silverphoenix67
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Posts: 58
Face it, we're surrounded.
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« on: January 28, 2007, 08:48:05 AM » |
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Desired Qualities:
quiet
you should be able to be undisturbed controlled lighting (In regards to this, it is good to have but not necessary. Some types of meditations work better in a darker environment than others. You can control lighting by being in a room w/ a curtain that can open and close, candles, or simply meditating at different times of day.)
Headphones or earplugs (Again, not really necessary. But people who live in loud or busy households might find these tools useful)
A place to both sit and lie comfortable w/o falling asleep (It's recommended not to meditate in the same location where you usually sleep such as your bed. Your body is conditioned to begin falling asleep once you lay down in bed, which may be counter productive to your meditation. The purpose of meditation is to reach a deep state of relaxation WITHOUT falling asleep. If you must meditate in your room, consider sitting on a chair, or even the floor if you are able.)
an illuminated clock (very handy, actually),
Whatever space you choose, it should be a safe space where you can allow yourself to feel completely comfortable. You should not be too warm or too cold. Sometimes, music or burning incense can help create a comfortable environment, but its not necessary and can even be distracting for some people. You can experiment to find out how you feel about these items.
One idea that I've come across and could see working for many people, is using a certain type of incense everytime they meditate. What happens is, the body then associates the activity w/ the scent so that, eventually, just the smell can help put you into that relaxed state more quickly than when you first began meditating. It's a learned condition. I haven't tried this, but I think its a good enough idea that I may try it myself after I've settled into my new house.
Another thing is, although its good to set up a permanent meditation space, and set up a specific time to do it... not all meditations will occur at the same place and the same time. Riding the bus, taking a few minutes at lunch, or even a few minutes when you wake up to meditate before going about your day are good ideas that allow you to just do it on the spur of the moment. Still, having the consistancy of a specific time and place will help train your body to get into the "zone" quicker.
Also, I know many of us don't have the attention span or the patience to put in an hour of meditation every day, or even once a week, but if you can somehow do it consistantly... it will be worth it! I suggest trying for as little as 5 minutes once a day... and then increasing the time every few days or every week as you begin accustomed to it. You can even meditate more than once a day once you get yourself trained. It's really not unlike setting up an exercise program. Start out w/ what you know you can do so that you can set yourself up for success... than increase the intensity slightly as you become accustomed to the exercises in order to continue to grow and improve.
One more note, there are many tapes out there that claim to raise the level of your brainwaves in order to be more productive while meditating. I used to meditate to nature sounds... but decided to give one of these "clinically proven" audio cd's a try and did find improvement in as little as a week. Unfortnately, I know find that I almost need a certain type of music now in order to hit that level more quickly. The ocean sounds I normally listen to just don't cut it anymore... and THAT I haven't decided how I feel about yet.
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