This has absolutely nothing do to with computer security or technology at all. I just though some of the flames (eg. I am a Cracker) could read this. It calms you down a lot. :hippy:
Meditation by Jethro
---------------------
Before I start this text I would like to state what meditation means to me. I think meditation is
different for everybody, it has different effects and can more or less dramatic in everybody.
I am relatively new to the world of meditation. For me, meditation relaxes me incrediibly and
makes me a lot less stressed. I never really suffer from stress, but I worry. I worry almost to
the point of paranoia. But this isn't a problem, after I discovered meditation.
I always thought that meditation was for those weirdos while climb mountains on the path to
enlightenment, live in caves alone for years and talk of "Nirvana" or "Bad mojo man!". But I was
wrong. Meditation can be for everyone. All you need is time and a bit of concentration.
I actually stand up when I meditate. I feel when I sit down, my mind tends to wander to other
things. This is the problems with newbies, like me.
I stand up, head up straight. Your posture is quite important. This is my theory. The mind (well
my mind anyway) can only concentrate on two things at the one time. So if you concentrate on your
posture, that's 50% of your concentration already wrapped uo in meditation. The other 50% is
signifcantly harder to utilise.
You can use the other 50% to concentrate on your breating. You can use it to fixate on an image
or you can attend to your inner self. I prefer to do all three.
Firstly, I go into a room. The room has to be very quiet. Maybe there can be calming music like
Enya or something. Whatever you want. If you want to go the whole hog and put up like
incense-candles or something, you can. Personally, I prefer if I'm just in a dark room with
nothing but silence.
As I said earlier I prefer to stand up. I stand up, shoulder aligned and head up straight,
looking ahead. I look (if the room isn't too dark) at a point far enough infront of me. Then I
close my eyes and I am immediately cut off from all visuals.
Many people think you have to sit down, cross-legged, to meditate. This is the Indian way of
meditating, where the whole place orignated. This doesn't improve your concentration or anything,
it just makes you uncomfortable and I have found that it is hard to think of anything but your
uncomfort. The Indian people do this, just because that is the way they sit when they are eating,
praying...etc
So you are concentrating on you posture. Next step, breathing. Not the hardest of tasks because
it's automatic. But if you concentrate, like really concentrate on your breating, you can slow
down your heart rate significantly, which is a good thing (unless it slows down to much and
you... die).
I take deep breaths through my mouth, hold it for a moment, then breath through my nose. I only
do this at the beginning though, after that I just breath out through my mouth. This slows down
your heart-rate, which calms you down. Well, technically, it calms you down which in turn slows
down your heart-rate, but don't sweat the math.
Then next step is inner attention. You probably have done this before. I started doing this years
before I even thought of doing meditation. Basically, you focus (with your mind) on a part of
your body. Start with the tip of your nose. Concentrate. Can you feel it tingling? Does it feel
like it is alive? Is so, good, move to the next part, your lips. Keep moving until you have
concentrated on your entire body and then concentrate on your body as a whole. If you can't feel
a part of your body, then just move on. No point dwelling on it.
The last part of my actual meditation, is the image. Put an image in your head and concentrate on
it. Look at every part of it (with your mind that is, of course). I always think of this
flourescent green glow-in-the-dark statuette of Mary I have beside my bed on my bedside locker. I
guess because it's so bright, it's easy to concentrate. Also because I see it everytime I go into
my room.
When you are satisfied with your work, slowly open your eyes. Welcome back! Don't you feel
relaxed? Don't you feel all airy and light-headed. Don't you feel like you've just sniffed
something? If you don't, don't worry, it'll come with time.
If you feel that your mind is wandering, concentrate on the thing your mind is wandering to,
think about it, then breath it out. There's no point fighting it. This is your mind trying to
trick you into losing its concentration. Just breath the image out and continue.
I hope that helps all you over-stressed people or you people who just want to relax and
experience meditation.
This has been my experience with meditation, but almost everbody does it differently.
Have Fun,
Jethro
