Meditation produces an inner revolution in every individual.
This leads to "right consciousness", "right breathing",
"right sleep" and "right sexuality".
The main purpose for meditation is to make your mind
peaceful and to recharge your energy; but there are
actually more benefits than this to be gained. If you
achieve a high level of meditation it is believed that
you can develop healing powers. During meditation you
will feel the chi flowing inside your body. When all
the meridian channels are clear the chi will be very
strong. The outside of the body will feel soft with
all the muscles and joints relaxed. This means that
the inside of the body is strong (when the outside is
yin, the inside must be yang).
Meditation is a method for acquainting your mind with
virtue. It is the mind that will analyse or concentrate
on a virtuous aspect. If you contemplate an object and
it causes you to develop an unpeaceful mind, such as anger
or attachment, this indicates that the object is non-virtuous.
There are also many objects that are neither virtuous
nor non-virtuous, these are neutral objects.
When you perform meditation your mind will become peaceful.
You will be free from worries and mental discomfort,
resulting with the experience of true happiness. But
if your mind is not peaceful you will find it very difficult
to be happy, even if you are living in the best conditions.
Eventually, through continual training, you will be
able to stay happy all the time, even in the most difficult
circumstances. Most of the stress and tension you normally
experience come from your mind. Problems you experience,
including ill-health, are caused or aggravated by stress.
Initially you may find it difficult to control your
mind. It seems as if your mind is like a balloon in
the wind - blown here and there by external circumstances.
If things go well your mind is happy, but if things
go bad the mind immediately becomes unhappy. Such fluctuations
of mood arise because you are too closely involved in
the external situation. By performing meditation you
create an inner space and clarity, that enables you
to control your mind regardless of the external circumstances.
Gradually you develop mental equilibrium, a balanced
mind that is happy all the time, rather than an unbalanced
mind that oscillates between the extremes of excitement
and despondency. Eventually you will be able to eradicate
from your mind the delusions that are the cause of all
your problems and suffering. However, you may feel that
meditation is making your mind even busier; but in reality
all that is happening is that you are just becoming
aware of how busy your mind actually is.
There will be a great temptation to follow the different
thoughts as they arise, but you should resist this and
remain focused single-pointedly on the sensation of
the breath. If you discover that your mind has wandered
and is following your thoughts you should immediately
return it to the breath. Concentrate on your Tan Tien
area to ensure that the chi will be stored there. You
should repeat this as many times as necessary until
the mind settles on the breath. If you practice patiently
in this way, gradually your distracting thoughts will
subside and you will experience a sense of inner peace
and relaxation. Your mind will feel lucid and spacious
and you will feel refreshed. You should stay with this
state of mental calm for a while.
You can practice your own style of meditation by using
a sitting, standing or lying position. You may even use
gestures or mantras. You must remain conscious of yourself
- you cannot let go fully in order to forget everything.
However, the magical word "meditation" simply
translates as "nothing".
The most common postures for the practice of meditation
are:
1. Sitting upright in a chair, with both feet flat
on the floor.
2. Sitting cross-legged on the floor and the hands
relaxed upon your bent knees.
3. Kneeling as if in prayer. Sitting on your heels
or between them, resting your hands on your thighs.
To sit in a meditation posture requires that your physical
balance is kept in accord with nature. If pushed from
any direction you will not topple over. It is like a
foundation-stone being firm, fixed and unshakeable.
When you sit in a meditation posture it should be as
if a lovely cool wind blows in summer, and in winter
a cosy fire burn on the hearth.
|
Commencing your meditation
|
1. To commence meditation it is best to choose a
place where you will not be disturbed. Also, if possible,
try to choose the same time each day.
2. Choose a comfortable posture. If sitting or kneeling
your back should be straight so that the Baihui point
or sky-door (on top of the head) and the Huiyin point
(between the legs near the anus) are in line and vertical.
This ensures that the spine is held in alignment and
allows you to gather the "heaven" and "earth"
chi, which will then flow naturally. By sitting in an
incorrect posture, such as, leaning forward or backward
will suppress the lungs, causing a shortness of breath
and result in you losing chi. A good posture will prevent
your mind from becoming sluggish or sleepy, and you
will not become tired.
3. Keep your shoulders down and the arms relaxed.
4. The head and neck should be kept straight and
upright. The head should not be allowed to slump onto
your chest, as this blocks the flow of energy through
the neck.
5. Your eyes should be partially closed and your
sight focused on a spot on a distant wall.
6. Concentrate and think about your breathing pattern.
Breathe naturally, preferably through the nostrils.
Without attempting to control your breath, try to become
aware of the sensation of the breath as it enters and
leaves the nostrils. This sensation is your object of
meditation. You should try to concentrate on it to the
exclusion of everything else. You may feel warm, tingling
or itchy - such sensations are very natural.
|
Finishing your meditation
|
When you want to finish your meditation, you should complete
with Shou Gong, which means Ending Exercise or Collecting
(Balancing) Exercise. Always do this as it brings your
chi back to the Tan Tien, to store it so it is not lost.
If you have been meditating in a sitting or lying position
you should do the Shou Gong sitting. If you have been
meditating standing up, you should do the Shou Gong in
a standing position.
Meditation is the master of breath. It will give meaning
to the development of mind and body. Proper breathing
is taught as an essential and fundamental factor of concentration.
You will probably find, as you relax, that your breathing
will deepen and the body’s healing and balancing powers
will begin to work. With each breath you should gather
your whole strength on one point only in the Tan Tien.
This is known as keeping your strength in the lower belly.
The pattern of breathing should be slow, deep, cairn and
natural - using your diaphragm. There must be deep inhalation
and full exhalation. The action of making the expiration
longer than the inspiration exerts a downward pressure
on the intestines. Normal breathing rate is fifteen to
eighteen cycles per minute. Through the exercise of meditation
the breathing rate may become less than ten cycles per
minute. Really good "meditative" breathing could
be as low as three cycles per minute.
When you breathe naturally the breathing cycle should
follow your body’s movements or feelings, and you should
not be aware of your breathing actions. When you inhale
using this method your abdomen expands, and when you exhale
it contracts. This method is connected with the Tan Tien,
which is located in the area below the navel. Thus the
expanding and contracting of the abdomen stimulate the
Tan Tien.
This is the opposite to natural breathing. When you
inhale the abdomen contracts, when you exhale the abdomen
expands. This method of breathing requires a higher
level of expertise. It makes the Tan Tien very strong
and stimulates the Ren (front) and Du (back) channels.
Reverse breathing creates fire in your body.
Whichever kinds of breathing you use, do not go too
far too quickly. Start by using natural breathing and
then gradually introduce the use of reverse breathing
for certain purposes. In fact, if you can relax enough
and forget the way you breathe, unconsciously your breathing
will incorporate both normal and reverse breathing.
Everyone will experience meditation in a different and
unique way. You may see colours. These colours represent
the energy (chi) emanating from various internal organs
(each has its own colour)
All of the following methods will help you to achieve
a quiet state of relaxation. In the beginning you will
have problems trying to concentrate the mind, so, "use
one thought to get rid of a thousand thoughts until everything
is peaceful".
1. Imagine the moon at the centre of your body,
in your Tan Tien. Clouds drift slowly overhead and the
moon disappears behind them, then it appears again.
Combine this visualisation with your breathing.
2. Imagine an object you like, such as a flower,
a tree, the sun, the moon or a person, and put this
visualisation in your Tan Tien.
3. Look at one object and forget everything else.
4. Imagine a sound like a stream train slowly pulling
away in the distance, water dropping or a clock ticking.
5. You can listen to some beautiful music during
meditation to bring yourself to a relaxed state.
6. Breathe in and breathe out while counting the
length of each breath.
7. Think of a poem or phrase (similar to Mantra
repetition)
8. Let the distractions come and slowly achieve
balance through concentrating on them.
9. Go to a peaceful place, let the atmosphere influence
you, and then practice meditation.
10. Count from one to hundred during meditation.
Even though breathing meditation is only a preliminary
stage of meditation, it can be quite powerful. When
the turbulence of distracting thoughts subside and your
mind becomes still, a deep happiness and contentment
arise naturally from within. This feeling of contentment
and well-being help you to cope with the busyness and
difficulties of daily life. Just by performing breathing
meditation for ten to fifteen minutes each day you will
be able to reduce stress. You will experience a calm,
spacious feeling in the mind, and many of your usual
problems will fall away. Difficult situations will become
easier to deal with. You will naturally feel warm and
well disposed toward other people, and your relationships
with others will gradually improve
|
