Meditation Articles Series

Someone recently asked me if I had any ideas as to how they could settle into their meditation.  This person is an experienced meditator but said he had been having difficulty recently in being able to move into meditation focus and concentration.

If this is happening for you these hints could help your practice.

1. Keep on showing up each day.  If you are finding yourself unsettled you may begin to resist meditating, and as the resistance increases you may stop doing your daily practice.  Accept and allow the resistance for it can be viewed as something that is passing.  When that barrier has been removed you may find your practice is even deeper than before.
2. It helps at this time to be very much more aware of setting up for meditation.  Create an atmosphere in your physical space that is nurturing and aesthetically pleasing to you.  Be aware of your posture when you sit, be aware of the comfort of your body.
3. Make an intention before you begin.  You may intend calmness, or presence, or even continuity, or perhaps something else that reinforces your sitting time.
4. Visualize before beginning to meditate if you are always mentally very focused.  Visualize your brain with the lobes of the brain softening downwards.  This simple visualization helps enormously to settle the mind.
5. And lastly, have a hint of a smile on your face.