Meditation techniques

As a teacher of meditation, I often hear the same kinds of complaints and questions from students.  It is hard for experienced meditators like myself to remember what it is like to just be starting on the path. Beginning takes a truly epic amount of discipline.  Even the most rudimentary meditation techniques can be excruciating after 5 or 10 minutes.  For many people, it is hard to just close the eyes and keep the mind alert at the same time.

I used to teach very complex meditation techniques involving lots of difficult and intricate imagery, but as I have progressed as a teacher, I have simplified them.  I find that all but the most dedicated students tend to give up when a meditation technique is too hard.  It can be almost painful for them to continue to sit there and focus on their breath while keeping an image of the Buddha in their minds.  Experimenting on my own, however, I have found that there are a variety of simple meditation techniques that work every bit as well as the more difficult and advanced ones.

A lot of people out there will tell you that you have to use their meditation technique.  Many of these  so-called experts believe that there is only one way to do things: their way.  Although most of them really do have valid meditation techniques, they fail to grasp the larger picture.  Anything that puts your mind in a peaceful state, and helps to sustain that state throughout the day, is a good meditation technique.  Different schools have different meditation techniques, but they are only as good as the peace they give to the practitioner.  Ultimately, the only guide to whether a technique in meditation is worthwhile is you.

Of course, that is not to say that there aren't some basic meditation techniques that everyone should learn.  I have never seen a meditation method, for example, that does not involve focusing on the breath.  If you do not learn to keep the mind clear while focusing on your breath, you will never get the maximum benefit from your meditation.  The meditation techniques that you use to achieve these results are up to you.  You can simply listen to your breath, or you can picture it as a wave of energy flowing in and out of you.  Make it as simple or as complicated as you want it to be.  It doesn't matter as long as it works for you.

meditation retreat

Our faith community has a group of people that meet on a weekly basis to study and reflect on the readings that are read each week during the Sunday services. The group is open to anyone that wants to attend. Some people will show up once a month and others a few times a year. There is the core group that tends to make the meetings each week. This core group decided that they would sponsor a meditation retreat for the members of the community. They decided to hold ask for volunteers from the parish to help with the planning and organizing.

I am not one of the people that are able to make the weekly meetings. I decided that I would help with organizing the meditation retreat because I was interested in attending, and I have not been putting a great deal of time into the faith community. I thought this would be a good way for me to meet new people, as well as grow in my faith. I did some research into various retreats and found that there is a wide range of topics to structure the time around. I brought outlines of different topics to the first planning meeting.

Our pastor was opened to any ideas that the group wanted to do. I shared the information that I had found. We decided that if we could hire a leader for a reasonable amount we would do this. We decided that we would focus on prayer in our day to day lives for the main topic. This would be less general than simple mediation, but would not be too specific. We wanted to have the meditation retreat opened to all age groups and prayer is an ageless topic.

The idea of the meditation retreat was well received by the parish. We decided that we would hold the event at a retreat center that is located on a small lake about twelve miles from our church. The facility is very reasonable. They would provide us with a light supper on Friday evening, bedroom spaces with shared bathrooms for sleeping and meditating and meals on Saturday and ending with a brunch on Sunday morning. They have a large meeting room as well as smaller rooms for break out sessions and private reflection. There are paths for spending time walking in the woods and a gym for working out.

The facility was wonderful and reasonably priced. We had forty people attend the meditation retreat weekend. It was a great time to spend reflecting on your faith and renewing the use of prayer in day to day situations.

Meditation pillow

Fo r a successful meditation practice, everything must be perfect.  The layout of the room must be set up in such a way as to encourage a peaceful and serene mind state.  The time of day must be right, so that the distractions of the world do not interfere with the meditation.  The mindset that you go into when you start using your meditation techniques must be right, or else the whole practice is lost.  And most of all, the posture must be right.  If you do not sit in the right position, with the back erect but relaxed, the eyes gently closed, the muscles of the face loose, and the hands folded, you will never get the maximum benefit from your meditation practice.

This is why using a meditation cushion can be so useful.  The meditation pillow keeps the back in the right position.  It quietly elevates you into a higher seated position, making it easier to keep your back straight.  Although many people prefer to practice without using a meditation pillow, I have always found that it makes things much easier.  You can sit on the floor and meditate, but using a meditation pillow is more comfortable.  The comfort leads to better and deeper meditation.  Best of all, meditation pillows provide a way for novices to keep the correct posture, something that is very difficult to learn without this aid.

Of course, if you are living in a limited space, a meditation pillow can also serve as furniture.  Although many people prefer to use a simple, unadorned meditation mat, these tend to be drab and dull looking.  My meditation pillow, by contrast, is decorated in colorful Japanese characters, outlined in pictures of falling autumn leaves.  It provides a tasteful and attractive place for my guests to sit, as well as a comfortable support for my morning meditations.  And when I do not need it, my meditation pillow can be easily tucked out of the way into some corner other.

Once you have your meditation pillow, you can begin to decorate your meditation room.  Meditation gongs, as well as Buddha statues to contemplate, will help give your room the right feel.  I also think that incense can add a nice touch to the atmosphere.  Burning incense can provide a queue for your mind that it is time to let go of the troubles of the day and begin your practice.  This can be a great aid in getting you in the right mood to meditate.  When I'm sitting on my meditation pillow before a statue of the Buddha, all of my cares seem to slip away.