Okay, due to the popularity of this guide, I've decided to make it a favourite. So I've seen a few posts asking on tips for meditation. So I decided to put together a little info blog on the methods I use to meditate. Hopefully someone finds it useful at least!

So first things first...

R E L A X

The whole point of meditation is to calm the mind. Whether you're using meditation as a means of developing your spirit or just a tool in your day to ground yourself; it is key that you grasp the concept of calm!

For example say you are suffering from a particular stressful day at work and you want to meditate to disperse that negative energy from you. You need to know how to be calm in order to become calm. That energy will just cling to you and create for an even more stressful experience if you can't truly clear your mind. All those irritated thoughts about workloads, colleagues, customers will just roll around in your head leaving you more worked up than when you started.

Furthermore for those, like myself that use meditation as a means of developing our spiritual selves and connecting to our higher selves need to it's not a sprint. We will all reach our goal someday but patience is key. Rushing into it just because your eager to develop is not going to get you as far as you could be if your too excitable when you start.

So before you really start to meditate make sure you are not too worked up. Have a soothing hot drink or maybe even a bath. Try to bring down any hostility you may still be holding from your down to a manageable level. Sometimes venting can help as long as it will not your negativity on, maybe write down what has irked you as a means of getting it off your chest.

Journals are great for this, perhaps you can even do a pre and post meditation entry. This way you can track your emotional control and see how much you allow the incidents in your day to affect you. You should find the further along you are in your spiritual development, you will become less worked up by the things that may have rattled you before.

Now once your emotions are in control, we can kickstart the meditation. Next you must find the right...

L O C A T I O N

It's important that your not going to be disturbed, so finding a nice quiet place is key. When meditating you'll need to clear your mind, and to do so will require as little distraction as possible. Noise just so happens to be an instant draw to anyone's attention, so if you find a really quiet place, that will help make this process a lot easier.

It is also ideal that the place you choose to meditate is comfortable seeing as your meditation may take a while, depending on how long you wish to remain there. If you doing it outside make sure you are wrapped up enough so that if the temperature drops it won't disturb your flow. If it is sunny pick a place with nice shade so you don't feel the sun burning the top of your head.

If you are inside make sure you are resting on a surface you find comfortable. Some prefer the floor, however don't feel obliged to sit on the floor just because it's traditional. A chair, bed or cushion is fine.

Now I live in an urban area, so I understand wholeheartedly that complete peace is not always easy to come by! That's why we are blessed to live in a modern world with such a wondrous thing known as ...

M U S I C

Now I'm not talking about laying down some Destinys child or Adele my dears. To heighten your mind to it's clearest peak you want to have some binaural beats! For those of you who have yet to discover binaural beats these are a form a musical sounds designed specifically to entrain the mind to fall into their auditory steps. The sounds are designed to focus your mind and pull you into a state of deep relaxation and focus.

Now you can choose to use these even if you don't have many noisy distractions. I find even when quiet they can bring about a more intense meditation session regardless. However if you are using them to drown out sound, headphones are a great way to fill your ears with nothing but these sounds and loose yourself to the music. I will post some sample links at the end of the blog for you guys to check out.

Following this another thing you have to decide upon is...

P O S I T I O N

Now meditation is always associated with the lotus position. However don't just feel you have to stick to this, sometimes it just isn't comfortable for everyone. Which is why I chose the diagram above. If it will help you relax try a different position to meditate in, you may just find a preference. I have even done a laying down meditation before, very relaxing, nearly fell asleep though.

There's not much I can really say on this, so I'm going to move on to...

B R E A T H I N G

Controlling your breathing is key to relaxing your mind. Not only will deep breathing induce relaxation but it will also help you clear your mind. Ideal for transferring into a meditative state.

Start off by sitting comfortably with your back straight. Start by taking a breath in through your nose, let the air fill your lungs. Then slowly exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can whilst contracting your abdominal muscles. Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth in a repetitive and consistent pattern.

Focus on keeping your breath equal and regular, this will help still your mind and calm your being. If you practice focusing on your breathing only it'll help prevent your mind from wandering to stray thoughts.

Do this for as long as you like, meditation can be as short or as long as you wish. The more you practice meditation the easier it will come to you. You may even begin to have new spiritual experiences. Sometimes meditation can lead to clearing of your chakras, developing psychic abilities and even OBE's.

So for all I hope this has been helpful or at the very least an interesting read. I'm including an advance step for the more spiritually experienced. However if your fairly new to meditation it might be a little intense; so just stick to the steps above.

C H A N T I N G

For advanced meditation.

:hibiscus: "OM MANI PE HUM" :hibiscus:

This is an ancient Sanskrit mantra used by Buddhist throughout the world. The words translate as “The jewel is in the lotus or praise to the jewel in the lotus”. The syllables in the mantra are designed to carry the vibrations of wisdom, comion and love.

Om purifies ego

Ma purifies jealousy

Ni purifies ion

Pad purifies ignorance

Me purifies greed

Hum purifies hatred

These words can even be chanted or thought during the meditation. Envision your soul, body and mind purifies by the power of the words. I find using this mantra brings on a much more intense meditation, leaving me truly blissful and fulfilled after.

So that's it, my complete guide to a great meditation. I hope to these words help clear any uncertainties you may have had. If not I hope it was at least entertaining!

Here's some links you may find useful:

:fallen_leaf: Binaural beats for deep relaxation

:fallen_leaf: Binaural beats for releasing trapped negativity

:fallen_leaf: More information on Om Mani Pe Hum

Thanks for reading,

Namaste

Dezzymandius