Beginning Meditation, Starting Out – How Others Began

—Beginning Meditation – How Others Began, Part One—

We begin to meditate when we find ourselves consciously involved in the process of self-development. In short, meditation is a practice that brings us into contact with a very real wisdom. It is a wisdom that naturally emerges as we encounter deeper levels of experience. This occurs when we slow things down and become contemplative, still and silent. In stillness we investigate our feelings and thoughts more fully. We encounter life itself and witness it for what it is.

The truth of nature is always there to be seen if we can manage to be patient and observe. Principles reveal themselves to the seeker in stillness, in silence, in simply being. We develop a greater respect for love, compassion, wholeness, etc. We begin to recover our sense of inherent wellness, innocence, wonder, beauty, bliss, clarity, peace, and joy.

Anyone can sit down and be still for a few minutes. Any amount of time helps, certainly. However, meditation can only give to you what you give to it. The saying “infinite patience produces immediate results” is apt here. Patience IS required. There is a level of commitment needed to some form or practice.

For those just starting out, I propose just sitting for a half an hour a day for several weeks- just sitting, doing nothing other than sitting. When you need more guidance, start reading about it. Perhaps return to this site and read a few of the meditation interviews (testimonials) to compare notes. I’ve gathered quotes below from meditation interviews on the subject of getting started. These are in essence answers to the question “How did you get started meditating?”

Starting Meditation – “More Mindful, Peaceful, and Patient”
"I did not really meditate before kids. Maybe I was not as stressed! I began to meditate more after my kids were born, as I could feel the pressure and stress of parenthood building within. After my second child was born, I began seeking “meaning” and was searching for something that formalized religion was not giving me. I began to meditate and was introduced to Reiki (and actually became a Reiki master). This filled a significant hole within my spirit. And now I am “committing to sitting” even for only 5 minutes (but trying for at least 20- 30 minutes a day). It really makes a difference. Now, I find that I am more mindful, peaceful and patient. "

—Caroline Manrique


From a Meditation Interview with Caroline Manrique
>>> Go to the Page with this Quote.
>>> Go to Part One of this Interview.

Starting Meditation – “Fell in Love with the Practice”
"I was first introduced to meditation when I was 14 and started practicing yoga (I am 36 now). In my early 20’s, I fell in love with the practice of following my breath with my attention. At the same time, I also started working with a shaman. For years, I would give my attention to both formal Vipassana meditation and to shamanic journeys."

—Oldriska Balouskova


From a Meditation Interview with Oldriska Balouskova
>>> Go to the Page with this Quote.
>>> Go to Part One of this Interview.

Starting Meditation – “To Find a Satisfying Spiritual Life”
"A couple of things colluded to set a stage that made the actual beginning meditation very easy: The destruction of my marriage intensified my desire to find a way of looking at and relating to the world that made sense to me. My chronic inability to find a satisfying spiritual life within Christianity coupled with a distaste for the church politics and the like made me ripe to look elsewhere."

—Will Collum


From a Meditation Interview with Will Collum
>>> Go to the Page with this Quote.
>>> Go to Part One of this Interview.

>>> Part Two: Beginning Meditation – Why? Reasons People Meditate

Meditation Interviews
The interviews conducted for this site are done by email. Interviews with both practitioners and teachers have the benefit of offering personal insights meditation practice. Unlike dictionary-style descriptions of meditation, these testimonials reveal details that can only come from the direct experience shared by those who meditate. If you meditate, please consider sharing your story by participating in a meditation interview.

Meditation Teachers – Do I Need One to Learn How to Meditate?

—Regarding Meditation Teachers, Part One—

Do I Need a Meditation Teacher? It Depends.
How important is it to have a teacher when it comes to meditation? Some feel it is essential while others feel it is unnecessary. Below are some quotes from interviews dealing with the subject of meditation teachers and their importance.

Do I Need a Meditation Teacher? (What Feels Right)
"A teacher is only essential if the student believes he/she needs one. A lot of people use the phrase, “The teacher will come when the student is ready,” which leads some people to believe they aren’t “ready” since no teacher has come into their lives. I think that idea makes a lot of people put their progress on hold when they should just be going ahead with what feels good and feels right."

—Michelle Wood


From a meditation interview with Michelle Wood
>>> Go to the Page with this Quote.
>>> Go to Part One of this Interview.

Do I Need a Meditation Teacher? (Depends on the Practice)
"While I believe it is essential for meditation students to have a teacher for guidance, some practices are more risky in my view-that is they can create energetic imbalances and require closer supervision. For example, koan practice from the Chinese, Korean and Japanese traditions may require a kind of forceful effort that may leave a student off balance or depleted."

—Grace Schireson


From a Meditation Interview with Grace Schireson
>>> Go to the Page with this Quote.
>>> Go to Part One of this Interview.

Do I Need a Meditation Teacher? (Matters of Trust)
"In regard to meditation teachers- my experience has been that a teacher is essential. I can’t speak for others. It does seem to me that it is too easy to go astray, because habit energy is so strong and coping mechanisms so ingrained, without someone observing from the outside who has experience with this stuff. In my case, I also really have needed someone human whom I could learn to trust, who wouldn’t accept my bullshit or give me any more, who would care for, trust, and encourage me, give me hints as to how to proceed, monitor to make sure I was able to continue with what I was doing, etc."

—Genko Rainwater


From a Meditation Interview with Genko Rainwater
>>> Go to the Page with this Quote.
>>> Go to Part One of this Interview.

>>> Part Two: Meditation Teachers – Are They Essential for Practice?

Life as Meditation – Interviews, Testimonials, Experiences

—Interviews reflecting on Life as Meditation—

Life as Meditation – Doreen Connors
"This is nearly impossible to describe, the “how” of the way one’s awakening unfolds. I have heard that many people are spiritual seekers. I cannot characterize what happened “to me” as a result of a ‘search’ -most definitely not the case for me. I know of folks who considered themselves “seekers” and then stopped seeking, and discovered who they are."“

—Doreen Connors


From a Meditation Interview with Doreen Connors
>>> Go to the Page with this Quote.
>>> Go to Part One of this Interview.

Life as Meditation – Oldriska Balouskova
"When I first started meditating on a regular basis, I put too much effort into it. I tried to get somewhere. Eventually I realized that meditation is another name for simply being aware of what is- that I am already “home”- that there is nowhere to go- that the only thing “to do” is to allow myself to sink deeper into this moment now."“

—Oldriska Balouskova


From a Meditation Interview with Oldriska Balouskova
>>> Go to the Page with this Quote.
>>> Go to Part One of this Interview.

Life as Meditation – Genjo Marinello Osho
" Slowly but surely all of life becomes the continuous mindfulness practice of being fully present to whatever activity one is engaged in. As I understand it, this is the point of more structured meditation such as zazen to be the foundation of a life of mindfulness and being present to the presence in all that we do.

Being “present to the presence” is being aware of the “absolute” or “emptiness” or “inconceivable” in everything and in all that we do. I see a progression of practice from chanting, to silence (zazen), to simple motion (kinhin) such as walking, running, Tai Chi…, to simple work (samu) such as sweeping, weeding, chopping vegetables…, to more complex behavior such as one’s work place, relationships and even politics."“

—Genjo Marinello Osho


From a Meditation Interview with Genjo Marinello Osho
>>> Go to the Page with this Quote.
>>> Go to Part One of this Interview.

***

If you view life as meditation, please consider sharing your story by participating in a meditation interview.

>>> What is meant by life as meditation?
Read articles that consider life as meditation.

Life as Meditation – Meditative Life – Informal Meditation

What is Life as Meditation?
With meditation defined loosely as the process of getting in touch with a deeper sense of self, there are those who carry this intent all day long, every day. Life itself is a meditation for this intent on a personal experience of the divine is ongoing and paramount.

It is a constant disposition. There is no longer any reason to meditate, as meditation for these individuals is not a departure. To deliberately sit in meditation, walk or stand for this purpose is to impose an agenda. It is in a very real sense to try and fix something that is not broken.

There are many who meditate employing various practices or any specific type of meditation who can be just as relentless in their devotion- committed in the extreme to maintain a sense of wholeness, attention and presence. However, for those who view life as meditation, formal meditation is something they were either never moved to engage in, or is a thing of the past.

Life as Meditation Interviews
I have interviewed a number of individuals who I feel fall into this category. Many have been practitioners in some method or form and not longer feel the pull to formally meditate. The meditative state is available to them as self-suggestion, and is in the forefront of their consciousness.

All of the interviews conducted for this site are done by email. Interviews with individuals who practice meditation offer genuine insights into the practice. If you view life as meditation, please consider sharing your story by participating in a meditation interview.

>>> Read interviews that regard life as meditation.
Read articles that consider life as meditation.
View images/pictures depicting life as meditation.

Types and Forms of Meditation
Life viewed as itself meditative makes no claim to any formal practice. This is one of many approaches to a meditative lifestyle. The list of formal practices are many, including sitting meditation, standing meditation, walking meditation, bowing meditation, and kneeling meditation. These forms focus on the position and activity (or inactivity) of the body. Other forms of meditation, less associated with the body’s position (though activity-related) are breathing meditation, mindfulness meditation, koan practice, empty mind meditation, insight meditation, and tantra meditation.

With the multitude of forms and approaches, one might ask what meditation is, or even what is the point of meditation. Practically anything can become a form of meditation, including surfing as meditation, art and drawing as meditation, running as meditation, life as meditation, and guided relaxation-style meditations on CD or DVD. Anything can be meditative.

Ask Questions about Meditation
If you have any nagging questions in regard to any practice of meditation, please consider posing them to this blog at this link: questions about meditation.

Thank you for visiting meditationpyramids.info.

Submit a Link, a Site, a Blog, or an Article on Meditation

How to Submit of a Link, or an Article on Meditation to this Site
The best way to submit a link or a site to this blog is to participate in a meditation interview. On the closing page of the interview, you will have the opportunity to include a short bio and links to your website or blog (or anything you feel that is appropriate). Learn more about sharing your personal experiences with any form of meditation practice by clicking here.

Submitting an article on meditation is a similar process as above and offers the same opportunity to link back to your website or blog. If you are interested in submitting an article on meditation, please contact me at the following email address with “Meditation Article” in the subject line: benjamin(at)highcoo(dot)com.

Thank you for your interest in sharing your experiences with meditation on this site. The more we share our own stories, the more we encourage others to begin the invaluable self-inquiry that comes through meditation practice.

Questions Regarding How to Meditate, Mediation, Meditating

—Ask Questions regarding Meditation—

One of the ways this blog was imagined as being useful was by offering answers to any number of nagging questions from readers on the broad subject of meditation. It may be that this question or concern will have been addressed in conversation in the course of the many interviews conducted for this site. If it can not be found in existing material, then it may be possible to pose the question to those individuals previously interviewed who would be considered the appropriate resource for such a concern.

These questions can be about any type of meditation, including sitting practice, standing practice, walking practice, mindfulness practices, breathing meditation, or art as meditation. These are just a few examples of areas of interest covered fairly extensively in the meditation interviews. Questions along the line of what meditation is and the point of meditation are just as welcome.

How to get started? Perhaps you can help by posting a question in the comment section below. If you’d like to keep your questions anonymous just make that clear in the comment, and the comment will not be published. Please make you questions specific and to the point. Thank you for participating.

Just Sitting in Meditation – Relaxation, Breathing, True Nature

—The Art and Practice of Non-Doing in Meditation, Part Three—
>>> Part One: The Practice of Non-Doing in Meditation – Wu Wei, Nature

Many who wish to learn non-doing are crossing from an individuated state to a spiritual state and fear the loss of their individuality. Know that individuality only increases. Look at the difference between Krishna and Buddha-one is sitting and one is dancing. Individuality is not lost through non-doing but emphasized. Our spontaneity naturally reveals us to ourselves. We ARE diverse. Nature IS diverse. Diversity arises out of liberation (as opposed to de-liberation).

You may have noticed that those who have mastered the art of allowing and embrace their true nature radiate a distinct beauty. This is because beauty is the energetic side of truth. Beauty is how truth manifests. A person of truth is compelling. We want to be close. We want to become this truth. We are attracted because we want more of it for ourselves. We want to live with that kind of freedom. We want to live with that level of relaxation-yes, relaxation.

Non-doing is effortless. It is relaxing. Look at how beautiful people are when they are sleeping soundly. It is truth-just lying there breathing. The doing is all taken care of. In the state of non-doing we are as light as a feather. Our energy is boundless for we are not in conflict. It is our lack of inspiration that makes things so difficult and heavy. When we are inspired, we are simply following our excitement. We “find” ourselves doing things. We are not forcing it. We simply witness it.

This is why meditation practice can work so well as a way to get to know non-doing. We practice it while we are doing very little to begin with- just sitting there breathing- on our bums for hours. Experiment with relaxation. Work on slowing down the parade of mental traffic. The more we slow the traffic of the mind, the greater the relaxation.

It is not a matter of having to empty the mind of mental traffic completely before one starts experiencing results. Slowing the internal dialogue occurs by degrees. The traffic slows little by little. As the traffic slows our thoughts become more transparent. We can readily see to what degree we are triggered by them. It becomes clear whether our lives are being run by our habitual thoughts or by our present-tense awareness.

With this recovered freedom from our habitual thoughts we feel joy-the joy of possibility. This is how we always know we are on the right track. If we feel relaxed and joyful then we are doing the right thing. The tree in your backyard is expressing pure joy. The sun as it rises expresses pure joy. It is not concerned about what the neighbors think. It does not amp up its expression in the face of judgment. It does not perform. It answers only to itself and its joy.

Imagine the simple joy you see in young children-a joy that comes from innocence and wonder-the innocence and wonder of one who trusts without having any proof of anything or feeling the need to prove anything. How can they trust so implicitly? Where does this trust come from? The answer is simple. It is ourselves that we are trusting when we trust.

In meditation, deep within the core of our being, we come to realize clearly that there is but one being. We all are this one being-and this one being seeks nothing more but to know itself as one trust and one love. How can it be otherwise? As all beings are one, then all beings carry this same understanding deep within. Some may be in touch with it and some may need a reminder. We teach by modeling. We learn by example. Be joy. Be love. Be trust.

Related Article: Ramana Maharshi’s “I” Thought Method

Here and Now – In the Moment – Meditation, Heart Chakra

—The Art and Practice of Non-Doing in Meditation, Part Two—
>>> Part One: The Practice of Non-Doing in Meditation – Wu Wei, Nature

This is not a shutting down of the self, but a shutting down of the ego. It can get confusing. The key is to stay alert and affirm life-affirm the life that is radiating out from within. If you mistakenly send the message of annihilation to the self you can inadvertently trigger emergency systems in the body. This is something that I managed poorly my first go round and temporarily burned out my adrenal glands. Remember that we are not trying to drop awareness, only the prevailing pathos that thinks obsessively.

There is a tremendous freedom dwelling deep in us all. We are in a habit of expressing that freedom by identifying with our choices. However, it is not freedom at all if we are doing it habitually and unconsciously. Still, our identities (ego) WILL put up a good fight. Just toying with the idea of “non-doing” can have us stand up in defiance and shout- “Come on! You mean just sit around like a pinball in a pinball machine? We need to fight like hell for what we want! I’m not just waiting around for some destiny! I have responsibilities! There are things to do!”

This is where the paradox lies. If we take a closer look we see that these defiant statements above are all future-based and consequently fear-based. The truth is that when it comes time for us to fight we will not be thinking about it-we will be fighting. There will be no stopping us. It needn’t be planned. Life is a kind of martial art that way. We will need to learn how to trust our awareness in the moment-each moment.

Non-doing is in our hearts. The heart is naturally non-doing. It is an involuntary muscle. When it comes to the heart we cannot help ourselves-which is a good thing. Are we in our hearts or in our heads? When we are in our heads we dull life down, dragging the baggage of identity into every life circumstance. The result is a narrowed responsiveness. If we can instead manage without expectation, we remain in readiness-aware and alert.

One of the easiest ways to learn the art of non-doing is to try and not do anything. There is a simple breathing meditation which is to try and not breathe. This does not mean hold your breath. Just try and not be the one that is breathing. Trust that life will breathe for you. Know that this meditation practice may bring up some issues- especially any suppression of energies in the lower chakras. If this is the case, this is good a time as any to start processing whatever that may be.

Try meditation. Meditation works wonders. When doing sitting meditation simply encounter the idea of not doing anything-to not be the one doing- whether it is breathing or anything else. It will soon be obvious to you that “trying to not do” is still doing. This is not something that can be resolved by the mind. The mind will simply flip-flop back and forth and will always be up to something (doing). Relaxing the will helps. This automatically slows the parade of thoughts.

Breathe. We are seeking balance. There are seven major chakras. The heart chakra is in the center and it is the balancer. It oxygenates the blood. The blood is connected to the will and oxygen with consciousness. If we look at a cross (any cross) and liken it to the body, we see a vertical line and a horizontal line. Our will is the horizontal line while the vertical line is our attention to the moment. The two lines meet in the here and now. All ideas are sacrificed on the cross of what matters-the heart.

There is a wonderful book by Esther and Jerry Hicks entitled “The Astonishing Power of Emotions” that goes far in dealing with the practice of non-doing. Interesting that both these books I have made reference to have been channeled (non-doing). This book is about The Law of Attraction and The art of allowing. The Art of Allowing is the same as the art of non-doing. Our feelings are indeed our true means of navigation. We “feel” our way through life.

>>> Part Three: Just Sitting in Meditation – Relaxation, Breathing, True Nature

The Practice of Non-Doing in Meditation – Wu Wei, Nature

—The Art and Practice of Non-Doing in Meditation, Part One—
An article on Non-Doing, Here and Now, Nature and Meditation.

One of my challenges in meditation has been to drop desire. This challenge arises even at the outset of meditation, as most meditation practices require stillness. To be still, one must let go of the pressures from the mind to do something instead of just sit there. Once comfortable with simply sitting (walking, standing, breathing, bowing), there comes a new understanding of non-doing.

Non-doing is full of contradiction and successful practice relies on a reconciliation of opposites. Out of this reconciliation of opposites arises a greater truth. Life has its many teachers, both consciously sought out and those we encounter by “chance”. Of those more formal teachers, a good teacher is one who will make it abundantly clear that in the end “what is real and true” is something we finally simply experience for ourselves.

Given this, diving in and exploring the art of non-doing by oneself is essential. Having had some experience working with it myself, I would like to offer my insights as well as a few words of encouragement. To start with non-doing is something we are all naturally quite good at. We practice it constantly. The greater part of our being engages in it automatically and biologically. It is the tip of the iceberg that creates the problem. I refer to ego, mind, and our seemingly endless materially-focused thinking processes.

Nature is already perfectly engaged in the art of non-doing. Can you on a whim prevent your heart from beating or your blood from pumping? I think not. It is impossible for us to stop or alter in any significant way the workings of our bodies. I am not suggesting that our bodies are completely beyond our reach, but we must recognize that 99.9% of our workings fall under the miraculous care and wisdom of Mother Nature.

Are we not individuals with our own distinct choices? What of our free will? This question reminds me of a book called “Right Use of Will- Healing and Evolving the Emotional Body” by Ceanne DeRohan. In this book Ceanne writes that “free will” and “destiny” are the same- the argument being that what a person chooses (free will) is absolutely in line with one’s nature (destiny). We cannot be other than ourselves and yet who we are in terms of expression will constantly change.

Our true nature is what we seek to express above all, but is this really something we can manifest on our own and on cue? “Just be yourself.” What does that mean? We carry ideas and concepts around-explanations of what we do now and who we are to become, but life has a way of showing us different. Circumstances and challenges surprise us. The shape and quality of our lives pale in the face of our accumulated ideals.

We dream of greater fulfillment and further expression and yet our dreams-our concoctions of ideals and values prevent us from accepting ourselves as we are. Part of this is due to the fact that we live in the shadow of a hand-me-down morality. We believe we have to consciously choose good over evil, failing to recognize that nature when left to itself is inherently moral. We have come to believe that if we don’t carry around a clear sense of what is okay or not okay for us to do, we will live life as an abomination.

Is your cat morally sound? Is the tree in your backyard capable of evil? Yes and No. Nature is beautiful. Good and evil are polarities. We are seeking something beyond both- life. How do we get out of our own way? The answer is to get out of our heads. We must come to terms with who we are. We must get in touch with our core being-beyond identity. The answer lies in letting go and allowing oneself to be the instrument of the one creator. We must drop the ego.

>>> Part Two: Here and Now – In the Moment – Meditation, Heart Chakra

Art of Allowing, Free Will, The Mind and Meditation

Art of Allowing, Free Will, The Mind, Mistakes?

Make No Mistake
it is the belief
in mistakes
that leads one
to mistakes

I posted this poem on my blog that features short zen poems and koans. I wrote this poem down some three or four days ago and just now got around to posting it. The whole idea has been rolling around in my awareness for a while, and though a number of versions have come out, including this one—

Make No Mistake
believing in mistakes
is the only mistake

I am holding to the original, as it has something particular to it that is not in this slimmer version. It is an important difference, and I would like to go into it here. The poem occurred to me in meditation as much of my poetry does. It may not be clear at first glance, but the subject of the poem is “stilling the mind”.

I do not make it a habit of explaining my poems, as they express something real and experiential in an elegant manner that cannot be readily expressed by prose. I want to make an exception with this poem because the subject is fascinating me at the moment.

Inner Lives and Outer Lives
As excited as we all may get about our inner lives, we still have a biological and material world to manage. I know very few people who make a living doing what they love. Work life for most seems to be full of compromises. This remains a deep frustration for those who wish to practice a meditative life in day-to-day activities.

Working the land would likely be a different story, yet living and working among others who do not share our ideas or aspirations can lead to conflict on many levels. Meditating does help us to both minimize stress and deepen our sense of inner peace—and this often carries over into other areas of lives. So, is this the most that we can expect?

To get back to this poem, I want to take a closer look at the nature of mistakes. From a Zen and Taoist point of view, the experience of no-mind (or empty mind) is a great remedy to the problems that appear to emerge out of the apparent contrast between “inner” and “outer” life. To the degree that we can stay out of our heads, we do feel more peaceful.

Choice-Making and a Fear of Mistakes
So much of our “outer” or “materialistic” lives deal with us making choices. We are headed somewhere and we try and steer our ways along these paths as best we can. We struggle to make the best decisions and naturally regard the alternatives to these wise choices as mistakes. What invariably drives us into our heads is the process of choice-making—the fear of mistakes.

If we accept that the experience of dimension is secondary to our inner lives, then it becomes clear that our true selves never actually go anywhere. It is our preoccupation with direction and path that brings up all of this stress. If our start and finish are the same then does it matter what shape our biological and circumstantial lives take?

Dimension is temporary while who we are is eternal. Our heart goes right on beating without our influence. Our bodies function wholly without any decisions. It is the wisdom of nature that keeps all this in harmony—so where does this harmony stop and something else begin? Does our human behavior (due to “free will”) escape Mother Nature’s wisdom?

Continue with Mistakes and the Art of Allowing, Part Two.