“Meditation is a way for nourishing and blossoming the divinity within you.” Amit Ray
This blog is an excerpt from the book I am writing now.
Meditation is a big part of Reiki practice. Meditation and mantras were a big part of Mikao Usui's teachings. The goal of meditation isn't to control our thoughts; it's to stop them from controlling us. Practicing meditation teaches us not to attach ourselves to the never-ending flow of thoughts. Our thoughts are like dandelion seeds, flowing around until they find a place to land. When we focus on our thoughts, we provide the landing place. When they land, they grow. One thought gives birth to another. We cannot stop the flow of thoughts, but we can learn not to attach to them and not to provide the landing spot. As one Zen master said, open your mind's front and back doors. So, your thoughts can come in and go out. Just don't serve them tea. "It is simply sitting silently, witnessing the thoughts passing before you. Just witnessing, not interfering, not even judging, because the moment you judge you have lost the pure witness. The moment you say "this is good, this is bad," you have already jumped onto the thought process." Osho. When I conduct guided meditation, I always remind participants to visualize our thoughts as colorful balloons, recognize them, and let them go.
The meditation's main benefit is restoring inner peace and harmony in our mind and body. There are a few science-based benefits of meditation:
Reduces stress
Controls anxiety
Promotes emotional health
Boosts self-awareness
Increases attention span
Improves self-control
It may help fight addictions
Improves sleep
It can decrease blood pressure
To someone new to meditation, I recommend going online and putting a meditation video in the search. Meditation podcasts could also be a good starting point. You will find hundreds of videos. Start watching for 2-3 minutes; if it does not resonate with you, move to the next one. When you find a meditation that connects with you, start practicing it. Practice for 8-12 days; if for some reason you are not happy, go back and look for more videos. There are hundreds of meditation styles. Each of them has benefits; some will lift your energy, others will ground it, some will make you more centered, and others more spacious.
I like to compare meditation styles to music styles. Different people are drawn to various styles of music. We will benefit from any style of meditation, but only one or two will give you optimal benefits. When choosing a meditation style, we need to consider whether our learning style is visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. Even though meditation is universally practiced, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Our learning style, age, and physical or emotional health need to be considered.
Most people envision meditation as a sitting practice with eyes closed, but it is only one part of meditative practice. There are many different ways to meditate. We could practically meditate anywhere. In recent years, walking meditation has gained popularity. Most people prefer to practice walking meditation in a natural environment where they won't be distracted, like a trail, park, ocean, or lake. We might meditate on our walk to the grocery store. Walking meditation is a part of spiritual growth in many Eastern traditions. Any slow, repeated movement activity could become meditation, like hand-washing dishes. Where we choose to meditate is entirely up to us. To fully benefit from meditative practice, it needs to become a habit. You can check out my blog post on building a habit. "Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in day out." Robert Collier.
With love and Reiki blessings,
Roman
October 1, 2023
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