By Aruna Byers
When starting to meditate it is important that you find a way that takes you into the meditative state quickly so you can fully experience what meditation is. The mind is working so hard to prevent you from actually having this experience it will do everything possible to make your meditation time a waste of time. To get through this torment and into meditation you will need great will power and self discipline unless you have a technique that can circumvent this mental pressure to give it all up.
There are many of these techniques, such as a mantra that is given to you as part of a spiritual initiation, or a visualization that takes you to a quiet, restful place. The one that helped me the most is what I am going to share with you now, because I found it to be the easiest and it helped me go deep into the meditative experience right away. I have taught this to hundreds of people all over the world and most of them found it to be the easiest to stick with.
You start with finding a comfortable position – sitting with your back upright is preferable to make sure you don’t go to sleep. Then take a few deep breaths to help you relax. I also recommend that you close your eyes and place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Breathe only through your nose if you possibly can.
After settling in begin talking to the various parts of your body, beginning with the crown of your head. Take in a deep breath and release it between statements and observe how the part you are speaking to actually relaxes:
My crown is relaxing, I am relaxing.
My forehead is relaxing, I am relaxing.
My eyes are relaxing, I am relaxing.
My cheeks are relaxing, I am relaxing.
My jaw is relaxing, I am relaxing.
My neck is relaxing, I am relaxing.
My shoulders are relaxing, I am relaxing.
My arms are relaxing, I am relaxing.
My chest is relaxing, I am relaxing.
My stomach is relaxing, I am relaxing.
My back is relaxing, I am relaxing.
My hips are relaxing, I am relaxing.
My buttocks is relaxing, I am relaxing.
My thighs are relaxing, I am relaxing.
My calves are relaxing, I am relaxing.
My ankles are relaxing, I am relaxing.
My feet are relaxing, I am relaxing.
Then say, “My mind is calm and clear, awake and aware, I am relaxing.”
When you feel relaxed, begin at your feet and work your way back up to your head, saying to each part:
My feet are relaxed, I am relaxed.
My ankles are relaxed, I am relaxed.
Etc., etc.
When your crown is relaxed you say with an inhale and exhale between each phrase, ” I am relaxed, deeply relaxed, deeply, deeply, deeply.
Then you count from one to four, over and over, until you are so into meditation there is no need to count.
Stay in this delicious place as long as you can. Eventually you will be able to shorten the process by using less statements per body section, like head, torso, arms, legs, etc. And one day you will just need to sit down, close your eyes and breathe deeply and you will be in meditation without using the mind to make any statements at all.
I invite you to use this technique and to feel free to share it as a blessing to others.