World Meditation

Meditation may take many forms and it is eachthey came together head-on. He was slammed
individual who must decide what kind ofinto the vans grill, onto the windshield, propelled
meditation is best for them. Deciding individualover the top and landed on the asphalt road fifty
needs and purposes aid the beginning student infeet behind the van. Practically every bone in his
determining the correct path of meditation.body was broken. His pelvis was shattered, his leg
This article is meant to introduce the aspiringand several ribs broken and his skull fractured in
meditation student to the various types ofmany places. He lay unconscious for several days
meditation practiced throughout the world. It isin intensive care with all kinds of tubes running in
meant as a signpost to guide individuals as theyand out of him. When he finally came to he was
begin their journey. There are three major typesin terrible pain even with a morphine pump. He
of meditation. The first to be discussed (thissaid the main thing that got him through all of the
article) is called concentration. This will be followedpain was his ability to concentrate on his breathing.
by a second article on thoughtful meditation andHis technique was to relax as much as possible
the third article will discuss mindful meditation.and breathe slowly in and out concentrating on
Concentrationthe out-breath. On each out-breath he would
Concentration is used to calm an overactive mind.count until reaching ten breaths and that start
This type of mind replays scenarios of past andover. Many times he would lose concentration due
future events over and over. It hasto pain but he would start all over beginning with
conversations, arguments, etc. and ceaselesslythe number one. It took him several weeks to be
converses causing an agitated state within theable to count to ten over and over. It was his
person. In order to still this "monkey mind," it istenacious persistence of counting to ten with his
suggested that the individual focus on somethingbreath that got him through three years of
such as the breath, a candle flame, a sound, aagonizing pain. Five years have passed since the
smell, a taste or even a touch. Thousands ofaccident and he is now up and walking.
things may be used for practicing this type ofThe power of concentration was demonstrated
meditation. Some people are better athundreds of times by a man much like my friend
concentrating on images rather than tactilementioned above. That man was Hamid Bey
feelings while others may prefer concentrating on(1896-1976) who grew up in Egypt and spent
their breathing. No two people are exactly alikemuch of his youth in a Coptic temple being taught
when it comes to preferences in concentration.how to meditate and calm his mind. MOst of his
The object focused upon may be perceived orlater years were spent teaching people that pain
simply imagined, because it is the PROCESS ofand fear could be overcome through the power
focusing that stills the mind chatter. The decisionof concentration. He could place his body at the
on what to concentrate is an individual choice.complete command of his mind and enter into a
Those who are good at visualizing might trystate of total concentration. Many times he
imagining a hole in the middle of the chest wheredemonstrated his ability of slowing his heart rate
the heart lies and then breathing in and out ofand breathing to a point where they were virtually
that hole. A tactile person may rub the indexundetectable. He also gave demonstrations of his
finger and thumb of each hand lightly togetherability to concentrate by being buried alive for
while intently focusing on the feeling. The feelingdays. In other demonstrations he would allow
of touch may help relax and calm the overactivepeople to stick ice-picks through his hands and
mind. People who are good at imagining thingsneck without bleeding or feeling pain. He always
may try visualizing a river or flowers in aclaimed that he made use of only one thing -
meadow. The image belongs to the individual and"The power of concentration."
there is no right or wrong way to image the siteBy concentrating and focusing intently, any object
or scene that causes the mind to quiet, cease itscan become the window into a calm and relaxed
needless talk and simply become still.mind. By repeatedly bringing your attention back
A friend used the power of concentration to getto the object of your choice every time the mind
him through a painful, near death experience hewanders off, builds and deepens the power of
had after a terrible motorcycle accident. He wasconcentration much like developing stronger
riding his motorcycle down a country road onemuscles by consistently working out with weights.
morning when a van swerved onto his side and