chödrön

 

2) To begin, dedicate a place for your daily meditation practice. Establish a time and place you feel most comfortable to meditate. Perhaps it is in nature, or in a quiet room in your home. Eventually, both the place and the time become anchors to remind you of your dedicated meditation practice, helping keep you more consistent. It’s a lot easier to train your mind and body to take the time to meditate if you can get into a rhythmic, regular routine.

“The mind is definitely something that can be transformed, and meditation is a means to transform it.” --Dalai Lama

 

3) Choose a comfortable meditation posture. You can sit cross-legged on the floor if preferred, or you can lounge on a chair with a backrest, or lie down comfortably. (Some people discover walking meditative exercises favored in a safe and relaxing setting). Choose what makes you feel comfortable and you are more apt to be consistent. The more comfortable you are, the more enjoyable it is, and the more relaxed and open you will become during meditation.

“Paradise is not a place, it’s a state of meditative consciousness.” -- Sri Chinmoy

 

4) Start with a simple and easy-to-practice meditation technique like focusing on the breath, quieting the mind, or relaxing the entire body from the feet up. Don’t worry too much about finding the perfect technique, being advanced, or “getting it right”. Meditation is 99% you and 1% technique. Discovery, harmony, awakenings, awareness and enlightenment through meditation are not in the how, but are found in the being and doing.

“Meditation is connecting with your soul.” -- Deepak Chopra

 

5) The ideal meditation duration is between 20 to 60 minutes in one sitting. If you only have time to meditate for 10 or 15 minutes, that is a great start and again, try not to focus on the time spent—as much as recognizing the value in the time to be gained. It might seem difficult to meditate for 20 minutes initially, but eventually time and space will seem irrelevant and pass quickly as you discover more-- and meditation’s quiet, meaningful wisdom unfolds. Meditation is not a sprint under the watchful eye of a stopwatch; nor is it a singular destination where one asks, “Are we there yet?”

“Meditation is not a withdrawal from life. Meditation is a process of truly understanding oneself.” -- Jiddu Krishnamurti

“Meditation is not a destination…but rather an introspective journey towards greater discovery, broadened awareness, heightened vibration, deeper inner peace, holistic healing, higher wisdom and conscious enlightenment.—Mrs. Neo

 

6) Make meditation a priority. If it helps to begin with a designated time and place as a consistent reminder of your dedication, or if you want to specifically carve out the time in a day to meditate, make the commitment to your own progression, growth, expansion, development and self-improvement by making your meditation time a priority. Some Patreons here have even joined a meditation group, have a meditation partner, or have started meditating with their spouse or partner.

“Meditation is a way for nourishing and blossoming the Divine within you.” -- Amit Ray

 

7) Make meditation enjoyable—a time in your day you look forward to! Meditation is a great adventure. In fact, it can become one of the greatest of all adventures; what can be more exciting than diving into the depths of your being and beyond to know your true self more fully, connect with the vastness of the seen and unseen, tap into higher wisdom, feel true inner peace, find balance within, experience deep healing or more simply, take the time for you, for manifestation visualizations, heartfelt gratitude or quiet solitude? Keep your meditation time meaningful and enjoyable!

“It is through meditation, the higher self is experienced.” -- Bhagavad Gita 

 

8) Meditation is in your mind.  Meditation, like anything else, is what you make of it. I sometimes hear, “My meditation doesn’t seem to be working.” It should not be work, nor should it be something that could be “broken”, or in need of “fixing” with particular results.  Make your meditation your own. Discover what awaits, and accept what comes without rules. Make sure your expectations match your desired experience—which may be as simplified as taking some time to quiet your mind and “listen”.

“Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”-- Hermann Hesse

 

9) Meditation is for anyone. Come as you are. Be yourself. Be comfortable. Meditation is not designed for only those of a specific religion or religious background.  It can be very spiritual—or it does not have to be a religious or spiritual experience, if you do not want it to be. It is not symbolic of atheism nor piety. It is not reserved for a particular class, sect, age, sex or status. It is offered freely, without restraints or restrictions, boundaries or borders. It is an empowering, ancient gift that is given to you at no cost.

“Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man…” -- Benjamin Franklin

 

10) Remember the countless benefits of meditation. Meditation can lead to deeper self-love, self-care, self-realization, a higher self-image and even enlightenment.  It can lead to deeper awakening, awareness, acceptance and oneness. It has countless benefits towards healing or maintaining optimal health through visualization, relaxation, balance, harmony, relieving stress and anxiety, improved sleep and peace of mind. It increases wisdom, intelligence, attention, concentration, clarity and confidence. It improves memory, cognition and circulation. It encourages focusing on the present and the positives.  It can transmute negativity, cleanse chakras, clear energy, raise vibrations and be grounding.  It stimulates creativity, imagination, and productivity. It increases patience, tolerance, compassion and connections. All of these and much more, are byproducts of meditation, which can be done anytime, anywhere and on any budget!

“Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity.” -- Voltaire

“A meditator is both an artist and a warrior.” -- Thich Nhat Hanh

…who becomes more and more Superhuman!