One of the things I want to do from 2012 on is to explore consistent meditation. I picked up this book a while ago to get some insight on where to start. I’d recommend it. It’s not preachy or religious, though it contains bits and pieces on how meditation plays a role in some spiritual beliefs.
Today was my first day trying to zone out and meditate. It’s not easy and as the book says, practice will help. It also mentioned meditating 15min in the morning and 15min in the evening, and that you’ll find yourself typically going over the 15 minutes. You’re not kidding. I literally thought I was going to stop and look at the time and think time was creeping along and only 5 minutes would have lapsed. I was wrong, it was 17. Wow.
Many thoughts enter your head. Anything you can think of at any given time. So here’s my first little technique. I picked one of our more silent, unused, rooms in the house. I sat on a big couch cushion, crossed my legs ‘indian’ style, no lotus or half lotus, back straight, spread my hands naturally and brought the tips of the fingers to meet it’s counterpart on the opposite hand placing them in front of my stomach. This was something I learned in martial arts some time ago. I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing. I breathed in through my nose all the time picturing the air as a gold-colored stream. Sparkly even. Keep it consistent. Then I’d breathe out through my mouth, I’d picture the outgoing breath as a blue, icy, colored exhale. This seemed to quell the random images of entering my head. This may all sound silly, but 15 minutes was nothing.
Tonight I’ll do the same. Just have to get ‘into it’ making it as routine as brushing my teeth or taking a shower.