by Chris Bourne
Openhandweb.org
Power of Meditation - To many, it may seem sometimes a boring chore to sit in stillness especially with so much activity and distraction around us. Indeed the busy-ness of our society can make it very difficult to venture inwards; the mind wants to play its games, the body might not be so accommodating and when we do venture inwards in a few moments of stillness, there might be so much inner tightness that its hard to actually feel anything worthwhile. Yet meditation is a powerful practice and is helping millions rediscover their true centre - their true sense of self. So what are the benefits of meditation, why is it so important and what are the best ways to meditate?
The conditioning of society - We live in a society that conditions us from birth with certain illusionary and limiting beliefs about who we really are, what is our true humanity, what is our connection to the divine and just how magical life can really be without such constriction.
The chakra system is a part of our energy body, its purpose being to infuse soul into body and mind. However as we become increasingly addicted to certain behavioural patterns, denser energy begins to collect within the chakras just like eddy pools collecting debris as a stream flows down a mountain side. If the debris is not cleared, blockages form, our soul consciousness is sucked into them and we become identified with the patterns.
Since we project into the external world what our consciousness is being on the inside, then we manifest constriction, blockage and disharmony in the outer world too.
So how can meditation help us? - Meditation can help in many ways. Firstly, if we persist beyond our mental resistance, then we begin to connect once more with soul consciousness which still exists within the blocked energy. It is not always easy and takes patience and persistence but if we take the time during the day to sit quietly and go inwards then we will start to pick up the subtle vibrations of the soul. And if we do this and keep noticing those lighter feelings through the tightness of body and mind, then we begin to attune to them more.
Attuning means to strengthen their vibrations - what do I mean by this and how does it work to our benefit? Well, have you ever seen that amazing film footage how wind might cause a bridge to collapse? Here's a short clip:
Amazing isn't it?!!! - that something as gentle as the wind can destroy a concrete and steel bridge in this way. So what caused the bridge to collapse and what can we learn from it? It's called "constructive resonance". The wind just happens to be vibrating at the natural frequency of the bridge which causes it to vibrate stronger and stronger. This is what happens when we meditate - we're becoming the 'wind' and over time attuning to the inherent frequency of the soul shaking off the 'concrete and steel' binding us. It may take a while, but it does most definitely work and just as powerfully as in the film.
Another good reason to meditate it that it releases endorphins into our system. These are friendly chemicals within the body which block the uptake by our cells of negative energy; our body simple resists their inflow. If we're not used to meditation, it will take a while to deprogram the cells in this way (we have billions!) but it does work. Endorphins give us that joyful, playful feeling of being in love with life. So its definitely worth our while.
Finally, another powerful reason to meditate is that it accelerates our spiritual evolution. In other words it helps us reconnect with the authenticity of our soul and to realign with the natural evolutionary flow of the Universe. Our society has fallen out of sync with this flow which is why we see so much difficulty around us. Meditation helps raise our inner vibration which has a powerfully uplifting effect on our selves which then radiates outwards both into our own immediate environment and through society as a whole. In other words, we begin to create a way of life which is much more at-one with who we really are.
So how might we best meditate? - There are many ways to meditate. The most straightforward is to sit comfortably either on the floor or in a chair, with the back straight and to start by watching the breathing - regulate the breath so that it gradually slows and deepens. Some techniques would have us breathe powerfully through the mouth, others more gently through the nose - the key is to experiment and see which feels best.
When you've found a way of breathing which feels comfortable and expanding, settle into the breathing and let it slip quietly into the background of your awareness. Then begin to bring your attention to what you're feeling within. If the mind wants to be busy, that's fine, don't try to stop it, simply focus instead on what you're feeling inside.
As you connect inside the body, have the feeling of letting go of tightness, releasing and surrendering. Feel yourself expanding internally. If we keep doing this over time, then we will begin to release the tightness and inner blockages and the flow of the soul will strengthen.
Of course there are many ways to meditate other than this one: a brisk walk in the park paying attention to the senses; dancing to music whilst attuning to the natural rhythms in our bodies; yoga, the martial arts, painting or playing music for example. These can all be classed as meditation providing we're watching ourselves within the activity - attuning to the lightness (its not meditating if we're simply lost in the activity).
How often should we meditate? - Well how long is a piece of string! The key is, the more we meditate the greater the benefit will be. From my experience though, there needs to be a minimum threshold of practice for it to be really beneficial. I would say that involves meditating at least three times a day (yes I did mean 'a day'!). It doesn't have to take long - it could be a short walk around the block during the lunch break, or simply breathing for ten minutes at your desk. And when you get up in the morning, how about getting up half an hour earlier, lighting a candle and sitting for a while? or taking a shower and visualising the water flowing through you and cleansing away any negative energy. Yes it does take some commitment but as they say, "if you don't go within, you go without"!
Profound Meditation Benefits - Here at Openhand we're committed to helping people meditate and derive the benefits in their daily lives. We've produced two free guided meditations which you can play on the web or download freely to your computer (openhandweb.org/audio). We've detailed other meditations too such as our "Six Senses Walk" and "Morning Shower" meditation (openhandweb. org/contents/articles/meditation). And of course we run courses and spiritual healing retreats which you can read about in our events section. Apart from that, there are a myriad of other great sources out there to take advantage of. The power of meditation can be of profound benefit to us all. I hope my brief article might inspire you to spend more time each day meditating and experiencing the wonderful benefits of expanded inner peace. If you would like any further advice or help, be sure to contact: chris@openhandweb. org
Openhandweb.org
Power of Meditation - To many, it may seem sometimes a boring chore to sit in stillness especially with so much activity and distraction around us. Indeed the busy-ness of our society can make it very difficult to venture inwards; the mind wants to play its games, the body might not be so accommodating and when we do venture inwards in a few moments of stillness, there might be so much inner tightness that its hard to actually feel anything worthwhile. Yet meditation is a powerful practice and is helping millions rediscover their true centre - their true sense of self. So what are the benefits of meditation, why is it so important and what are the best ways to meditate?
The conditioning of society - We live in a society that conditions us from birth with certain illusionary and limiting beliefs about who we really are, what is our true humanity, what is our connection to the divine and just how magical life can really be without such constriction.
The chakra system is a part of our energy body, its purpose being to infuse soul into body and mind. However as we become increasingly addicted to certain behavioural patterns, denser energy begins to collect within the chakras just like eddy pools collecting debris as a stream flows down a mountain side. If the debris is not cleared, blockages form, our soul consciousness is sucked into them and we become identified with the patterns.
Since we project into the external world what our consciousness is being on the inside, then we manifest constriction, blockage and disharmony in the outer world too.
So how can meditation help us? - Meditation can help in many ways. Firstly, if we persist beyond our mental resistance, then we begin to connect once more with soul consciousness which still exists within the blocked energy. It is not always easy and takes patience and persistence but if we take the time during the day to sit quietly and go inwards then we will start to pick up the subtle vibrations of the soul. And if we do this and keep noticing those lighter feelings through the tightness of body and mind, then we begin to attune to them more.
Attuning means to strengthen their vibrations - what do I mean by this and how does it work to our benefit? Well, have you ever seen that amazing film footage how wind might cause a bridge to collapse? Here's a short clip:
Amazing isn't it?!!! - that something as gentle as the wind can destroy a concrete and steel bridge in this way. So what caused the bridge to collapse and what can we learn from it? It's called "constructive resonance". The wind just happens to be vibrating at the natural frequency of the bridge which causes it to vibrate stronger and stronger. This is what happens when we meditate - we're becoming the 'wind' and over time attuning to the inherent frequency of the soul shaking off the 'concrete and steel' binding us. It may take a while, but it does most definitely work and just as powerfully as in the film.
Another good reason to meditate it that it releases endorphins into our system. These are friendly chemicals within the body which block the uptake by our cells of negative energy; our body simple resists their inflow. If we're not used to meditation, it will take a while to deprogram the cells in this way (we have billions!) but it does work. Endorphins give us that joyful, playful feeling of being in love with life. So its definitely worth our while.
Finally, another powerful reason to meditate is that it accelerates our spiritual evolution. In other words it helps us reconnect with the authenticity of our soul and to realign with the natural evolutionary flow of the Universe. Our society has fallen out of sync with this flow which is why we see so much difficulty around us. Meditation helps raise our inner vibration which has a powerfully uplifting effect on our selves which then radiates outwards both into our own immediate environment and through society as a whole. In other words, we begin to create a way of life which is much more at-one with who we really are.
So how might we best meditate? - There are many ways to meditate. The most straightforward is to sit comfortably either on the floor or in a chair, with the back straight and to start by watching the breathing - regulate the breath so that it gradually slows and deepens. Some techniques would have us breathe powerfully through the mouth, others more gently through the nose - the key is to experiment and see which feels best.
When you've found a way of breathing which feels comfortable and expanding, settle into the breathing and let it slip quietly into the background of your awareness. Then begin to bring your attention to what you're feeling within. If the mind wants to be busy, that's fine, don't try to stop it, simply focus instead on what you're feeling inside.
As you connect inside the body, have the feeling of letting go of tightness, releasing and surrendering. Feel yourself expanding internally. If we keep doing this over time, then we will begin to release the tightness and inner blockages and the flow of the soul will strengthen.
Of course there are many ways to meditate other than this one: a brisk walk in the park paying attention to the senses; dancing to music whilst attuning to the natural rhythms in our bodies; yoga, the martial arts, painting or playing music for example. These can all be classed as meditation providing we're watching ourselves within the activity - attuning to the lightness (its not meditating if we're simply lost in the activity).
How often should we meditate? - Well how long is a piece of string! The key is, the more we meditate the greater the benefit will be. From my experience though, there needs to be a minimum threshold of practice for it to be really beneficial. I would say that involves meditating at least three times a day (yes I did mean 'a day'!). It doesn't have to take long - it could be a short walk around the block during the lunch break, or simply breathing for ten minutes at your desk. And when you get up in the morning, how about getting up half an hour earlier, lighting a candle and sitting for a while? or taking a shower and visualising the water flowing through you and cleansing away any negative energy. Yes it does take some commitment but as they say, "if you don't go within, you go without"!
Profound Meditation Benefits - Here at Openhand we're committed to helping people meditate and derive the benefits in their daily lives. We've produced two free guided meditations which you can play on the web or download freely to your computer (openhandweb.org/audio). We've detailed other meditations too such as our "Six Senses Walk" and "Morning Shower" meditation (openhandweb. org/contents/articles/meditation). And of course we run courses and spiritual healing retreats which you can read about in our events section. Apart from that, there are a myriad of other great sources out there to take advantage of. The power of meditation can be of profound benefit to us all. I hope my brief article might inspire you to spend more time each day meditating and experiencing the wonderful benefits of expanded inner peace. If you would like any further advice or help, be sure to contact: chris@openhandweb. org
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