Skype?
Would you like to learn to meditate (or understand the science behind it?) from the comfort of your own home?
Skype’s an amazing thing!
Obviously, it isn’t quite the same as an in-person lesson (the energy is somewhat diminished) but my guru has students all over the world, so she HAS to Skype – and she swears her lessons are virtually as effective online as in-person.
Click ‘n email for more info! 😉
Preparation!
That said, remember all the things we can do to live less stressfully off the matt – to get the most out of our meditation, whenever or however we do it:
Be kind to others; follow the Golden Rule (you know you sleep better at night when you’re kind and helpful – rather than the opposite!).
Be kind to yourself; act with compassion; practice purity, serenity, courage, wisdom and faith to reduce stress and anxiety; take care of yourself physically, mentally and spiritually; get enough sleep, exercise, and nourishment to fulfill your responsibilities to the best of your ability; read – specifically, inspiring stories (like Amma’s bibliography!!); pray, contemplate, be mindful, meditate – whatever you call it, give your sub-conscious mind a chance to purge its most pressing fears and desires in a time and place of your choosing; somewhere that feels safe and comfortable and somehow inviting.
Exercise – in short, make your exercise routine fun – otherwise, in won’t become a habit; swim, walk (outside!), dance or cycle – all awesome whole-body workouts that won’t leave you feeling like you’re about to expire – unless of course, you’re into that!
Breathe – [caveat: breathing exercises initially require a teacher’s supervision; remember, our diaphragm massages and stimulates the organs and systems that keep us alive – including our heart and brain! Unlike the muscles that move us; maintaining our inner parts requires a softer, more loving touch.]
Try sitting still for two minutes – with your eyes not-quite closed – and simply observe your breathing. Don’t change a thing. Pay attention to each inhalation and exhalation from beginning to end – and notice the momentary pause in between. Notice what happens to the pause over time. I ALWAYS find it calming to simply observe my body breathing on its own.
Focus – our conscious mind is the aspect we’re aware of: it’s our control mechanism/monkey mind. Unless we’re purposefully being mindful, we’re either using this aspect of our mind to make a decision or we’re listening to it.
This part of our mind is easiest to control in part because it can only do one thing at a time! Our non-physical conscious mind “acts” like our heart and lungs: single, consecutive, and hopefully constant – beats, breaths and thoughts. If you’re unsure, try simultaneously counting and reciting the alphabet – right; not happening.
The first step to learning to control our conscious mind is to distinguish between it and our sub-conscious mind – in our self; to experience them differently, to truly perceive them separately.
The next step is learning to focus or hold our conscious mind (our attention) on one thing for a prolonged period of time. Simple – not easy – but well worth the time and effort!
In summary, to prepare to meditate:
Even before coming to class or Skyping you can prepare to have a deeper, more meaningful experience by:
Generally acting in a manner that fosters a calmer, more peaceful demeanor, as opposed to an agitated one; specifically,
- treat others with compassion;
- treat yourself the same way;
- foster a faith-based attitude of serenity, courage, and wisdom;
- exercise;
- breathe;
- learn to distinguish between your own conscious mind (evidenced by your thoughts – the words in your head), and sub-conscious mind (evidenced by your actions: walking, talking, breathing, chewing – all the stuff we don’t have to “think” to do!)
Now we’re ready to meditate; to draw our attention inward, closer to the energetically subtlest aspect of our selves: our immutable awareness.
Namaste
