There are probably as many ways to meditate as there are people who do it. Ive heard so many people say, Oh, I cant meditate. Ive tried, but it never works. Yet these people still try from time to time because they want to achieve the peace of mind theyve been told will be theirs. This is especially true for chronic worriers, Type-A personalities, and other energetically-minded people.
Our methods of processing information are unique for each of us, and individuality is, in fact, a natural part of our life experience. While the basic information we take in may be the same, the outcomes must ultimately vary for each person.
For example, individuality is the trait that makes brainstorming sessions successful. A few people may come up with similar ideas, but they will rarely be identical, and there will often be enough variety to give managers a great deal of information to draw upon. Unique viewpoints bring us new products and all the varied technologies we encounter on a constant basis. Uniqueness is at the core of our being, and meditation is about getting to that core, and finding peace within.
Using that same individual-minded approach can make your meditation session a profound and beautifully personal experience.
Well known methods of meditation include sitting in a quiet room, focused on breathing, and clearing the mind. However, the more advanced our world becomes, technologically speaking, the more difficult it is for many of us to a) find the time, and b) quiet our minds enough to benefit from a meditation session.
People with especially hectic mind processes can't often achieve calmness in such settings, and only "achieve" frustration. Yet, there are benefits to calming one's mind. It does leave you feeling more at peace, and more ready to take on the next challenge with much-needed clarity.
With a system to getting to that calmness, that works with your personality, you'll no longer grow bored during a meditation session or start thinking about other things you could be doing. You'll work with your strong imagination and no longer spend that time daydreaming or making mental lists of things to do tomorrow, because you begin on a dynamic path that gently moves to a state of tranquility naturally.
It works for me, for others who have tried it, and it just might work for you. You'll use the colors of the chakra* (think of a rainbow and those colors are basically what youll find in the chakra). You can try the example right now, and later, try the entire system.
Red will be the starting point for this example because it is a color not easily ignored, and it is the "root" color in the Chakras.
First, close your eyes and imagine a red table. The entire table is a rich, vibrant, red. The legs, the top of it, the underside. There is no other color, no other decoration on it. It is pure red.
Next, envision a red chair in front of the table. Its entirely red too. Even if you envision a cushion, then thats red, as well. Make it a comfortable looking chair that youd sit in if you could, or something out of a futuristic novel. Its your chair. Just make sure it is completely red.
Now, once youve got these solid in your mind as you can manage, imagine that this red table and this red chair are in a white room. The walls are white. The floor is white. The door and the closed curtains on the window are white. Any other furnishings in the room are completely white. Fill it with as much or as little furniture as you like, so long as all of it is white. Yet the table and chair are still red.
Envision a red lamp on that table. The base of it, the shade on it, and if it has a cord that plugs into the wall, the cord is red too.
Okay, get ready. Youre going to envision that lamp turning on magically or manually is up to you but the bulb in it will be red and will fill the room with a soft red glow. It is a powerful bulb and the whole room is lit in red.
Look around at all that was white and see how it is washed in a soft red now. Go slowly. Take your time and look at everything and if it doesnt seem to have a red glow, increase your lamps power. Turn on an overhead light in the white room if you must but be sure the bulb is red. Once youre satisfied with your results, open your eyes and marvel that you made this vision and that it turned it out pretty well for a first time. Take pride in that.
When one man who tried this visualization/meditation method opened his eyes at the end of the exercise, he asked, When you do this, does the red from the chair sort of bleed into the white of the floor? That has never happened to me, but proved the point that while we may begin with the same basic tools, our results will vary. They wont be right or wrong, just different.
If youd like to try the full spectrum, begin again with red and move through the seven colors of the rainbow: red orange yellow green blue purple indigo (a deep purplish-blue). Go through them as slowly or as quickly as youd like.
By the time you get to the end, youll find your breathing has slowed, youve cleared your mind of worries, and if you feel comfortable with it, you can move on to pure white where an even greater sense of calmness can often be experienced.
Even if your vision didnt come out exactly as youd hoped, at least you know that you do have the tools within you to reach your own state of tranquility in your own way. No one ever ran a marathon without first learning to walk. The more you do this, the better youll get.
Over time, youll not only create stronger visualizations, youll find yourself creating settings that are uniquely your own. If the table and chair dont work for you, try what does. Incorporate your favorite sport or hobby, or even a favorite location. Make it personal, or keep using the table and chair. Do what works for you, what matches your dynamic personality. Embark on your personal journey to inner peace. *Chakra Colors
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Purple
Indigo (or violet)
To learn more about Chakras, visit your local library or bookstore, or try an online search. One source that has been available for years and offers a basic overview is at http://www.healer.ch/Chakras-
Another good source is http://www.sacredcenters.com/chakras.html |
