8/8/2019 Meditation for Everyone E Book http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/meditation-for-everyone-e-book 1/38 Meditation for Everyone! 15+ Easy-To-Use Meditation Styles So You Can Find YOURS A Gift from the Heart of Juliana Joie Photography by Michael P. Burton
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Perhaps the simplest form of meditation, and sometimes the
most daunting, breathing meditation is just what the name describes:focusing the energy on the breath.
I recommend starting a meditation for 2-5 minutes, just to see
what it is like. Remember: success is just showing up. Here is aneasy way to experience Breathing Meditation:
1. Dress comfortably. No itchy tags or too-tight waistbands.
Wear something that will not distract you with its presence on
your body, something you’d choose for a Friday night at home
with a movie.
2. Settle yourself in a comfortable position. Some teachers
and practitioners discourage lying down because of the possibility
of falling asleep. [If you need sleep so badly, I don’t think it’s abad thing to sleep.] What is most important is that you feel
comfortable. Consider closing your eyes. Some practitioners close
their eyes to remove outside distractions and some shut them
part-way to remain connected to the world while also moving
inward. Any way that feels right to you is perfect.
3. Once you’re comfortable, begin to notice your breath. Isyour exhale longer than your inhale? Your inhale longer than your
exhale? Is the air cooler as you inhale it than it is when yourelease the exhale? Enjoy feeling the air enter and leave your
body, your chest and belly expanding and contracting with each
breath.
4. Just be present to your breath. When your mind wanders
(it probably will), return to your breath. There is no need to
control it or to try to make it into something it’s not. Just notice
it.
5. To keep yourself from being concerned about time,
consider setting an alarm for the amount of time you wish to
spend meditating, preferably one with a pleasant sound. After 2-5minutes, the alarm will sound, and you may choose to rise or toremain in meditation longer. Congratulations! You have
An important note on meditation: here are the thoughts going
through my mind during a meditation session: (inhale) (exhale)
(inhale) (exhale) wow that feels good. Why don’t I do this more often?(inhale) (exhale) (inhale) (exhale) (inhale) (exhale) Oh no! I forgot to
make the dentist appointment! My teeth really need a cleaning. I’ve
missed the last one. When am I ever going to fit it in? I have to finishthis book! (inhale) (exhale) (inhale) (exhale) (inhale) (exhale) (inhale)(exhale) (inhale) (exhale) (inhale) (exhale) I really appreciate my
husband’s help with everything I’m doing these days. (inhale) (exhale)
(inhale) (exhale) (inhale) (exhale) (inhale) (exhale) etc.
Many people think that meditation practitioners do a solid 20
minutes of pure focus on the breath or mantra or whatever they are
meditating on. I have not found this to be true for me yet. I have been
meditating for 15 years, and my mind still wanders. The goal is toreturn to the breath, to notice that my mind has wandered and to
return home again to the breath and the body.
Welcome to the mountain path. Can you smell the fresh, pine-scented air?A blue sky awaits in the sunshine ahead.
Mantra Meditation is probably what most people think of whenthey think of “Meditation.” It is choosing a word or phrase, repeating
it on the inhale and the exhale, and focusing the mind on that one
thought.
There are many good mantras to choose from. You may choose
whichever mantra suits you best, from a word or phrase in Sanskrit or
another language to one in English. One of the most popular is thesimple “Om,” --a sound that Hindus believe vibrates with the cosmos
and means the Absolute, Omnipotent All. Others choose a word theyconnect with and want more of in their life like “Peace” or “Love.”
Mantras can also be more complicated sentences like “Om
Namah Shivaya,” which means “I bow to my true inner self.” A mantrathat speaks to me (and that I use in my Pure Love Meditation) is “Sat
Chit Ananda” or “Love, Bliss, Knowing, Love.” The Dalai Lama taught
this mantra from the Heart Sutra “Form is emptiness; emptiness is
form.” There are many options!
I’ll often choose a mantra that speaks to my heart directly, “I
release all suffering” on the exhale; “I choose joy” on the inhale.
Any word or phrase that you would like to engrave more deeplyin your heart is a good mantra. If you have a spiritual guide or
teacher, that person can lead you to a good mantra for you. As long asthe word or phrase is one that you can relax into and does not distract
you, it will serve you.
As with Breathing Meditation, I recommend starting with 2-5
minutes before expanding into longer sessions. It can be pleasurable
to combine Breathing Meditation with Mantra Meditation, so that youcan enjoy the pleasure of the breath while repeating your mantra in
your head. The beginning instructions for Mantra Meditation match
those of Breathing Meditation, with one exception:
1. Choose the mantra you will use for this meditation,
knowing you can change it at any time.
2. Dress comfortably. No itchy tags or too-tight waistbands.Wear something that will not distract you with its presence onyour body, something you’d choose for a Friday night at home
3. Settle yourself in a comfortable position. Some teachers
and practitioners discourage lying down because of the possibilityof falling asleep. [If you need sleep so badly, I don’t think it’s a
bad thing to sleep!] What is most important is that you feel
comfortable. Consider closing your eyes. Some practitioners closetheir eyes to remove outside distractions and some shut thempart-way to remain connected to the world while also moving
inward. Either way that feels right to you is perfect.
4. Once you’re comfortable, begin to notice your breath. Isyour exhale longer than your inhale? Your inhale longer than your
exhale? Is the air cooler as you inhale it than it is when you
release the exhale? Enjoy feeling the air enter and leave your
body, your chest and belly expanding and contracting with eachbreath.
5. Inside your mind, say your mantra (or the first part of your
mantra) on the inhale. On the exhale, repeat your mantra (or thesecond part of your mantra).
6. Continue to breathe at a comfortable pace, repeating yourmantra in your mind.
7. When you notice your mind wandering (it is not unusual
for it to do so), simply return to your breath and your mantra.
8. To keep yourself from being concerned about time,consider setting an alarm for the amount of time you wish to
spend meditating, preferably one with a pleasant sound. After 2-5
minutes, the alarm will sound, and you may choose to rise or to
remain in meditation longer. Congratulations! You have
experienced mantra meditation!
An important note on mantra meditation: here is an example of
how my mind moves through a meditation session: (inhale) (“peace”)
(exhale) (“love”) (inhale) (“peace”) (exhale) (“love”) wow that feelsgood. Why don’t I do this more often? (inhale) (“peace”) (exhale)
4. I start by saying, inside my mind, "I love you, brain," on
the inhale and "I am here for you, brain," on the exhale.
5. Then I move through each part of the body, allowing it to
relax (if it wants to) with each breath.
6. I flow simply through my body, appreciating and loving itand assuring it that I am here to take care of it.
7. If any part of my body is feeling discomfort, tension, or
pain, I am certain to focus my loving appreciation on it.
8. As with Progressive Muscle Relaxation, it is perfect to start
at the head and relax down to the feet or to start with the feet and
release up to the head.
9. When you reach the end of your meditation, express your
loving gratitude and that you are present and attentive to your head
or feet. I like to also express loving gratitude to my entire body andits systems as I complete this special time. Congratulations! Youhave experienced Love and Appreciation of the Body Meditation!
If you live with chronic pain, as I do, this is an especially
powerful meditation practice to heal and soothe the body.
A body is a beautiful gift to love and appreciate.
You can use this framework for any action you are doing,thought you are having, or feeling you are experiencing:
“Breathing in, I know I am doing this.
Breathing out, I smile to this.
Breathing in, I know I am thinking that.
Breathing out, I smile to my thought.
Breathing in, I know I am feeling something.Breathing out, I smile to my feeling.”
This way, you know what you are thinking and feeling and doing.
The smile in the meditations is just a simple half-smile of
presence and acknowledgment. It does not mean that you are happy
when you are feeling angry or when you are thinking about suffering.
It just means that you are breathing to your anger or suffering and areaware of it.
Mindfulness practice can also involve stopping in the moment tonotice your senses. What do you see? At my desk, I cannot even take
in all of the visual stimulation! A few highlights are a picture of adolphin, a dried leaf from my niece, and photos. What do you hear? I
hear the music I am playing and the fan of the computer. What does
your skin feel? Mine feels the cold air of the air conditioner and thesoftness of my clothes. What do you smell? The candle I am burning isWarm Apple Pie. What do you taste? The water with lemon I drink as I
write.
Even when I bring my attention to my senses and am as fully
present as I’m able to be, I still miss a lot of life’s experiences,including a lot of things on my desk!
I am now aware that multi-tasking does not truly exist. I can do
one thing at a time, and if I divide my attention, I am not fullypresent. I am missing some of Now.
A final thought on mindfulness: it can be practiced anywhere and
at any time, simply by bringing your attention to it. It is always herefor you, whenever you welcome yourself into what is present now.
1. Dress comfortably. No itchy tags or too-tight waistbands.Wear something that will not distract you with its presence onyour body, something you’d choose for a Friday night at home
with a movie.
2. Settle yourself in a comfortable position. Some teachersand practitioners discourage lying down because of the possibility
mean to you? For some people, more money really means security.
For others, it means the ability to be generous. Still others value
freedom and adventure. Perhaps it means being able to buy really coolstuff. It doesn’t matter what your intention is, as long as it’s yours.
The clearer you are with your intention, the easier it is to visualize and
then create what you want.
Although similar to Relaxation Visualization, here is a full set of
instructions in the interest of completeness:
1. Dress comfortably. No itchy tags or too-tight waistbands.Wear something that will not distract you with its presence on
your body, something you’d choose for a Friday night at home
with a movie.
2. Settle yourself in a comfortable position. Some teachers
and practitioners discourage lying down because of the possibility
of falling asleep. [If you need sleep so badly, I don’t think it’s a
bad thing to sleep.] What is most important is that you feelcomfortable. Consider closing your eyes to remove outsidedistractions if you’re comfortable with that. It will help you move
inward with the visualization.
3. Once you’re comfortable, begin to notice your breath. Isyour exhale longer than your inhale? Your inhale longer than your
exhale? Is the air cooler as you inhale it than it is when you
release the exhale? Enjoy feeling the air enter and leave yourbody, your chest and belly expanding and contracting with eachbreath.
4. Release any tension, discomfort, stress or pain that’s
willing to leave you, knowing that you can always pick it up
afterward—or not.
5. With your imagination, visualize the place you’d like to go
and are on your way to. It could be a new home, a new career, a
new relationship, whatever it is that your heart is yearning formost deeply.
6. Imagine how it feels to have this dream come true. Feel
the excitement in your body and perhaps a smile come to yourface as you know it is now true for you. You have the best job.
Your home is beautiful. You are in love with the person of your
7. And now, knowing that you are creating this success for
yourself, connect with the intention behind the dream that’s come
true. What essence are you celebrating? Love? Safety? Security?Joy? Contribution? Inner Peace? Enjoy knowing that you are that
essence. You always have love and safety, security and joy,
contribution and inner peace inside of you.
8. Holding these feelings of self-worth and excitement inside,
take a moment to look around you. What do you see on your
right and on your left? What is above you? What is below? Are
you sitting or standing?
9. Can you feel the presence of the space? The air on your
skin? The brush of sand or leaves? The smell of a new home or a
romantic B&B? Are others present? Who are they? What do youhear? Waves lapping or crashing into the shore? Birds calling?
Street noises? The wind in the trees?
10. Enjoy being in this space for as long as you’d like, makingthe visualization more powerful by using all of your inner sensesto truly feel yourself there. The more detailed you make this
image, the more powerful it is in your subconscious.
11. When you’re ready to return to this world, softly open youreyes and wiggle fingers and toes, keeping with you the sense of
self-worth and excitement you felt as you visualized your dream
come true.
12. Know that you are better for this. And so you are.
Congratulations! You have experienced Visualization for Conscious
Creation!
I have found that visualization is most easily done, at least at first,with audio guidance on a CD or mp3. If you email me at
There are many right ways to do Guided Imagery, like all forms
of Meditation. Your mind may wander, and that is natural. It maychange the images, and that is OK as well. Just relax and trust your
mind to give you the experience you need.
So that you can have an experience of Guided Imagery, here is a
simple script to follow or to record for yourself [A full Guided Imagery
session can take as long as 30-60 minutes and involves more detailthan this illustration, which, thought short, is also effective]:
Taking a deep breath in, see if you can gather any tension or
discomfort in your body and send it out with the exhale. As you inhaleagain, release any thoughts or concerns in your mind, knowing that
you can return to them later if you wish.
Breathe relaxation into your feet and legs, feeling them relax asyou exhale. Turning your attention to your torso, relax your belly andchest. Let go of any tightness and just relax. And now relaxing your
back, allowing the muscles to soften and just melt.
Feel your neck and shoulders relax as you allow the breath to
warm and soothe them. Your head relaxes against the pillow or chair
or surface it’s upon, fully relaxed. Your arms and hands relaxcompletely, warm and safe and relaxed.
And as your body fully relaxes, you notice that you’re in a veryspecial place. It may be someplace you’ve been before or somewhere you’d like to go, somewhere real or somewhere you’ve only dreamed
of.
Looking around, notice what the space looks like. What is aboveyou and below you? Are you standing or sitting? Lying down? Notice
what is to your right and to your left.
Become aware of the sounds and smells of the space. What doyou hear? What do you smell? Are you surrounded by Nature or by
people?
As you relax comfortably into this special place, you begin to feela sense of curiosity and excitement.
In the distance, you can see a person or animal approaching youwith a gentle, caring manner. You know that this being is important
and is bringing a message to you.
As the supportive, loving being approaches, you notice how they
look, what they wear, and how they speak.
The loving presence shares a message with you that is exactly
what you need to know right now. You feel comforted and happy to
receive this wisdom and grateful to the presence for coming to you.
With a warm smile, the presence leaves, reminding you that youare welcome to return to visit anytime. The loving presence will always
be available for you.
Grateful and happy for this experience, you notice that you arestill in your special place, only now it seems even more special to you.
When you are ready, gently wiggle your fingers and toes and
return to the room, knowing you are better for this. And so you are.
Congratulations! You have experienced Guided Imagery!
This is my favorite meditation. It has evolved from manysources, so many that I cannot remember the original teaching. It has
been greatly enhanced by Deepak Chopra’s teaching in The
Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire.
The purpose of this meditation is to fill myself with love and then
to send that love out across the universe. On days when I am unable
to get out of bed, I feel my life’ s purpose is simply loving the world,and this is one way I do it.
We start, as usual, by getting comfortable:
1. Dress comfortably. No itchy tags or too-tight waistbands.
Wear something that will not distract you with its presence onyour body, something you’d choose for a Friday night at home
with a movie.
2. Settle yourself in a comfortable position. Some teachersand practitioners discourage lying down because of the possibility
of falling asleep. [If you need sleep so badly, I don’t think it’s a
bad thing to sleep.] What is most important is that you feel
comfortable. Consider closing your eyes. Some practitioners close
their eyes to remove outside distractions and some shut thempart-way to remain connected to the world while also moving
inward. Either way that feels right to you is perfect.
3. Once you’re comfortable, begin to notice your breath. Isyour exhale longer than your inhale? Your inhale longer than your
exhale? Is the air cooler as you inhale it than it is when you
release the exhale? Enjoy feeling the air enter and leave your
body, your chest and belly expanding and contracting with eachbreath.
4. Relax and enjoy the breath until you feel your mind
quieting.
5. Welcome love into your being. Feel deep love flowing into
yourself. Allow yourself to remember all of the people who have
ever loved you or shown you kindness. They may be friends orrelatives or strangers with a smile. They may be animals or evenimaginary beings. Just feel their love and warmth inside of you.
6. Feel love for yourself. Allow yourself to know what a gift
you are to the world and all of the wonderful things you are and
do. If love has a color for you, imagine yourself filled with thatcolor.
7. When you are overflowing with love, start sending yourlove out into the world. As any person or thought crosses yourmind, breathe love to it.
8. If you wish, send love to each person who is family or
friend to you or who is especially in need right now.
9. When you’ve sent love everywhere that you wish, return
your attention to the breath. If you wish, say in your mind,
“Love, Bliss, Knowing, Love,” on the breath. This is an Englishtranslation of the Sanskrit, “Sat Chit Ananda,” which you could
also use. Or you could remain focused on your breath.
10. After you feel connected with your inner Love, Bliss, andKnowing, you may change your thought to “Thy will be done” onthe breath. (“Thy” can refer to Love, to your intuition, to the deity
you connect with, or to the universe.) As you make your requestto be inspired by the deepest wisdom there is, allow yourself to
be fully at ease and in trust of Love.
11. Finish when you feel complete. Congratulations! You have
just experienced Pure Love Meditation!
Designed for me by Laura Pence, this tile makes me think of “limitless undying lovewhich shines around me like a million suns it calls me on and on across the universe”
from “Across the Universe” by John Lennon and of Pure Love Meditation.