I really liked this article and thought I would share.. Meditation Made Easy
By Larry Platt, ABCNEWS.com
Like most men, Ive always been skeptical about meditation. When it came to achieving inner tranquillity, Id done fine with Rockford Files reruns and an occasional can of Schlitz. My solution was to meditate on my own to become, in effect, my own guru. I've since discovered that just 15 minutes a day of meditation helps me not only to relax, but also to concentrate better when Im working. It can do the same for you.
FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS
Meditation has become mired in New Age and Eastern rhetoric, but in fact its a simple method of quieting the distractions in your mind. By focusing on your breathing, you train yourself to become in the moment. Thats another way of saying that you learn to ignore the thousands of thoughts that usually clutter your brain.
Meditation isnt about sitting in the lotus position, says Jon Kabat-Zinn, director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at UMass Memorial Health Care. Kabat-Zinns techniques have been used by prison inmates, the Chicago Bulls including Michael Jordan and many other notable meditators. Its really about paying attention on purpose. Whether youre chopping vegetables or playing with your children, the idea is to be fully focused on that moment. You dont want to be on automatic pilot or dwelling on the latest crisis at work.
Chances are youre probably doing a form of meditation already. Any time you get so caught up in an activity whether its your Sunday morning basketball game or your Thursday evening stamp-collecting session that you lose track of time and whats going on around you, youre doing whats called active meditation. Youve achieved the kind of focus that refreshes and relaxes you.
Meditation doesnt have a lot of rigid rules you need to master. In fact, all it takes to get started is a basic grasp of five ridiculously simple steps.
1. MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE
Your first job is to find a quiet place where you wont be interrupted a room in your house or your office early in the morning, for example. Wear loose clothing (sweat pants and a T-shirt are best, though simply loosening your tie will work) and sit in a straight-backed chair or on a pillow on the floor. You dont have to assume the lotus position, but you should sit up straight and avoid slouching. Focus your eyes on a nearby object or simply close your eyes gently, whichever feels better and seems more natural. The idea is to relax as much as possible.
I know what youre thinking: If somebody asked you to sit quietly like this, youd be asleep faster than Strom Thurmond in a Senate subcommittee hearing. Thats OK if it happens occasionally it means your body is fully relaxed. But dont make a habit of it; thats called napping, not meditating.
2. BREATHE
Once youre comfortable, try to block out everything but your breathing. There are a number of ways to do this. For example, while Im slowly inhaling and exhaling, I say to myself, I breathe in, I breathe out. I breathe in, I breathe out.
Some practitioners advise noting only the out breath; others suggest focusing on a word or phrase that has particular meaning for you a song lyric you like, a verse from the Bible, the tag line of your favorite beer commercial. I was recently teaching a client who picked the phrase, I am good, says Janet Messer, a psychologist and meditation expert. Repeating that phrase helped her stay focused on her breathing.
It doesnt matter which method you choose, as long as it keeps you centered on your breathing and keeps you from stressing out about the dozens of chores you have to do when youre finished. You should feel like nothing needs to be done, says Messer. Each breath should be like a mini vacation.
A warning: Focusing exclusively on your breathing is not as easy as it sounds. The first time you meditate youll be shocked by how much chattering goes on in your brain. When I started, I could focus on only two or three breaths at a time before my mind drifted to that nights dinner plans or where Id left the keys to my apartment. It really is a humbling experience, says Dr. Mark Epstein, a psychiatrist and author of the meditation book Thoughts without a Thinker. The first step people take in meditation is learning how out of touch they are with themselves.
If you cant help thinking about a meeting at work, or the Padres pitching woes, remind yourself that youre not necessarily in need of remedial meditation lessons. It happens to everyone.
3. THERE YOU GO, THINKING AGAIN
When a thought does intrude as it inevitably will, seemingly every few breaths consciously acknowledge it. Then gently refocus your attention on your breathing. When an agitated editor suddenly appears in my minds eye, for example, I say the word thinking to myself. Then I return to the phrase that helps me stay focused: I breathe in, I breathe out.
No matter how you choose to acknowledge your intrusive thoughts, try not to let yourself be frustrated by them. In fact, Messer suggests saying, Oh, well to yourself when a thought appears. Think of it as an internal shrug. Simply notice the thought, then return to your breathing, she says. You dont want to worry about how well youre doing. Thats only going to distract you more.
4. DONT JUST DO SOMETHING. SIT THERE.
You should concentrate on your breathing for 15 minutes, though you may find it tough to concentrate that long when you start. If so, begin with 5-minute sessions and gradually increase the duration. When time is up, dont rush back to your regular routine right away. Too fast a transition to real life will make your stress levels soar. Instead, sit for a few more minutes and gradually allow some outside thoughts back into your head. Or, if youre in a big enough space, stand and do a few minutes of walking meditation concentrating on both your breathing and your feet hitting the floor.
5. DONT EXPECT TO BE SAVED
Daily meditation will not result in any bright lights beaming down on you from above. Several years ago a cartoon made the rounds at many meditation centers. Two men one robed, one dressed as a civilian are meditating. The robed one leans over and says to the other man, Nothing happens next. This is it!
As the cartoon suggests, nothing dramatic is supposed to happen while youre meditating. But over time, youll notice that the awareness you practice in meditation has spilled over into your everyday life. For instance, when I now find myself getting stressed out about an overdue project or some other annoyance, I become aware of it and make a mental note to focus on whatever Im doing at that moment, not on the scores of other thoughts or commands in my head. My meditation skills have made me less stressed, and I havent locked myself out of my car or apartment in well over a year.
