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Post by Mysti on Jul 7, 2007 14:42:11 GMT -5
5. MEDITATION TECHNIQUES -1
THE SECRETS OF MEDITATION
Quieting the Mind
The first secret to successful meditation is to quiet or to still the mind so that it is not thinking about this, thinking about that, then thinking about something else. Your mind becomes passive, just quietly listening, seeing and accepting whatever impresses itself on your consciousness without the mind jumping on it and trying to analyze the impression. When the mind is quieted, it is not grabbing at any thought or at any feeling that presents itself, the mind is just passively accepting what comes. You can think of prayer as speaking to God or to the Higher Power–you are "asking" or "telling" or "thanking," the Universal Source. Meditation, on the other hand, is or becomes the "listening," listening for answers and instructions from that Higher Source–and for messages from spiritual levels.
If you are not sure of your path, you will want to take the issue of your path, your spiritual direction, your calling, into meditation and see what you get from that. In this case, in your early meditative practice, you will be going into meditation with a "seed question." Specifically, this seed question will be: "What is my true spiritual path?" But the techniques I give here will be used for other purposes later, so bear with me if you already have a firm grasp on your own true path and your own meditative technique.
So, to meditate, you find a comfortable chair with arm rests, a quiet time when no disturbances are likely. Allow yourself a period of about thirty minutes a day for meditation. Now meditation requires a stilling of the mind, a stilling of the mind’s thought flow. It is allowing whatever comes to you to flow through your mind without the mind reaching out to that flow. It is keeping the mind from grabbing at the image or thought and analyzing it, the mind is just accepting of it and recording the impressions for analysis and consideration later, when you are no longer in the meditative state.
Room Lighting
Be sure that the room is dimly lit or dark, not brightly lighted. Bright light will impinge on your eyelids and disturb your efforts to quiet your mind. Actually, in an earlier residence, I had to have my bedroom window blacked out because of a street light which was positioned at the window level of my apartment. If I didn't, my bedroom would be as bright as the Sahara Desert at midday. Some will find that lighting a candle in an
otherwise pitch black room helps. For some, the faint awareness of the flicker can be helpful. But for myself, the flickering can be a distraction. So I use the light from one of those 25 watt blue "party" light bulbs. Try a candle or a blue light (or some other color bulb) and use what works best for you.
Picking a Meditation Time
It is important to pick a time for your meditations when you are not apt to be interrupted and not apt to be disturbed by outside noises. Be sure to pick a time when you won't be bothered, when it is quiet and there are no distractions like garbage trucks collecting garbage. If you are unfortunate enough to live next to a police station or a hospital emergency entrance, then do your best. Many rabbis on the mystical path awaken at midnight to begin their studies for the new day. They say that the time just after midnight is on God’s side of Mercy. I understand that many Roman Catholics with devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary will actually find themselves awakening up at about three a.m. with the strong urge to perform their devotions. Actually, the night hours from midnight on are the best for meditation. The world around you is quiet and peaceful. The churning ocean of human thought is subdued. For some, doing their daily meditation in the early morning after a good night’s rest works well. But, pick what works for you. Don’t be afraid to experiment, do try out several different times.
And here's a tip: There are tapes and recordings that have an ocean surf sound, or the sound of rain coming down, the wind blowing in a forest, etc. One of these tapes may help to quiet the mind. But if you play a tape of the sound of rain drops or of the surf, be sure to play it very, very softly so that it is not distracting.
When you do an affirmation or a mantra, you put your energy and emotion into it. And, we'll get to mantras and affirmations. But, now, as to meditative techniques, you will want to do the opposite. You want to remove emotional attachments to whatever comes to you while you are in the meditative state. The closest I can come to explaining the meditative state is that it's much like when you take a drowsy nap on a hot summer day. You are not fully asleep–you are not quite awake, not quite asleep. You are distantly aware of sounds and such, but they don't disturb you. A car might toot its horn, but you don't think "Oh, that’s the car next door" or some such, you are just distantly aware of the toot.
Positions for Meditation
There is first the position you take for meditation. In the East one normally sits in the Lotus Position. In the West, most common is the "Egyptian God-Form Sitting Posture." Most of you have seen pictures of the guru or chela sitting in the cross-legged position–in the Lotus Position. And, perhaps, you remember pictures of an Egyptian God or ruler sitting upright in a chair with arms. But, whatever position you use, whether one I give you here or one of your own, be sure you are comfortable–you can’t meditate while your leg is cramped or you feel a muscle strain.
The Wilted Lotus Position: Most of us from western cultures could never sit in a position like the Lotus position for very long without becoming very uncomfortable from leg-cramps and muscle fatigue. Since we have not grown up from our childhood sitting in the crossed-legs position, we can't take that position without developing some pain and strain. But, if you are drawn to use the Lotus position, you may try what I call "The Wilted Lotus Position."This is a cross-legged position taught by a well-known Sufi master. In this position, you elevate your buttocks to about three to five inches from the ground using pillows or a small stool. Your legs then slope downward to the ground. Find the height of the stool that is most comfortable for you. You'll find that the Lotus position becomes immeasurably more comfortable. Doing some sort of stretching exercise before and after sitting in the Lotus Position may help as well.
The Egyptian God Sitting Position: Now, the position advocated in the Golden Dawn and in several other Western disciplines is what is called the Egyptian God-Form Sitting Position.
You, perhaps, remember pictures of the Egyptian gods sitting upright. That's it. The Egyptian god, when sitting, sits erect, feet flat on the floor, his arms resting on and along the arms of his chair. Some authorities encourage the hands to be open with the palms up as if to receive whatever might be placed in the palms. The idea is this: That, while sitting erect, if you start to snooze, your head will fall forwards, waking you up. The palms-up position of the hands is a sign of being open to receive meditative results. I personally don't think that having the palms up is that important, but some people say that they get much better results with their palms up and open. Everyone is different and what works for me might not work for you and vice versa. Some ancient pictures show the God-Form with one arm or hand upraised. But, you can’t hold an arm up for very long and still be comfortable.
The Lazy God Lounging Position: Anyway, my thought is this: Whatever position you take for meditation must be comfortable for you. No cramped legs or painful strains. So I give you the Lazy God Lounging Position. I use a lounge chair that can lean all the way back almost to a bed-like position. But I don't want to sleep, so I push it back just enough so the foot rest is still down but the back is inclined backwards maybe ten or fifteen
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Post by Mysti on Jul 7, 2007 14:42:33 GMT -5
degrees from the vertical or upright position. As I am rather tall, I have a contour pillow which I put behind me as a headrest at the top of the lounge chair. The pillow’s contours hold my head from slipping sideways. I put the pillow in a vertical position so there is a bulge on both sides of my head. Also, there is just enough support for my neck. You may need to add another pillow behind your back or your buttocks to achieve a comfortable position. The most important thing is comfort. If any part of your body is strained or stressed, you will not easily be able to get into the meditative state nor will you be able to stay in the meditative state. You will probably find that keeping your feet on the floor works best.
Many authorities say that you are supposed to sit so that, if you tend to dose, your head will flop forward and your neck will bend and this happening will bring you back to alertness. But I think a relaxed comfortable position is more important than using your neck muscles to hold your head up. So often, just when you get into some real meditation, your head falls and, whiz bang, you have lost that meditative state. It is better, in my opinion, to fall asleep than to never be able to get into a deep meditative state because your head keeps falling. But, to each his own. If you tend to fall asleep, choose a time during the day (or night) for meditation when you are not sleepy. Some will deliberately wake up at 2:00 or 3:00 A.M. for a meditation period, then go back to bed. Others like to meditate at dawn. But, it’s up to you to find what time works best for you and then to stick to that time on a daily basis.
Now you have arranged yourself at a quiet time. You are comfortable in your chosen position, no cramps, no strains, etc. So now, you want to go into the meditative state. There are any number of techniques that will help. The first technique that I suggest that you try is the one I call the "4x4 Meditation."
BREATHING TECHNIQUES:
Meditative techniques that I am most familiar with all involve some sort of deep breathing pattern. The benefits of deep breathing techniques are twofold. Deep breathing increases the amount of oxygen reaching the brain and it also gives the analyzing part of the mind something mundane to focus on–something that keeps it occupied. Then, the conscious mind is not so apt to be running here and there.
By the way, if you already have some psychic perception ability, you may have seen little silver sparkles in the air, and, more rarely, little gold sparkles. Perhaps you see them as little silver shooting stars. Actually, these are (what to call them?) "spiritually charged atoms." They are very beneficial to inhale, to intake into the physical body. It's good to inhale them, but they do take slightly longer to be absorbed from the lungs into the blood stream than do the normal oxygen molecules. So, pausing after inhaling and before exhaling does give them the
chance to get absorbed into the body. So, this is another benefit of the 4x4 meditation. These spiritually charged oxygen particles are not to be confused with certain retinal phenomena. But, don’t ask me how these spiritually charged atoms or molecules physically differ from ordinary atoms. I have not the vaguest idea.
Certain advanced breathing techniques for meditation really require close supervision until you get the hang of it. The more serious yogic breathing techniques really should have a guru or teacher present to take you through the process until you catch on. Kriya Yoga, for example, utilizes a breathing technique that the great yogin, Parahansa Yogananda, taught. This method continues to be taught by the Self Realization Fellowship which he founded.
The 4x4 Meditative Technique
The 4x4 breathing technique is quite safe for the novice to use and is very easily learned. In the 4x4 Meditation Technique, you inhale deeply to a slow count of four, you hold your breath for a count of four, then you exhale to the count of four and then you hold your breathing for another count of four before inhaling deeply to count of four again. You keep your mind focused on your breathing, slowly counting "one-two-three-four" as you breath in, "one-two-three-four" as you hold your breath, "one-two-three-four" as you exhale, and "one-two-three-four" again as you hold your breath, repeating that "one-two-three-four" cycle over and over again. This counting process has the tendency to occupy the mind’s attention so that the consciousness is not wandering around with unwanted thoughts.
OK, so now you are comfortably seated in the Lazy God Lounging Position, or the Wilted Lotus Position, or in your own preferred position. One aspirant I know meditates in the bath tub. But, I do caution you against laying down to meditate; it’s far too easy to go to sleep when lying down. Let us assume that you have selected a meditative breathing technique and a meditative position that you are comfortable with. Now, the idea is to clear your mind of extraneous thoughts.
STARTING MEDITATION
Protection Affirmation:
Ideally, you will want to use the protective affirmation we will look at in a subsequent lesson, specifically "The Armour of Light.". You may also wish to use the Aura-Cleansing and Sealing affirmation, which we’ll also get to, which will help remove any stray thoughts. For the present, we can start our meditative sessions with a variant of the "Wall of Spiritual Fire" Protection Affirmation we learned in the previous lesson:
<DIR> <DIR> In the NAME, through the POWER and by the WORD of [your Power Name], I call forth a Wall of Living White Spiritual Fire to surround me and to protect me from all harm whatsoever. And I thank [the source of your Power Name or the Power Name itself] that I am protected during meditation and that whatsoever I ask in the Name of [your Power Name] is granted, AMEN.
</DIR></DIR> In the meditative state, you are open to whatever thought impressions may be sent to you or that you may just happen to tune into in the world’s ocean of thought. These thought projections may not always emanate from trustworthy or reliable sources. So it is always important to use protection–to use a protective affirmation before entering into meditation or, indeed, before entering into any spiritual activity.
Grounding Yourself
Most of us will find that a mental grounding exercise before meditation helps the meditative process. One simple grounding technique is to sit with your feet flat on the floor. See or visualize a cord or tube extending from your feet downward to the center of the earth. Some will see this tube as brownish or as carrying a brownish energy. The important factor is feeling that your feet are connected to the earth, to the center of the earth. Immediately after meditation, it is also well to break yourself from the meditative state by some physical action. You might clap your hands or stamp your foot on the floor a couple of times.
Stopping the Mind’s Prompts
All right. We are now ready to begin meditation. You think! So you start the 4x4 or another meditative technique. We are trying to still the mind, to quiet the constant flow of thoughts. But, alas, the mind is not ready yet. This is first time your mind has had the opportunity to remind you of things to do. The first thing that usually happens is that your mind begins to think of all sorts of things you need to do. You think: "I have to pay the water bill," or "I forgot to write to Aunt Emma," or "I’ve got to clean out that closet," etc., etc., etc. So what you do is to keep a pen or pencil and a note book or pad of paper at hand. When these reminders come to mind: "Oh, I have to take out the garbage," or "I have to make a grocery list," or whatever, write these reminders down on the pad, and promise yourself you will take care of these matters as soon as you are finished with your meditation period. Now you will have cleared your mind of the many "Remember This ...," "Remember That ...," prompts that have arisen in your mind.
Planting a Seed-Question:
So you are ready to go farther now and deeper. Hopefully, your body has picked up the breathing routine so you don’t have to keep thinking about it and mentally counting "one-two-three-four." Some people have good results by focusing on the breathing and the associated counting, but I don't. That repeated "one-two-three-four" drives me to distraction. Some have good results by focusing on the sensation of the breath as it goes in and out of the nostrils. See what works for you. Now, you should have a seed thought to take into meditation. Just a simple question: "How can I learn to converse with my spirit guides?" Or, "What is my next spiritual step?" Or, mundanely: "How can I encourage my employer to give me a raise?" Or sometimes, maybe just an open question will do: "What should I know now?" This question you might declare out loud before going into meditation, but it is a question that you silently keep at the forefront of your mind as you meditate. Now, you are quiet; you are not speaking out loud. If you do speak, you will bring muscles into action and this will tend to pull you out of the meditative state.
The function of the seed thought is to pull your mind back from that sort of running and jumping, the meandering that your mind likes to do. You know how the mind meanders: "I wonder if sister Kate is OK . . . Maybe she's baking pies today . . . I do love her apple pies . . . Apples? ... I wonder if those on my tree are ripe? ... Oh that poor apple tree, does it need water? ... I should check . . . I can use the garden hose to water it . . . Oh that old garden hose, maybe I should buy a new one." Well, as soon as you catch your mind drifting away from the seed question to apple pies, garden hoses or to other random thoughts, you need to pull the mind’s attention back to the seed question.
Perhaps your mind looks at the seed-question: "How can I contact my spirit guides?" Then your mind starts its meandering, and you find yourself thinking: "I wonder what spirit guides really are?" The mind goes on: "Maybe many of them are just like ordinary people." And then: "Ordinary people . . . that’s like my friend in the apartment next
door...ugh, his door squeaks... he should oil the hinges so it doesn’t squeak." By now your mind is far from the seed-question.
You have to pull it back to the seed-question. At the start of meditative practice, the mind resists being constrained to a single thought. But, it is this constant effort of keeping the mind to a single thought that is the technique to teach the mind to still itself. Now you may be doing this for the whole meditative session. And, it will probably take many, many meditative sessions to be able to still the mind quickly and completely. But, that’s all right, you are training your mind and that takes time. Rarely, if ever, does anyone get into a pure meditative state at the first crack. The seed-question is a device, useful, but simply a device to train the mind to still itself.
You will probably find that as soon as you begin to get what might be a spiritual message or a vision or some such, your analytic mind will want to jump on it. "Oh, what does this mean?", or "Oh, wow, I’m getting something." Or "Gee, I wonder what else is there?" Alas and alack, no sooner does your mind try to grab hold of whatever it is that comes to you, then "poof," you’ve lost that image or thought or message. It just takes practice and more practice to develop the ability to receive and accept meditation results passively without the analytic mind immediately jumping on whatever you get.
By the way, for most of us, at least at the beginning, the answers to our seed questions do not come during the meditation itself. Actually, what we have been doing in our meditation is the planting of the seed question into our subconscious, putting our inner child to work to get us the answer. When the subconscious finds the answer, it will pop that answer out to you, usually when your mind is only occupied with some mundane chore, such as when you are vacuuming the living room, washing the dishes, folding the laundry–or, as very often happens, while you are driving to or from work. Don’t expect any spectacular results at first or even to receive any results within a day or so. After all, you are just starting to teach your subconscious to do a new job, one it has not done before. But, when the answer comes, be grateful to your subconscious. Thank your inner child, meaningfully.
Now that's the best way to get into meditative practice that I know. Later we'll get into deeper meditation and into the transition to astral travel. So, it's good to have this one simple way to sit and relax not only so that you can meditate, but later, to astrally project.
Looking at the Answers:
When the answer comes, usually when you are not expecting it, your reaction might well be: "Gee, I never would have thought of that." But just because you get an answer through meditation, it does not mean that you should instantly do whatever you get: First: You have free-will to do what you think right to do. Second: It is your own self-conscious or ego mind that has control over your life and determines what you do or don’t do. Third: You cannot be certain that the answers you do get, at least at the start, have come from your highest sources. It takes time and experience to be able to recognize where the answers come from.
So, all answers need to be considered, evaluated and examined carefully.
Suppose your seed question is: "Should I move to Chicago?" Now, that's a serious question. Probably the answer will come back with a list of pros and cons. You still have to weigh the pluses and minuses. But you will have in the list of pros and cons, items you never thought about before. And those extra items may be enough for you to make the decision–maybe to go in the direction you had misgivings about. Now the time does come when you will go into meditation, ask a seed question and get the answer while you are still in the meditation. And by now you will have learned to trust a meditation answer–to recognize the level from which it comes–without really questioning it.
<DIR> <DIR> When Jesus says: "The Will of the Father and my own will are one," he is saying that when you really get meditation working for you and an answer pops out, you will know that the answer is right without question. But, that state is a long way off for most of us.
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Post by Mysti on Jul 7, 2007 14:42:55 GMT -5
your subconscious drops a fishhook with your seed-question as bait, waiting for the answer somewhere in the mental ocean to swim by and bite on the hook.
Take our Chicago seed-question. Maybe you'd like to move to Chicago because your family is there or because your romantic interest lives there. But, suppose you are a cartoonist. Being able to find a job as a cartoonist in the Chicago area is the real issue. There are many questions about getting suitable work. Suddenly, there pops into your mind, "Hey, apply at United Airlines, they just might need a cartoonist." Now, how in the world would you guess something like that? No, the mind, your subconscious, sees a thought hundreds of miles away: It’s an editor of the United Airlines Company Magazine thinking: "We need a cartoonist for the company magazine." The subconscious brings that information to your conscious mind. Of course, if you are not alert, you’ll probably think that the idea of a job at United Airlines was just a wild thought without any substance. And then you’ll dismiss the thought without even following up to see if there is that job for a cartoonist at United Airlines in Chicago.
You can see that same process in science laboratories. Many scientists scattered all over the world are working intently on the same problem, often for years. Suddenly one has a breakthrough. Then scientists all over world begin having same breakthrough.
<DIR> <DIR> I had close friend, Mary by name. She never stayed at any one job for more than a year or two. She felt she was guided to go where she could help, to where there were problems that love and compassion and understanding could solve. She would say that her "inner" would tell her where to go for whatever the employment opening was, where that need for spiritual uplifting was located. Well, she(in my understanding anyway) would be tuning into the ocean of mind thought and finding those employment situations where she could be useful, usually where she could help in clearing out dissension, disharmony and animosity. When the wounds of the situation she felt called to were healed, she would move on to a new job.
</DIR></DIR> Variations of the 4x4 Method
In the next lesson, we’ll learn another meditative technique; "The Ten Finger Technique" which may be a good alternative method for those who do not do well with the 4x4 method. However, there are also a number of variants of the 4x4 method, one of which might work well for you.
The 2x4 Method: This technique I call the "two by four" method. You count a full slow four counts while inhaling and while exhaling, but you pause for only two slow counts instead of four slow counts at the pauses between inhaling and exhaling and between exhaling and inhaling.
The Hung Sow Method: In this method you proceed as in the 4x4 method, but instead of counting 1-2-3-4, you substitute certain words or sounds. Do these sounds or syllables softly aloud for several times (perhaps 20 times), then silently. As you inhale, you intone the word: "hooung" drawing it out for about a four count interval. (The sound is about half way between "hang" and "hung.") As you exhale, using the same slow four-count interval, you intone "soooouw." (The sound is like "sow" as in a female pig.) Again, allow the pauses between inhaling and exhaling and then again between exhaling and inhaling.
The Ah-Om Method: The Ah-Om method is just like the Hung Sow method except that you use the drawn out "Aaaaaaaaah" while inhaling (with an interval of about four slow counts) and the extended "Ommmmmm" when exhaling (with about a four-count interval again). The pronunciation of the "Om" is just like the English word "Ohm" sounds. Remember to pause between the inhaling and the exhaling, and between the exhaling and the inhaling. Again, after twenty repetitions, or more if you feel like it, continue the "Ah-Om" silently for the remainder of the meditation period. You should try to chant so that the "Ah" and the "Om" sounds actually vibrate inside your head
<DIR> <DIR> The "Ah" syllable is the syllable of creation. You will find this syllable or sound included within the names of the creation Gods: Buddha (Bood-ah), Brahma (Brah-mah), Allah (All-ah), even in our English word "God" (Gahd), etc. The "Om" sound is an expression of gratitude or appreciation.
</DIR></DIR> The Quiet-Mind Method: This is basically the same method as the Ah-Om or the Hung Sow method. But you say or intone "Quiet" as you inhale and you say or intone "Mind" as you exhale. I have used this technique myself, quite effectively. The two words help me to remember to stop the mind’s usual meandering and to still itself. If this method interests you, you might try the phrase "Still Mind" as an alternative to the "Quiet Mind" phrase.
THE ALTERNATE NOSTRIL METHOD
A more advanced technique is the alternate nostril method. You exhale through the right nostril, then inhale through the right nostril, then exhale through the left nostril, then inhale through the left nostril, then exhale through the right nostril, repeating this process over again and again. Here, the technique is to occupy the mind with concentration on the feeling of the breath going through each nostril and with controlling the alternating cycles.
To get started with this method, hold the left nostril closed with your forefinger while you breath out, then in. Then hold the right nostril closed while you breathe out, then in. After you have done this breathing for a number of cycles, you will begin to feel the
difference inside your nose when breathing through one nostril and when breathing through the other nostril. You can now concentrate on breathing out, then in through one nostril, alternating with the other nostril, without using your finger to hold the other nostril shut. While the air flow will probably not shift much between nostrils, you will be able to shift your awareness of the breathing sensation from one nostril to the other as you think "breathe out right nostril," "breathe in right nostril" then "breathe out left nostril," "breathe in left nostril." The aim here is to "feel" the breath as going out, then in on the right side, then on the left side, back and forth. It will probably feel, and should feel, that the air or the bulk of the air is going out and in through just one nostril.
It is important to alternate nostrils by exhaling first: Breathing out, then in through one nostril, followed by exhaling, then inhaling through the other nostril. And, as before, you will insert pauses between exhaling and inhaling and between inhaling and exhaling.
SENSATIONS AND SENSES
You may, during meditation, feel something like cobwebs on your face. And, most of us, when we get into a deep meditative state, will feel something like a band around our head at the forehead level. These are common sensations, so do not be alarmed if you feel cobwebs or the head band sensation. Also, many will feel itches or twitches on the face.
When a vision comes to you in meditation, it will, for most, appear as being somewhat above the eye level, more upwards towards or at the forehead level. Perhaps, the vision will be seen as though appearing on the inside of the forehead or perhaps it will feel as though it is just outside the head, in front of the forehead. Try to focus your mind’s eye (not your physical eyes) a bit above the eyesight level while you meditate, but don’t make this an important issue.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
1. You are asked to set up a meditative center or area in your residence with a comfortable lounge chair or whatever suits you. Preferably, this will be a chair and a location which are only used for meditation and for spiritual exercises. If your living space doesn’t allow for this, maybe putting a screen around your meditative chair will work–sort of isolating it or breaking it away from the rest of the living quarters. Having a special place and special chair used only for meditation will help you develop meditative abilities faster. Your inner child will learn rather quickly, whenever you are in that chair and location, that it is meditation time. "But I don’t have a comfortable chair," you say. Well, there are some very nice chairs available from the Goodwill and Salvation Army
outlet stores. Sometimes one spot in the home will be more conducive to meditation than other locations. Try out a few spots, if you can.
2. You are asked to start a regular, daily meditative practice. Set aside thirty minutes each day for meditation. Pick a time when you are unlikely to be interrupted, but when you are not apt to be very sleepy either. Try out a few of the meditative techniques given above. Try to find one that works well for you. If you already have a meditative technique that works well for you, use that.
3. Use "What is my spiritual path?" as your seed thought for this week, unless you already have a firm understanding of what your own personal, unique path is. If you are clear about your spiritual path, then the seed-question "What do I need to do to progress on my spiritual path?" might be a suitable question to use. Remember to put these seed-questions into your own words–put the seed-question in the language and words and phraseology that feels natural to you
4. Start a Spiritual Journal or Notebook, if you have not already done so. Use the journal to record any ideas or impressions or thoughts that come to you during meditation or which seem to be answers from your meditation questions. Also, record any thoughts or ideas you might have about your spiritual path and about things you need to or should do as far as your spiritual growth is concerned. Keep the journal close to your meditation chair so you can write down your impressions as you come out of meditation. Also, if you put down in your journal the times when you miss meditation, it will help to encourage you to keep at it.
5. Be sure to have a "Things to Do" pad handy on which to jot down all those things your mind reminds you that you need to do as you start your meditations.
Copyright © 2001 Quinten Lance Corbenic
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