Meditation techniques -
The Power of Your Mind
This is where you learn to use your mind as a tool!
In fact it is the most powerful tool at your disposal.
The term Meditation Techniques covers a wide range of skills, methods and practices, some of which have been developed and refined over at least five thousand years.
Meditating was once regarded as the domain of monks and mystics, yet today more and more people are finding a place in their life for meditation techniques.
These may range from methods of relaxation through to esoteric spiritual practices.
The idea of practicing meditation techniques often conjures up images of a shaven-headed monk sitting cross-legged on top of a mountain, oblivious to the world around him.
I would also include a quiet walk in nature as being within the realms of meditation techniques.
Sportsmen use meditation techniques to focus their efforts and improve on their performances, businessmen are taught meditation techniques in the guise of visualizing the outcome of goals and also to relax and relieve stress.
Everyone can use some form of improvement in their lives and in one form or another, meditation techniques are the shortest path to self-improvement, particularly through the mind-power meditation techniques.
The importance this chapter and the chapter on affirmations is that when both affirmation and meditation techniques are understood - and practiced - you possess the basic tools of self-empowerment.
When affirmations and meditation techniques are used in concert, you have the ability to change virtually any condition in your life, in other words, you can attain mastery of life.
Many people regard this combination as being the power to **manifest, whether it is as simple as getting (programming) a parking space at the shops, or as profound as projecting your entire future. You have the power, you were born with it. Now you have to learn how to use it.
** Manifesting is the concept of being able to cause things to happen (or to not happen), or to attract things or circumstances to yourself in the physical world through the power of the mind.
The Law of Attraction is an example of the power of manifesting.
Be Master of Your Life Personal Development Course with their full permission.
The first goal of any meditation technique is to calm the mind and body. From calmness the mind finds peace and the body relaxation to recharge and heal.
To guide you to a state of peace and calm, we need to know what is happening in our minds.
Brain Activity :
Medical science has identified four states of brain activity on an EEG-machine:
Beta:
-
Your normal waking state, which is characterized by brain rhythms of 14
cycles per second and above. In this state your mind activity is a
veritable can of worms. The higher the brain activity becomes, the
greater the stress factor.
-
A very relaxed state of mind, characterized by brain rhythms of between 7
and 14 cycles per second. In this state of mind you are relaxed,
somewhere halfway between being fully awake and asleep. Dreaming and
daydreaming occur in the alpha state. The big difference between operating in alpha and beta is that in
beta your mind is in control of yourself, whereas in alpha you are in
control of your mind.
- Usually the state of sleep, when not dreaming. Characterized
by brain rhythms of between 3.5 to 7 cycles per second. The theta
level is also reached in very deep forms of meditation where
consciousness becomes separate from mind and body.
- Very deep sleep or coma, characterized by a brain rhythm of between .5 to 3.5 cycles per second.
As with all new skills, there is a learning curve as you become proficient. This learning curve is particularly applicable to learning to mediation because the experience of meditation is both subjective and personal. With mediation there are no signposts, no predetermined levels of skill to guide you, just a growing of awareness of yourself and a subtle but definite improvement in events in you life.
Regular practice is the first requirement for making meditation techniques work for you.
It is also a good idea if you can set aside a time of day for relaxing and meditating, in fact if you are serious about meditating it is necessary that a specific time be set and a certain discipline be observed.
You do not need to have a definite goal in mind to be attained from your meditations, however as you travel up the learning curve you will find that purpose will manifest itself.
Initial discipline and preparation for meditation are very important, because in meditating you are teaching your mind to be still and at peace.
For some this in itself can be a new experience!
We live in times where we find ourselves continually bombarded by stimulation. Our minds constantly receive input from a hectic world around us and, assuming you do not live on a desert island, your mind has grown accustomed to being busy most of the time.
It is necessary to separate yourself from all this daily "white noise". When you are in a meditative state, you are in effect isolated - even if you are with a group!
Develop an awareness of just how much stimulation you are receiving from the media and advertising in particular. Bright colours, sensational images, fast action and more fast action: the messages we receive are go, go, go!
Separation is not isolation, it is placing yourself in the position of an observer.
Imagination :
Considering what never was and what could be!
When you read a book, your imagination supplies the pictures. A vivid imagination is your path to creativity!
Before we were bombarded with continual images by the media, we had to use our imagination to provide our own images - as children we developed our own games.
Not only is todays constant stimulation detrimental to our peace of mind, our imagination is being replaced by carefully preprocessed images.
The media industry is trying to steal your Imagination!
Your faculty of imagination is a vital part of your being. It is the essence of your creative ability and is the seed of your intuition.
In fact, by developing your imagination you can open doorways to latent skills and abilities which many would find amazing.
This puts you back in control of your own mind.
To start with you may experience difficulty from your accustomed state of always thinking of something or other. You will find that you cannot simply block thoughts out.
Thinking of not thinking is a thought-process in itself!
Envisage it this way: you are not your thoughts, you are the space which they occupy!
An allegory to this statement is to see yourself as the sky and your thoughts are the clouds. As they appear, simply let them drift by and vanish.
Some forms of meditation do not require a release of the thought-processes, in fact they use it creatively.
In guided meditations in the Alpha State of Mind, where someone is talking you through a meditative experience, your thought-processes are guided into suggested images.
Note - This is not hypnosis or even near
it. This is simply suggested imagery which you are free to follow or
not. At all times during a guided meditation you are free to open your
eyes and break off the session.With this type of meditation, the ability to visualize clearly is very important.
This is the ability to 'see' with your eyes closed, invoking the powers of your imagination.
With discipline and practice, you will learn to produce clearer images in your mind, not just a general picture, but absoloutely specific images in living color.
The more real the better.
This is the image of what you are projecting to the universe, thus the clearer the image you project, the better connection you can establish between the reality of your imagination and the reality of your life.
This is the point where you are in control, with the power of your mind working for you - at your command.
There is a learning curve to visualising :
- At first you pretend you are visualising
- Then you imagine you are visualising
- Finally at last you are visualising
For some people this ability is automatic, whilst others have to work at it - however, you can do it! Practice, practice, practice.
Visualising something is not simply thinking about it - you must be able to "see" your desire as if in reality.
Clearly visualising your desires is a vital step in bringing your desires into being, in fact alpha meditation techniques depend upon it.
The process of cleansing (compacting) your aura is one of clearing your body/mind/spiritual connection.
It goes like this :
- Massage your third eye with the fingertips of your dominant hand whilst repeating the following affirmation :
- In the name of (whatever you hold to be sacred) I cleanse my body and soul!
- Place the fingertips of both hands on your third eye, no draw them over tho top of your head and down to the nape of your neck.
- Shake your hands vigorously as if shaking water off your hands.
- Again run your fingertips fron the third eye to the nape of your neck and shake,
- Now pass the palms of your hands over your whole head starting at the temples, and shake.
- Thats it!
I perform this little ritual before meditating, saying affirmations and in fact before performing any spiritual exercise.
The classic 'lotus position' is the preferred posture of many people, who can achieve it, because sitting upright with legs crossed ensures a straight back with the chakras in line to optimize the body's energy flow.
Likewise holding hands together one in the other with the thumbs together or placing the index fingers against the thumbs is also completing a circle of energy.
Many westerners may find the lotus position unfamiliar and uncomfortable if maintained or extended over a long period of time. The most important elements of posture are: your back should always be straight, and you should be comfortable and symmetrical.
Particularly for 'meditation in the Alpha state' you can sit in a comfortable chair with your legs uncrossed.
If you prefer it, by all means lie down. If you should doze off during a meditation, then this is what your body needs at the time, and with practice you will learn to remain conscious.
I have written out each meditation so you can read it or record it for yourself.
however if you press the button you will play my pre-recorded guided meditation.
You have a choice of two formats of each recorded meditation. The Blue player button is one minute of relaxing music followed by guided meditation with a quiet background, whilst the Green player button has a faint music track behind the meditation. Choose the one you find it easier to focus with.
Alpha Meditation Introduction
Entering Your Meditation Studio
Meeting Your Life GuidesOnce you have completed these introductory meditation cycles, you have the tools and basic skills to perform your own Meditations in the Alpha State.
The longer you spend in alpha meditation the better, however you will find that the time required to enter the Alpha state of mind becomes shorter and shorter. Eventually you could find yourself both in and out of the Alpha state at the same time.
Here are three more cycles to build on your studio awareness :-
Projecting your Future
Healing Meditation
Express Meditation TechniqueOnce you have practiced these six meditation cycles, you have the skills and the knowledge to make a difference to your life.
To reiterate - practice makes perfect.
If you only just hone your visualisation skills, you will be well on the way to improving your life.
If you would like to download your own copy of my MP3 audio files click this link.
Meditation DownloadsFor your reference here are the Guided Meditation scripts on one page.
Meditation Scripts