| "body"> | | | | I try to be in nature everyday, whether it is |
| How do YOU meditate? What works for you? | | | | watching ants in my backyard or fishing on the |
| What do you feel in your body? I know I'm not | | | | local rivers and lakes. That is meditation to me. I |
| the only one to admit that I have a difficult time | | | | also use spontaneous free-associative journaling |
| meditating. Here are some answers I received | | | | as part of meditative practice. I picked this up |
| from the above question on an interactive | | | | from Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way." She calls |
| Conscious Evolution site last year. I hope one of | | | | such discipline "morning pages" and there is no |
| these methods will help you on your meditative | | | | doubt that this approach has great power to |
| journeys. | | | | center one in meditative action and intuition. |
| Method #1: | | | | I guess what I am seeing from what I am saying |
| Ritual is very important to my meditation practice. | | | | is that I am highly kinesthetic and prefer action |
| In my practice that includes meditating at the | | | | meditation to passive meditation...and if you hadn't |
| same time every day: incense, a lit candle, | | | | asked the question, I would not have realized this. |
| acknowledging the four directions and an opening | | | | Bravo. Hope that makes some sense. Nick |
| prayer and music. I have been influenced by Zen | | | | (Evolve Community Café) |
| meditation, yoga relaxation and breathing | | | | Method #3 |
| practices, visualization techniques, mantra | | | | I meditate early in the morning -- it's a big part of |
| repetition and even dancing techniques to name a | | | | my life. About four years ago I went on a |
| few. My meditation experience changes from day | | | | weekend retreat in Oxford to the Brahma |
| to day as sometimes it is very contemplative of | | | | Kumaris and learned to meditate by Raj Yoga |
| my life; some days I feel connected to nature or | | | | which means meditating with your eyes open. At |
| I find myself praying for peace, compassion and | | | | first it was difficult but Discipline is the key. It |
| love. At times my meditation takes me into a | | | | calms my working mind and psychologically-wise, I |
| void where there is no thought or it can be very | | | | am more at peace. Molly |
| visionary where I receive insights about my life | | | | Method #4 |
| and that of others around me; sometimes I even | | | | I read this in The Evolution Angel by Dr. Michael |
| see things far into our future. Every once in a | | | | Abrams and liked it, so will share it with you. |
| while, I am BLESSED with feeling an all-loving | | | | The angels believe that we lost the ability to |
| presence that permeates my whole being with | | | | communicate with God directly when the |
| happiness and love. What is constant and most | | | | churches put in a go-between for communication. |
| important about my meditation practice is that it | | | | These angels give us permission to use God's |
| has become as essential to my life as breathing | | | | name, which is Yahweh, in meditating with God to |
| air is for all of us. Best of all, I have seen how my | | | | connect at a deeper level and on an evolutionary |
| behavior in my everyday life has become (for the | | | | plane. Yahweh is the name referred to in the |
| most part-who is perfect?) a mirror of the peace | | | | Lord's Prayer. It is the name in the Judeo-Christian |
| and compassionate feeling I tap into when I | | | | tradition that is said to be so sacred that it is |
| meditate. I have been meditating for 20 years. | | | | never to be uttered aloud. |
| May you have a blessed journey. From Pablo | | | | If you dwell on this name in your mind over and |
| (Evolve Community Café) | | | | over, day after day, month after month, all good |
| Method #2 | | | | things will come to you. Do not use the name in |
| Good question. I use a very unstructured | | | | an empty, mechanical manner. Repeat the name |
| approach, working toward the goal of making all | | | | silently within. Saying the name over and over |
| my waking and sleeping moments meditative. If I | | | | helps you to overcome that inner chatter. |
| am walking (or cycling), I develop a rhythmic | | | | Here's how it's done: |
| cadence of affirmation around some issue (health, | | | | 1) As you say the name your thoughts should |
| harmony, love, etc) and pace the affirmation to | | | | gradually slow and lengthen. Repeat each syllable |
| my pace. For instance, I like an eight-step pace | | | | rather slowly. Saying each syllable in about a |
| and this harmony affirmation works well for me, | | | | second and then lengthening it to 3-4 seconds |
| "I am one with the universe and all things in IT. | | | | with a little rest between syllables. It will feel good |
| Not my will, but thine be done." | | | | when you hit the correct cadence for you. |
| My hypnosis/hypnotherapy training has taught me | | | | 2) To further enhance the technique, breath in on |
| that trance induction is easy. I use the following | | | | the "Yah' and exhale on the "Vay." Your breath |
| sequence of statements repeated sub-vocally | | | | should be smooth, peaceful and in a leisurely |
| (and paced with normal breathing cycle) to induce | | | | fashion. |
| both trance and meditation: "Relax now. Release | | | | 3) When you get that part down, add in the |
| now. Renew now. Refresh now. Live now. Love | | | | heartbeat. Visualize and feel the sounds, along with |
| now. Heal now. Grow now. Peace now". | | | | your breath, flowing in and out of your heart. |