Spirit Space: Inner Space

In recent years we have seen a more practical approach to meditation. It is being taught as an alternative health treatment for stress. It is being reawakened within the churches. It is being used to reduce crime rates in major cities. It is finally coming back into vogue.

What most people do not know about meditation is that it is an ancient practice. It is what Jesus and his followers practiced and taught. It is not just an eastern practice, but has been firmly established throughout the world as a necessity of the spiritual aspect of man.

Mediation research has produced a number of remarkable physical and psychological benefits to man. It

The list of benefits is endless, but hopefully this has demonstrated that meditation is a necessary activity for the human body. It is also a necessity for communication with guidance.

Edgar Cayce defines meditation as listening to the Divine within. To meditate is to clear the mind of any conscious thought, to attain silence, and to receive the advice of the spiritual you. It should be a peaceful, joyful and enlightening experience. Anything less than that is not true meditation.

Anyone can learn to meditate. It is a state of mind achieved by the individual and, in being so, there is no " absolute" technique. It is what works best for you to help you achieve that state of oneness. It does not require any special talent or equipment. What it does require is an intent to learn and the determination and discipline to achieve the result.

The length of time you meditate depends on you. Again, there is no "absolute" amount of time that you should devote to meditation. It is suggested that you attempt to meditate at least once a day at the same time. This is to reinforce your intent upon your chattering subconscious mind.

*Warning* Please give the art of meditation a chance to develop. It is a hard process to master and deserves the time you will devote to it. Don't be discouraged if you fail to see results at the very beginning. You have spent an entire lifetime training yourself not to listen to silence. The more you practice the sooner you will experience the wonderful results.

Here is a simple exercise for beginners as well as those that have been meditating for years:

Allow ten to twenty minutes for this exercise.
Choose a room where you are least likely to be disturbed. Disconnect the phone if at all possible. You may play some peaceful background music if it helps you to relax. Please choose instrumental only and something that has no words associated with it.
Seat yourself in a comfortable chair. Place both feet flat on the floor, hands resting palms up in your lap. Sit as straight as possible but be comfortable and, above all, relax.
Place a lighted candle at eye level about two or three feet away from you. Make sure the candle is in a fireproof container and is in a stable position.
Have the room as dimly lit as possible.
Concentrate on the flame of the candle. Stare at it with a fixed gaze for several minutes. Keep your attention on the candle, and as thoughts come racing through your mind, gently force your attention back to the flame. Close your eyes and try to "see" the image of the flame. You will probably experience a black spot in the shape of the flame. Keep your attention focused on it, for it will begin to change colors. If you lose the image don't be discouraged, relax, stare at the flame with your eyes open, and then try again.
The flame image will sometimes seem to move upward in your minds eye. This is perfectly natural. Just open your eyes and focus on the flame again for a few moments. You will eventually be able to control the drifting of the image. It is all part of the process.
When you feel you have given it an honest effort, open your eyes and experience the sense of restfulness that should be present. This is just an exercise in learning to let go. If you found yourself forgetting the candle flame and just experiencing calm peaceful blackness, congratulations, you have entered the meditative state.

Try to practice this at least once a day for one week. After using this technique for a while, you will find yourself beginning to naturally slip into a meditative state just after lighting the candle.

Another simple exercise that produces results is as follows:

Click on the mandala (picture) above to go to a page where it is enlarged.
Look at the mandala and concentrate on your breathing. Begin to inhale to the count of ten, exhale to the count of ten, willing your body to relax. Do this until you feel as if you are sinking down into the chair.
Focus on the intricate design of the mandala.
Feel the emotion without the rampant thoughts that will try to penetrate.
Feel the emotion and relax. Allow any pictures that might come to enter your mind and just observe them without trying to analyze them.
Try to hold the feeling of that emotion for a moment or two. You may have to refocus several times but stick with it until you can hold just the feeling.
You may drift off into a peaceful state of not seeing anything, this is fine.
Allow yourself to come out of the meditation in your own time frame.

I'd like to take just a moment to dispel some fears about meditation that are presented to me each time I speak about this topic. No harm can come to you during meditation. You are in an altered state while meditating, yet you are fully conscious to what is happening in your environment. You will not see strange and scary images. There is no need to fear anything concerned with the practice of meditation .

Why is it important to learn to meditate? Meditation is one of the most direct ways to hear and experience the voice of guidance. This voice is often the silent thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere. It is not always a physical sound although it can often become just that. With practice, your guidance will find the ways it can reach you. It may be through images, sounds or scents.

You will know when you have reached a deep state of meditation when you wonder where the time went. Many people experience a feeling of falling into themselves, others see clouds of color and still others experience complete and total blackness. It is important to attend some guided meditation group if you are a beginner, so that you will know that all of these sensations are perfectly natural.

As you begin to practice the art of meditation, it is important to keep a detailed journal of your experiences. You will begin to notice certain symbols, sensations, images, sounds or scents occurring on a regular basis during your meditations. Paying attention to these and recording them will be the beginnings of your personal dictionary of your own dialogue with your guidance.