Preparing to meditate
Meditating is like diving. We set up the initial conditions and let Mother Nature take over. In diving we walk out to the end of the diving board, bounce up and down a few times, take the proper angle and leave the diving board. Once we are in the air, the force of gravity takes over and automatically and effortlessly draws us downward into the water. Meditating is the same way. We find a quiet, comfortable place, close our eyes, wait for a few moments and then quietly, effortlessly begin to repeat the mantra inside. After that everything that happens, happens for the best.
First, find a quiet, comfortable spot where you won't be disturbed by other people, pets, telephones or any other interruptions.
Sit comfortably; it's not necessary to sit in the lotus position or with your back unsupported, unless you are comfortable in that position.
The mantra
The mantra you will use is OM NAMAH SHIVAYA. It is an age-old mantra used around the world by thousands of people. It may be used in silent, seated meditation, used with a mala (rosary) for japa (silent walking meditation, chanted alone or chanted in a group.
Here is a YouTube video explaining one pronunciation of the mantra OM NAMAH SHIVAYA: YouTube This is not the exact pronunciation I use when I impart the mantra to a student, but it is close.
There are also many examples of the mantra being chanted or sung aloud. Simply click the following link, click a CD cover picture and then click the arrow to start the sound sample: The Mantra
The three links below take you to three of the best mantra sound samples. Simply click a link, and then click the arrow to start the sound sample:
OM Namah Shivaya - Bhupali Raga
OM Namah Shivaya - Shuddha Bilaval raga
OM Namah Shivaya - Bhairavi Raga
The practice of meditation
Close your eyes and silently repeat the mantra to yourself. You don't have to sing or chant it silently, just repeat it softly, silently.
Correct meditation does not mean we have to be thinking the mantra all the time. The mantra may become softer and fainter, or louder. It may even become distorted. It may speed up or slow down, or it may fade away entirely.
Whatever happens in meditation happens for good. We just take it as it comes.
We don't force the mantra against thoughts. If the mind is gripped by some thought or sensation, we just go with it. When we can easily come back to the mantra, we do so.
If we lose the mantra, and we have the thought "Oh, I've lost the mantra" then we just easily come back to the mantra.
If at any time during meditation we feel pressure, or a headache, then we just stop thinking the mantra and sit quietly with our eyes closed for a minute. When the pressure or headache is gone, then we easily pick up the mantra again.
If we feel an itch during meditation, we just scratch it. If we feel as though we are going to sneeze, we just sneeze. And then we easily come back to the mantra.
After about twenty minutes we stop thinking the mantra and just sit quietly for a couple of minutes with our eyes closed. Then we slowly open our eyes and come back into activity.
Evaluating the success of meditation
We don't evaluate the effectiveness of our meditation while we are meditating. It doesn't matter whether our meditation is full of thoughts, or whether we experience bodily sensations, or whether we fall asleep in meditation. Some meditations are very quiet, some are full of thoughts. Whatever happens in meditation happens for good. We evaluate our meditation by how effective we are in activity after meditation; how clear-headed we are, how smooth our relationships with others are. That's the true value of meditation.
Positive changes in our lives are good indicators that meditation is successful. Personally it took me three months before I noticed concrete positive changes. I spontaneously stopped biting my fingernails and tapping my foot, both of which were nervous habits. Also, I gradually stopped smoking cigarettes, having discovered that after smoking, my mouth felt like I had licked an ashtray. At the same time, I developed a taste for fine wine, as my taste buds improved.
Our daily meditation practice is like our anchor. If we are like a ship being tossed about on stormy seas, we toss over the anchor to stabilize ourselves. Meditation is like that. It is as though we have a big RESET button that we can push once a day, and all of the stresses we've incurred are washed away.
When to meditate
Different people prefer to meditate at different times. I, myself, like to meditate in the afternoon, at the end of the day, after work and before dinner. (It is better to meditate before a full meal.) Some people prefer to meditate in the cool dark mornings, and some just before going to sleep. It doesn't matter. What is more important is that you establish a pattern of regularity, meditating at approximately the same time every day. And very soon, your body will look forward to meditating at that time... you're mind and body will begin to settle down in anticipation of the profound rest and relaxation you enjoy in meditation.
A vision of the possibilities
Before we started meditating, our life consisted of three relative states of consciousness: waking, dreaming and sleeping. Each day of our life we cycle through these three states, and each one has unique physiological and psychological characteristics, including brainwave patterns, breathing rates, mental activity, etc.
Now we have started meditating, and medical professionals have determined that the meditative state is a unique stage of consciousness, different from waking, dreaming and sleeping. So we have added a fourth state of consciousness to our lives.
This state can be considered a state of restful alertness. We're awake, but in a quiet, restful state. What is happening in this state is that our mind and body are normalizing, becoming more and more free from the stresses of daily life.
Some useful links
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA - Wikipedia page
