Find joy, meaning and beauty in your life and in your work through the practice of meditation.
Sit in a meditative pose on the floor or in a chair and try to visualize an object that pleases you.
- Pick a concrete object – no abstract objects
- Make the object very simple
- Pick something enjoyable or meaningful
- Stay away from objects or symbols that will irritate you
- Don’t use symbols or objects that may make you think of family problems or emotions (positive or negative). You especially don’t want negative thoughts.
To enhance your meditation, try to find joy and interest in the things in your life. Find a comfortable place to meditate. Sit on a wool blanket, which is only used for meditation. Focus at root of your nose, with your eyes closed. Take a few deep breaths and chant Aum softly out loud, about 3 to 7 times until your breath runs out. (Ooooooommmmm).
Remember to bring your concentration back to your object if your concentration drifts. Always bring your mind gently back to your object of concentration.
During meditation;
Keep the room you are in quiet; but not too dark, so that you can’t see, or too bright that it interrupts your meditation. Make sure there are no smells or odors that will distract your mind. Make sure the room doesn’t have a draft or is too hot. Try to meditate on an empty stomach or only eat a light meal some time before meditation. You don't want to feel uncomfortable. Or notice your digestion!
Sit in meditation for a short time period, like about 20 minutes. Set a timer to go off when you would like to stop meditating. If you are just beginning to meditate, start with a few minutes at a time and then build up the time, each time you meditate. Tell yourself to stop meditation when you get bored or your mind gets tired. Eventually you will go past boredom and into Dharana and beyond. That takes time and lots of practice. Keep a pen and paper nearby to write notes after meditation about what came up during your meditation that disturbed you. You may find it very helpful and revealing.
