Meditation Blog

Getting Started in Meditation

Tejvan Pettinger — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:52:23

The main thing in starting to meditate is to just do it. Meditation is absolutely natural and normal, and once we begin it is simple to make it an integral part of our lives. Because meditation concerns our own heart and soul, it turns out to be very intimate and familiar to us. Like a close and faithful friend, our meditation will be something that we know very well and is always there for us.

Meditation becomes natural and spontaneous when we do it regularly. We can make a comparison to the food which we need to eat each day. Meditation is spiritual nourishment, and just as we eat daily we should meditate at least once a day. We don’t try to eat all of our food for the whole week in one meal. In the same way we meditate regularly so we can receive the spiritual food we need.

Other comparisons we can make are to training for physical fitness or learning to play a musical instrument. Our ability to meditate grows with practice, like developing a muscle or learning a skill. Doing some each day is really effective, while skipping several days and then practicing a lot doesn’t work well. When beginning to meditate and also as we continue, we should meditate for the same amount of time each day, according to our capacity, and increase the length of our meditations only gradually.

Having a definite time to meditate is important. Then we don’t think about when or whether to meditate, we just do it. Our outer self as well as our inner being starts to feel that meditation is a totally normal and necessary part of our life. Meditation early each morning is a foundation for our practice. At that time all of the stresses and distractions of the day have not entered into us and we are fresh. We can receive strength and light from our meditation and then draw on it during the day. If we can meditate again in the evening, this is ideal. If we have a chance, we might fit in short meditations at other times.

The Simple Power of Meditation

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:38:18

This is a guest post by Slava Dodonu. Slava lives in Geneva where he helps to organise Meditation classes. See: Geneva meditation for more details

Meditation is cool. It really is.

Seven years ago when I first started to meditate, it felt like something beyond reach for us, the mere mortals, that only seriously minded individuals would practice. It also seemed complicated in the sense that you are not supposed to do anything and at the same time something was supposed to be happening. And then there were all the do’s and dont’s -- sit straight, keep your mind under control, eat this or do not eat that – as well as the endless approaches to meditation.

As I look back, I am surprised at how simple meditation can actually be. It also amazes me how such a simple thing as meditation can change one’s life – only for the better.

I wake up in the morning. I meditate. I do my workout and then prepare for the day. I come back home. I try to find a few minutes to meditate in the evening and then do something else. My day has a start I can effortlessly control – my morning meditation. My day has a natural transition and ending point – my evening meditation. I am confidently in control again.

Before it used to be sleeping and doing daily duties. Now there is more. There is a time in the morning when I am with myself, consciously with myself. It’s neither sleeping nor working. It’s just being with myself. In the evening, the experiences collected during the day are put to rest. All extraneous mental and emotional weight is acknowledged and let go of. I am with myself again.

And then there is the miracle of seeing results without caring too much about them. Here’s a useful analogy. Try to bring before your mind’s inner eye the image of a bird’s nest. What is it made of? Essentially, it consists of small pieces of wood, straw, dried offshoots and some sticky material like soil or clay. So what? Well, consider the constraints a small bird like a sparrow has to face: a small beak, no arms, not much strength. Yet, despite her smallness, it manages to build a nest for herself and her family to last a lifetime.

What’s the secret? Perseverance and focused repetitive behaviour consisting of hundreds and thousands of trips to locate, collect and bring the needed building material to the construction site of the nest. Tedious and boring? Maybe. Successful, useful and practical? You bet!

Meditation can be likened to a sparrow’s effort to build a nest. Meditating once a month would not amount to much, although it is better than not doing it at all. At this rate of progress, it would take many generations of sparrows to complete the nest. If they can survive many winters without a nest, that is.

Meditating every day, on the other hand, can make a world of difference in a relatively short span of time. You may or may not notice it yourself simply because of the habit of being with yourself at all times. Not so for others, who will notice the change or will see something special in you that they normally do not see in others. Being complimented on your ability to maintain your calm amidst challenging situations or spontaneously exhibiting unconditional goodwill to people who do not expect it are just insignificant by-products of a major transformative cycle of personal growth you embark upon.

I just cannot stop being amazed at how cool meditation is.

By Slava.

Slava is a meditation student of Sri Chinmoy, living in Geneva

Meditation Articles

Tejvan Pettinger — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:53:25

Learning Meditation

Tejvan Pettinger — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:06:17

If you are interested in learning about meditation. There are a few meditation exercises on this site which will help you get started.

It is helpful if you can find a group to learn meditation with other people. When we meditate in a group we gain inspiration from others. A group meditation creates a powerful sense of silence and focus. In many cities, Sri Chinmoy Centres offer free meditation classes. You may find a city near you. Meditation at Sri Chinmoy Centre.

For the latest articles on Meditation, you might like to view Meditation Category at our Self Improvement blog.

How Long Should I meditate for?

Tejvan Pettinger — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:42:12

Many beginners to meditation ask what is a good length of time to meditate for. The answer depends on the seeker and the inspiration they feel. Generally, it is not easy to give a particular time period; but, in the beginning, it is good to aim for at least 15 minutes.

If you meditate for too long, the mind will start to rebel; it will become very difficult to control your thoughts and you may feel a pressure in the third eye, a little bit like a headache. For beginners it is important not to pull beyond their capacity. When we try to pull in too much spiritual light, we cannot hold it. Similarly, if we meditate for too long, we will just feel a barren desert and derive no benefit at all. At this time, we would be better served by reading spiritual books or chanting mantras.

When we have been meditating for a few times, we will soon be able to tell when we are really meditating, and when we are just sitting there for the sake of it. If we just sit for a long time we may go through different cycles of thoughts and not get anywhere. When this occurs, it is a good time to stop.

We should always remember that we meditate for our own benefit. What matters is our sincerity. Nobody is watching over us giving us a reward if we meditate for a long time. We should always feel we are meditating to feed the inner pilot and strengthen our inner capacities. If we start to feel proud and pleased with ourselves for meditating a long time, we should no this is not a good sign. Real meditation will never give us a feeling of superiority; instead we will gain a feeling of oneness. If we sit in meditation for a long time and feel bloated with spiritual pride, this is a sign that we are meditating too long. As Sri Chinmoy suggests

"It is not how many hours you meditate but how you meditate. If you can meditate soulfully and devotedly for fifteen minutes and sincerely cry for Peace, Light and Bliss, that is better than three hours of meditation without any life in it. When you meditate, if there is a living presence in it, then that is meditation. Otherwise it is no better than sleep or death." [1]

The role of statues and pictures in meditation

Shane Magee — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 11:38:34

Statues and pictures are an important part of many spiritual traditions, whereas other traditions view them as obscuring the real nature of the truth. The latter hold that since God is formless and beyond human comprehension, people should meditate on the formless Reality rather than pictures or statues. It is certainly true that God is beyond the comprehension of the limited human mind. And it is also true that in the past, people have engaged in idol worship of statues rather than focusing on their inner life. However, for thousands of years statues and pictures have served as an inspiration for many spiritual seekers to reach the highest. When we look at a stature or a picture of a great spiritual master, we feel tremendous peace and love emanating from his features, which inspires us to pursue our prayers and meditations to find the Source of that peace and love.

One of the main obstacles on the spiritual path is doubt: at times the limiting mind clouds our view and we doubt that God really exists, but more often we doubt ourselves, we doubt that it is possible for us or indeed any human being to overcome the defects of our nature and reach the Highest. However, if we know of people who have reached that goal, we become surcharged with new inspiration, and we are filled again with determination to climb the mountain that these saints have successfully scaled. Even people who have no connection with spirituality whatsoever nowadays often have a Buddha statue in their houses: the statue creates a sense of peace and serenity, and indeed perhaps it may in future inspire them if they decide want to explore the inner life more fully.

In recent years, photographs of great spiritual teachers have become an invaluable resource for their students, especially when they are physically separated from the master. When they meditate on the photograph, they are not meditating on the physical person of the master, they are meditating on the meditative consciousness which through years of meditation has risen above all earthly fetters to become one with the highest. Through this meditation, they get a glimpse into this vast state of oneness with God, which inspires them to press ahead in their own spiritual journey until they can reach that state for themselves.

The author is a student of the meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy and has his own website on meditation and spirituality at shanemagee.com

Outer Aids to Meditation

Tejvan Pettinger — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 03:34:31

Meditation is an inner activity. When we meditate we make an inner connection with our inner pilot, our inner self. To attain the highest meditative consciousness we do not need any outer aids. However, if we are a beginner then there are several things that can help us in our meditation. Although they may only add a little benefit to our meditation, it is definitely worth taking the help of these outer aids.

1. Flowers

Having flowers on our shrine help our meditation. The fragrance and beauty of a flower help to create an inspiring atmosphere. When we look at a beautiful flower, we momentarily gain happiness and this helps us to enter into a good meditation.

2. Candle.

A candle is a symbol of our inner flame of aspiration. When we see a candle flame, we are reminded of this inner aspiration. A candle flame embodies great simplicity; it is simply a flame of one pointed aspiration up to the highest. The second aspect of a candle is light; the outer light is again symbolic of the inner light we seek to discover in our meditation. Thus, a candle is a very useful addition to our meditation shrine.

"You can concentrate anywhere: on the heart, on a candle or on any object. But if you are concentrating on a candle flame, please feel that nothing exists between you and the flame. Feel that nothing exists in your aspiring world but the flame; and while concentrating, feel that the inner flame is climbing high, higher, highest. The candle flame means aspiration. When you look at the flame, try to feel that you are aspiring, that there is no thought, nothing, in you or around you."

- Sri Chinmoy [1]

3. Incense.

Good quality incense helps to purify the air and create a spiritual vibration. Burning incense helps to create a meditative vibration, and over time we will associate the smell of incense with meditation. Thus, when we burn incense we will feel ready for meditation.

Mantra Meditation Exercise

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:35:42

If you have difficulty learning to meditate I strongly recommend the use of mantra. A mantra is a certain discipline which helps to create a meditative consciousness. When we repeat a mantra many times we seek to purify the mind and also gain inspiration from the quality of the mantra.

"If you repeat the mantra out loud, you will get physical purity. If you repeat the mantra in silence, you will get purity in your inner existence. Without inner purity, you will make no spiritual progress. "

- Sri Chinmoy [1]

One useful mantra exercise is to choose a word like "Aum" or Supreme" and repeat it 500 times in a day. The repetitions need not be long, we can repeat them relatively quickly, otherwise it will take too long. On the next day we increase the number of mantra repetitions to 600. The following day we can increase the number by another 100. At the end of the week we will be repeating the mantra 1200 times. On reaching 1200, the next day we should reduce the number by a 100 and go back down to 500. After this 2 week period, we should repeat the exercise going upto 1200 before returning to 500. The whole exercise, therefore, takes 1 month. If we follow the exercise properly we will definitely feel a real improvement in our meditation. The exercise is most effective because it forces us to be concentrated and disciplined. The mind cannot wander and we also benefit from the spiritual vibration of the mantra we choose.

Meditation Blogs

Richard Pettinger — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 14:38:32

Write Spirit Blog

including blog categories on meditation

Eso Garden Beautiful site by Ursi Spaltenstein

including category on meditation

Meditation Blog Meditation Blog with articles about Meditation

Meditation Silence Video

Richard Pettinger — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 14:24:29

Meditation Silence is a video produced by editors of Sri Chinmoy TV. It features footage of Sri Chinmoy meditating and offering short clear guidance about the essentials of Meditation.

Meditation Silence at Sri Chinmoy TV

Meditation by Swami Sivananda

Richard Pettinger — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 07:20:12

"Meditation is an experience that cannot be described, just as colors cannot be described to a blind man. All ordinary experience is limited by Time, Space and Causation. Our normal awareness and understanding do not transcend these bounds.

" Finite experience, which is measured in terms of past, present and future, cannot be transcendental. Concepts of time are illusory, for they have no permanence. The present, immeasurably small and fleeting, cannot be grasped. Past and future are non-existent in the present. We live in illusion."

Meditation Quotes

Richard Pettinger — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 15:41:25

My Lord,

When I most intensely pray and meditate,

The world badly misunderstands me.

My Lord, what shall I do?

"My child, you have only one world,

And that world is all love.

It needs neither understanding

Nor misunderstanding."

- Sri Chinmoy

Some inspiring quotes on meditation by Sri Chinmoy here at Meditation Quotes

Thoughts in Meditation

Richard Pettinger — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 12:12:30

The most common question asked when giving meditation classes is "How to quieten the Mind". Often people realise how busy the mind is.

I suggest we shouldn't expect to be able to stop thoughts straightaway. THe mind is so used to thinking it takes a while for it to learn a completely new approach.

This is an answer by Sri Chinmoy to a question "What do I do when bothered by thought in my meditations?"

Firstly persevere. This is the most common problem in the beginning because we use the mind constantly in our daily affairs. The mind can resist, it is very powerful and stubborn, but your determination and patience shall overcome these early difficulties. The soul has infinitely more capacities than the mind. The mind's activities are only shallow, whereas the soul's stillness lies within a much deeper and vaster reality. ..

Bigger Hearts from Meditation

Richard Pettinger — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 03:28:34

In 1999, a Buddhist monk moved to Canada and has since discovered something "shocking" about people in this country.

"Kids haven't been taught to use their hearts," said venerable Sam Uttho.

Compassion can be found and maintained through the act of meditation, he said, and it does not have to be a religious practice - which is an aspect that usually deters people from meditation.

Uttho, a Thailand native, said curiosity brought him to Canada where he has learned the human mind is truly universal and that meditation is something from which anyone can benefit.

Science has dominance over the Western mind, Uttho added, and science rejects spirituality. Meditation, he said, is a way to find compassion, love, trust and respect within a person's mind and body.

"You can't remove emotion from human beings, but science removes everything," he said.
Studies have also found that through meditation, positive energies can be created to reduce stress, improve immune systems, encourage creativity and heal many chronic pains, Uttho said.

"Material science cannot explain everything," he said. "People (have) ignored the mind for many years."

60th Anniversary of "Autobiography of a Yogi"

Richard Pettinger — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 12:10:04

"Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananada is one of the greatest spiritual books. His autobiography of a Yogi has inspired countless people to take up mediation and the spiritual life. The book exudes a spiritual consciousness and is a fascinating glimpse into the life of a real genuine Yogi. The book tells the own spiritual journey of Yogananda from an aspiring seeker in India to his spiritual mission in the West.

Since Yogananda's arrival in America many Westerners have been introduced to Kriya Yoga meditation.

One day, while working on his autobiography, Guru told us: "When I have left this world, this book will change the lives of millions. It will be my messenger when I am gone."

from SRF

Meditation Music

Richard Pettinger — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 12:09:38

Online Meditation Music featured at Eso Garden

The site is maintained by Ursi Spaltenstein who has created a really beautiful design.

Ananda is one group featured at Radio Sri Chinmoy

Meditation Silence 3

Richard Pettinger — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 11:52:41

The latest episode of Inspiration Silence has been released. Episode 3 includes a short talk on the art of concentration by Sri Chinmoy. The video also features Sri Chinmoy meditating in silence and captures a glimpse of the profound depths of meditation.

View: Meditation Silence Podcast at iTunes

View all episodes of Meditation Silence at Sri Chinmoy TV

Meditation May reduce Risk of Heart Attack

Richard Pettinger — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 11:48:09

Researchers from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles say teaching heart patients how to meditate helped reduce the risk of future heart attacks.

Maura Paul-Labrador is lead author of the study that appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine. She says there was already evidence that meditation lowers blood pressure, but researchers didn't know why. She says her new study shows it's because meditation affects the autonomic - or involuntary - nervous system, which, among other things, helps regulate heartbeat.

"We looked at what we called heart rate variability, which is a measure of autonomic nervous system." Paul-Labrador explains that heart rate varies from beat to beat. A healthy heart is one that has a wide range of speeds - from a slow heartbeat at rest, to a fast one for an active person. Hearts that change rate rapidly in response to changes in conditions, and then return to rest more quickly have good heart rate variability. Paul-Labrador says, "we were able to show that our meditation group improved their heart rate variability more than the active control group."

The researchers think people in the study lowered their blood pressure because of improvements in their autonomic nervous system. But they're still not sure exactly how it works. Some patients were even able to lower their doses of blood pressure medication.

In addition, Paul-Labrador says, "The meditation group was able to deal with their blood sugar better." Better control of insulin reduces their potential risk for diabetes. "You want your body to respond to lower levels of insulin, and so what we were able to find is that our meditation group was able to lower their insulin resistance compared to the active control group."

Paul-Labrador says people in the study meditated for 20 minutes, twice a day. She said the researchers had the subjects learn transcendental meditation because the practice is taught in a standardized way. She says other forms of meditation might also be effective, but they didn't study any other methods.

From: Web source

A Monks Tale of Meditation

Richard Pettinger — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 11:47:26

Father Laurence Freeman is head of the World Community for Christian Meditation and he's a Benedictine monk from the Monastery of Christ the King in London.

It's an independent Roman Catholic Monastery that professes vows of stability in community, conversatio morum (conversion of life through celibacy, simplicity and other monastic disciplines) and obedience.

Father Laurence travels the world promoting the practice of Christian meditation and says it's very enjoyable, a wonderful gift to me really - I have a wonderful life.

He's travelled an interesting path to this point in his life. After graduating from Oxford with a Masters degree in English Literature, he tried his hand at Journalism and later worked at the United Nations in merchant banking. He then decided to spend six months in a monastery to learn about meditation and says he decided it was what he wanted to do full-time.

"I felt I had lost my ambition to be the greatest journalist in the world
or the richest merchant banker in the world so I decided to become a monk."

Father Freeman is in Mount Isa to hold talks and discussion sessions about meditation.

...I felt I had lost my ambition to be the greatest journalist in the world or the richest merchant banker in the world so I decided to become a monk.

"Particularly focusing here on the teaching of children to meditate because that's one of the great things that's been happening in the Townsville dioceses. We're going to take what we've learned about teaching children to meditate to the rest of the world."

He says a child is ready to meditate, they're kind of born into this. "It's a great gift for the rest of their lives."

Meditation is a universal spiritual practice and wisdom, says Father Freeman. "You find it in all the religions of the world, and it's just that Christians seem to have forgotten or lost touch with their own deeper spiritual tradition of prayer meditation."