January 8 Class Summary -Meditation Overview-

Summary of Week 1:

Why Meditate?

There are many reasons people meditate, and many benefits. What I have found is it doesn't really matter why you do it, the effect is the same. Sometimes the reasons change as the practice deepens. Some obvious ones are relaxation, better concentration, peacefulness increased insight, intuition, understanding. These benefits are universal and have little to do with the actual religions or philosophies that gave us these techniques. In our second 8 week series we will look at those traditions but for this series we are looking at the universal.
How often?

I am going to list some of the things that all the traditions suggest, especially when you are first starting out. They all pretty much say you should meditate every day. Many say twice a day. For our purposes we are going to suggest a minimum of once a day. Even if you can only manage 5 or 10 minutes, it will make a huge difference if you do it every day. There is a momentum to it, and an inertia. After a time you will feel this clearly.
Where?

Its is suggested that you set aside a place for meditation. This is not possible for everyone, but if you can do it, it does help. Make it comfortable.. place things that get you in the mood around you there.candles, statues, religious objects, anything that sets a mood for you
For how long?

Many traditions suggest you should meditate the same time every day. Normally it is best to try for 20 or 30 minutes as a target.. or up to an hour if you are inspired to do so. But 5 or 10 minutes is a lot better than nothing, and will have an effect.
When?

You should pick a time when you are not as likely to be interrupted. But you need to be awake too, so the middle of the night is probably not going to work. Early morning is best, if you can wake up enough.. there is an energy around sunrise that makes it a very good time to meditate. But you have to pick a time that works for you. If you have trouble sitting, and are restless, decide in advance how long you are going to sit, and use a timer if necessary. Then you don' t have to sit there thinking "have I done enough yet?" Some teachers don't like timers, but I find it helps if you are restless, so you can relax about that aspect of things.
Preparation:

I sometimes use incense to set the mood for the meditation space.. but I clip it so it goes out pretty quick. External stimulation is ok to get you in the right mental space, but after that it becomes a distraction. If you are trying to wake up or just need some help getting ready to sit, its a good idea to do some yoga or stretching.

Our guided Group Meditation:

Its about time to try meditating together... if you have never meditated online before, just watch the screen as needed and close your eyes when you don't think you need to read.

I suggest sitting towards the edge of your chair so your knees are lower than your hips, and try to find that balance I was talking about you want to effortlessly be able to sit up straight even if you are relatively limp find somewhere for your hands to rest, either by the keyboard, or on your thighs, palms up shift until you find a balance that is comfortable then relax.

Starting with the top of your head, relax. Relax your forehead, your jaw. Relax your neck and shoulders. If you need to move to feel comfortable, do so and then relax once again. Relax your trunk your hips, and legs. Let your whole body be very still.

If you remain still like this for a few minutes, your body awareness will start to shift like the body will go to sleep while your consciousness is fully awake Now take smooth deep breaths.. letting your stomach move in and out, not the rib cage. Do not pause between inhalation and exhalation.. breath in a circle (or figure 8). Make sure no tension has returned to your jaw, forehead, or neck.. stay relaxed breathing deeply to your comfortable capacity.. smoothly.. with no jerks or pauses.

As you inhale, feel your body fill with a warm peaceful energy.. prana or chi. as you exhale, release all tension as the body settles into relaxation, let the field of consciousness become still. Don't try to control your thoughts, just let them drift by, like leaves on a stream. If you find yourself holding on to one or following it, bring your attention back to the breath.

Breathing deeply and smoothly.. inhale a warm peaceful energy exhale all tension. Think of your field of consciousness as a small pond of water as it becomes still, if forms a mirror pool.. as your consciousness becomes more and more still, it becomes clear you are aware of what is deeper within you.

Now taking one final deep breath, and releasing, let us bring this meditation gently to a close.