Meditate on This
By Elizabeth Schulman, M.A.
Meditation is often considered part of a new age movement that excludes the people who make up mainstream America. It is thought to be "crunchy" and not for those who live everyday, what-is-considered-to-be-normal lives. However, more and more people are beginning to appreciate the benefits of meditation, especially those who need to reduce stress in their lives. And who doesn't fall into that category? Although there is a mystique around meditation, it isn't all that complicated to practice, and the benefits are truly extraordinary.
The goal of meditation is to quiet the mind and practice effortless concentration on one thing for a sustained period of time. That one thing may be a mantra (yes, this is where "OM" comes in), an image (the flame of a candle), or the breath itself. Regardless of what you may choose to focus on, that focus should be steady and diligent with practice. It is when one finds a stillness in the mind and the cessation of external thoughts that one truly can transcend his or her daily life in that moment. Of course, maintaining a quiet mind can be difficult to achieve, as the chatter of one's mind always wants to run the show. When practicing meditation, experiencing equinimity, or becoming a witness to your thoughts -- rather than attaching to them and letting them sidetrack you -- is vital to the process. By practicing equanimity, you may notice thoughts pop up, but you watch them as one watches a movie instead of getting caught up in them, and then can more easily return your focus to the meditation at hand. It's about experiencing, then letting go. Developing equanimity during meditation also allows you to begin using it in your day-to-day deeds and prevents you from getting sucked into lifešs daily dramas.
In beginning a meditation practice you will need the following:
Make sure you find a comfortable way to sit for meditation. Sit in a chair, on a few pillows, on a rolled up blanket, against the wall, or any other way in which you can maintain a straight spine; lying down is not recommended as it would then encourage falling asleep. Then, choose what it is you would like to focus on: a meaningful word (for instance "peace"), counting your breath (1,2,3 and repeat), imagining inhaling energy and exhaling negativity, etc. Use anything that makes sense to you as long as you are cultivating concentration and focus, and using it to still the mind. And that's it! Try to sit for 15 minutes a day in the beginning and increase it as you go along. However, if you don't have 15 minutes one day, sit for 5 minutes. The consistency is more important than the amount of time you practice. It won't be long before you find that meditation is not a way to escape from life, but a way to return to it. In meditating, youšre going home.
Elizabeth Schulman, M.A. has a masters degree in stress management from Goddard College and a masters in health education from Columbia University. She is a yoga instructor and a full-time mother.
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