Introduction to Meditation

The only requirements for meditation are an open mind, the willingness to try, and the commitment to stick with it and not give up after one or two sessions. Meditation is not a quick fix solution to finding peace, it requires effort over time to create inner calm. 

Each and every one of us would probably like more peace and calm in our daily lives. Our lifestyles can provide us with a wide range of varied and interesting work together with leisure activities, but there is always a hidden price to pay. Even having an active social life and fulfilling career can leave us with unhealthy tensions that can lie just beneath the surface. If we look deeper, this may reveal itself as stress, tiredness and a sense that all is not well with our lives.

The very word meditation may conjure up all sorts of images and illusions for you. But meditation is not rooted in the past or in any one culture or religion. It is available and accessible to EVERYONE in the HERE and NOW. 

The benefits of meditation

A major concern in our lifestyles is stress-related illness. The chances of suffering a heart attack both for men and women or getting cancer have increased significantly as the pace of life becomes more frantic. Our bodies can only be pushed so far before they respond with dis-ease, which is their only way of telling us to slow down. Meditation is therefore good for the body as well as the mind, by helping to prevent illness in the first place by dealing with stress before it becomes a serious problem. When the body feels stressed, the mind is probably affected as well. Therefore the issue of health is also relevant to our mind and emotions; meditation can bring wholeness and health to our entire person-body, mind, emotions and spirit. Meditation also fascilitates a good nights sleep by bringing the mind to a calm and peaceful state. 

What is meditation? 

Meditation is the ability to still and quieten the mind from the myriad thoughts that tumble through it and just BE. Practising meditation frequently and sincerely will help us awaken and develop the wisdom within. When we are able to connect with this strength inside of ourselves, we then discover a powerful method to help us transform our own suffering and distress into an inner peace and calm.

People start to meditate to find inner peace and calm, which is a good initial motivation because it means we have made a conscious decision to try to alleviate the stress in our lives.

We may wonder why the material objects, relationships and activities that were once so exciting no longer hold the same appeal. Everyone wants happiness and we all have the right to try to find it in whatever way we choose so long as this does not involve hurting others or the environment. When we understand that new clothes, the latest CD, foreign holiday, or new relationship cannot bring lasting happiness, we must start to look elsewhere. Our own mind contains the seeds of potential happiness and meditation is a way of exploring our mind and developing the potential into real happiness.

Advice for beginners

Meditation is not an activity that brings instant gratification, so it is easy to become discouraged and to give up in the beginning when our mind seems most resistant to what we want it to do. Instead of finding that state of calm, it seems that our mind is more chaotic than ever. But by making a personal commitment to try it out for at least a month will help you and you will soon find that starting and keeping your meditation going is not difficult. PERSEVERE!

Common problems

• Thinking you can’t do it!
  Sometimes there is a temptation to fidget, but try to resist!
  Your mind is wondering to other thoughts like what shall I have for tea?
  That’s OK!
  The key to meditation is simply observing what happens in our mind and to our feelings without making any kind of judgement.