Title: Meditation Blocks

 

Meditating sounds easy. Sitting. Breathing. Focusing in a relaxed kind of way. So why isn't everyone doing it? For that matter why do so many who start meditating, or open a book on the subject, fail to carry through and make meditation a part of their daily lives?

The answer is that both our inner and outer worlds raise barriers between us and meditation. The greatest of these are the doubts about meditation raised by our own minds and by Western society. There are also certain spiritual/ psychological pitfalls that meditators can fall prey to if they fail to pay attention to their practice.

Without guidance, these barriers can seem insurmountable. But, with the aid of a little guidance, they can easily be bridged. There are certain guidelines -- some from great masters and others from psychologists and other outside observers -- that can help you hone your intelligence and keep your balance.

DOUBT

You have had your first experiences of meditation, and they produced positive results in the way of relaxation, revitalization, and spiritual deepening. But you still find yourself resisting the idea of regular meditation practice. This almost unconscious reluctance to meditate is natural.

Our minds and deepest selves always resist change in some way, whether it's a move to a new town, a new social circle, or a new job. One of the ego's favorite paths of resistance is to fill you with doubt. This resistance usually takes the form of fears or anxiety that undermine our commitment to meditation.

You have probably experienced doubts of your own. On the list below, check off any that have haunted you.

___Meditation is too easy or too hard.

___Meditation is a religion and will conflict with yours.

___Meditation means giving up things you like.

___Meditation is like being hypnotized.

___Meditation is a way of escaping reality.

___Meditation means shutting out the world.

___Meditation means you have to go to a monastery.

___Meditation is weird.

___Meditation means you need a teacher.

___Meditation has a right way and wrong way.


Why we fear meditation

The doubts and fears that plague us are often the echoes of misconceptions we learned at society's knee as we grew up. These negative myths, widely prevalent in the Americas and Europe, are the spawn of cultural ignorance, prejudicial misconceptions generated by rational, left-brain Western society's antithetical attitude toward anything Eastern, intuitive, and right-brain.

They are, doubtless, the very concerns that plague you when you think about meditating. Do you find yourself thinking meditation will be too hard or that it is a religion (and therefore in conflict with yours) or is it a kind of hypnosis? If so, the best anodyne is the truth. As it says in the Bible, "The truth shall make you free."

BANISHING DOUBTS

Don't resist these concerns. Our egos are healthy enough and strong enough to protect us from any of the supposed negative effects of meditation. Resisting these doubts means giving them power over you. They will seize control and bring your meditation to a halt. Instead, I suggest an approach that has inspired the following exercise:

1 . Sit someplace free of distraction.

2. Focus on any doubts or worries you might have about meditation.

3. Be completely open to them, do not censor any out. Examine each carefully -- the absurdity of most will suggest itself instantly.

4. Consciously let go of each -- imagine it as a balloon that sails away and then vanishes out of sight.


ELEVEN MISCONCEPTIONS

The best bridge across these barriers to meditation is replacing ignorance and misconception with knowledge and fact.


1. Meditation is either too easy or too hard.

Meditation is simpler than you think. And, paradoxically, harder than you might think. The directions on how to meditate are deceptively simple. For instance, what could be clearer than instructions that merely direct you to watch your breath?

Try it for yourself. Right now. Close your eyes. And for the next inhalation and exhalation, just observe your breath. That's all.

If you were able to take one full breath, and not think, daydream, fidget, wonder what the heck you were doing, you have done incredibly well. If you are like the rest of us, however, you probably had a lot going on in that breath. It's amazing how many thoughts you can pack into just one breath when you take the time to actually examine the process of your mind.

Although the directions may be simple, what your mind does while you try to follow those directions is an entirely different thing.

Focusing on your breath or any object of meditation requires persistence and commitment. And it requires the kind of patience a parent has for a constantly straying six-year-old child at the zoo.

When you stray from the object of meditation and find yourself waking up, as you do on the highway, ten miles down the road, clueless as to how you got there, you simply return to the object of meditation. This is what meditation practice is: gently returning, without judgment, over and over again to the object of your meditation.

The key to successful meditation practice is, in the words of the famous violinist who was asked by a stranger how to get to Carnegie Hall, "practice, practice, practice."


2. Meditation is a religion.

You can practice any religion or no religion, and still derive the full benefits of meditation. You may also meditate using the techniques of your tradition. Meditation is an equal opportunity practice; it treats religion just as it treats everything else: openly and with total acceptance.


3. I'll have to give up the things I like.


You don't have to give up anything. There are no edicts against coffee, chocolate, Haagen-Dazs, World Professional Wrestling, MTV, or even Beavis and Butthead.

Of course, you may naturally find yourself cutting down on things that might not be in your own best interest. If you find yourself on your meditation cushion instead of watching a Seinfeld rerun or a football game, you'll know that meditation is putting that deeper part of you in contact with what is best for you.


4. It's like being asleep or hypnotized.

Meditation is about being awake, not asleep or in a trance state. And while relaxation is a naturally occurring phenomenon of meditation, it is not the object or goal of the practice. Think of it as a wonderful by-product, or perk, like a corner office or enclosed parking.

While in meditation, you may experience states that are even more relaxing than sleep or hypnotic trance. If this happens, bring your full attention to them, watch them, then let them go. You don't chase states of mind in meditation; rather, you welcome whatever comes your way, and then let it go.


5. Meditators are trying to escape from reality and responsibilities.


Some hold that meditation is a selfish, narcissistic attempt to avoid responsibilities and real life. Nothing is further from the truth. The goal of meditation is to become happier by developing the ability to escape into, not away from, life. When your mind is sharp and focused, your quality of life is improved, your experience of life is richer, and you are just naturally happier.


6. You have to shut out the world.

Meditation is about total immersion in the experience of the present moment, both internally and externally. There is a popular misconception that meditation can only be properly done in absolute silence, preferably on top of a mountain in Nepal, where the meditator is entirely removed from the sights and sounds of the material world. The skillful meditator takes his world as he finds it, without sunglasses, earplugs, or nose clips. In the real world, car alarms screech, children laugh and play, planes drone overhead, telephones suddenly ring, and neighbors play U-2 albums too loudly. When you meditate, you cultivate your innate ability to deal skillfully with all arising phenomena, whatever they may be.

** Meditation is not about shutting out the world. It's about letting it in.

7. You have to go to a monastery.

Entering the monastic life isn't necessary to get the benefits of meditation. Josh B., a former Zen monk, now a record company executive with a hot new label, says, "The zendo is everywhere." (Zendo is the Zen word for meditation hall.)

In the Zen tradition there is a saying: "If you want a small enlightenment go to the country. If you want a big enlightenment, go to the city." This means that the more challenging the environment, the more it has to teach you. This may make New York City or Chicago the world's best meditation hall :)

The eighth-century Tibetan, Shantideva, wrote that a spiritual life could be lived anywhere. He says the following in his classic text, A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life, (a bodhisattva is a person who aspires to attain full enlightenment for the benefit of all beings):

"Where would I possibly find enough leather with which to cover the surface of the earth? But wearing leather on the soles of my shoes Is equivalent to covering the earth with it."

Make your world your monastery. And that includes your home, office, car, the subway, even the Laundromat. Wherever you are, whatever you encounter is meant to provide you with exactly what you need to work with right now.


8. Meditation is weird.

Meditation is not only not weird, it's totally in keeping with the American way of life. Our Declaration of independence states that we have certain inalienable rights, including "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Those three rights are also the goals of meditation -- to be totally present in life, to be liberated from our confined sense of self, and to be happy. Meditation is not only not weird, it's downright patriotic.


9. You need a teacher.

Learning a skill is always easier when you have a good teacher. In the United States there is a scarcity of good, reputable meditation teachers. And the large followings of a few good teachers consequently make it difficult to receive training on an individual basis.

But that should not deter you. An old Buddhist proverb says, "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." It's been happening that way for thousands of years. So, don't worry, when you really need your teacher, he or she will appear.


10. There's a right way and a wrong way.

There is no one way and no best way to meditate. The ways of meditation are many, and stem from the world's rich and varied religious traditions. It is said that the Buddha alone taught eighty-four ways of mindfulness. So there's obviously room for many opinions.

Some schools and teachers of meditation insist that their way is the only correct way or system to meditate. Be skeptical of those who tell you, "It's my way or the highway." True teachers of meditation follow the middle way (a balance between a search for and a surrender to the truth). They are usually tolerant of and receptive to techniques from other disciplines.

If there is any right way to meditate, it will be the one that resonates with you, the one to which you want to apply yourself with discipline and diligence.

11. Meditation cuts you off from the rest of life.

Meditation is not just something you do on a cushion or in a chair for a certain amount of time and then forget about. Your goal should be to make meditation an ongoing part of your life. On some level, you are meditating all the time. Become aware of that practice, extending this awareness to more and more areas of your daily life.

Below I offer some past examples of how I have explained and encouraged Meditation where it pertains to my clients, friends and family members ( I hope they don't mind me sharing! :):
Meditation is listening to God, while prayer is talking

If you want to develop your intuition, meditation is an excellent place to start. I see meditation as the practice of creating space for yourself. When you create space, you become more aware of your own aura, your own psychic sanctuary. When you create space, you allow yourself to stop and take a deeper look at things around you. The more you do this, the better and clearer your intuitions will be.

One of the biggest obstacles to meditating is the very reason why we need to do it in the first place. In the west, we are simply overwhelmed with everything that is going on. We try to do too much at once because we have too much to do, and therein lies the problem. When you have too much on your plate, you do not allow yourself the luxury of being in one place at one time. You don't allow yourself the luxury of really focusing on what is truly happening energetically as well as physically. You miss a lot.

Let me explain. If you have ten things to do and a short period of time to do them in, your tendency will be to juggle all of them at once. If your work doesn't require all of your attention, chances are that part of your mind will be occupied with other matters--your child's grades in school, your relationship, a troubled friend, the vacation you want to take, and so on. Stop right at this moment, and see if you can count how many things are going through your head right now. If you're like most people, your attention is divided in many places at once. You may feel rushed or overwhelmed. You may not even want to take the time to do this exercise, but take a moment more and read on.....

When your attention is divided, so is your energy. For example, when you are thinking about your child at school, you send some of your energy there with her. When you make a mental grocery list while you are sitting through a boring meeting, some of your life energy is tooling through the supermarket, shopping.

We humans are multi-tasking creatures. But there is a limit to our endurance, and our ability to be conscious of the subtle layers of energy around us, when we divide ourselves so much. Try going to the television department of your local appliance store. Turn all the sets on and try watching them and still paying attention to the people and conversations around you. This is how most of us spend our days. Is it any wonder that we tune out most of what we sense and feel?

This is why meditation is important in a spiritual practice. There are many kinds of meditation, but the most important thing is that you create a space for yourself where you can just be in the moment. It's better yet if you can take moments for yourself like this throughout your day to just breathe and be yourself. Think of meditation as a mini-vacation for your mind.

If you're like many meditators and would-be meditators, you may have trouble carving out time or energy to create a regular practice of meditation at home. I talk to many people who say things like "Well, I try to meditate every day, but I just can't make myself do it." Or, "I just don't have the time." As with exercise, there is usually a level of guilt and self-recriminations that come along for the ride. It is the mountain-high goal that many fail to reach because we put so much expectation on it that it cannot happen.

Start small and build your meditation space over time. While setting aside a specific time each day can be ideal, it isn't always practical. So, create small interludes throughout your day where you can stop and sit and breathe.

Try putting your feet flat on the floor, sitting in an easy but upright posture, and close your eyes. Start to be aware of the space immediately around your body--your aura. Notice if one side feels different than another. Do you feel balanced or lopsided? Do you feel like there's more energy in front of you or behind you? How far out does your aura extend? If you find other thoughts crossing your mind, just recognize them--don't try to push them out. If you are thinking about something, that energy is "in your space," and right now all you are doing is noticing what is in there. It's sort of like looking around the room and noticing who and what is occupying it. Take some deep breaths, and just be in the moment. You might imagine collecting up your attention from any place where it is right now. Choose to be here right now.

Before you finish, stop and imagine a big ball of color over your head that represents your energy, coming back to you, in your natural state of total joy. Notice what color that is for you right now. Imagine this energy coming down through the top of your head and filling up your body and your aura with You.

Open your eyes, and see if things look different, feel different. A funny thing happens when you start creating space for you to be yourself. The more you do it, the more you notice intuitively. More serendipitous coincidences start happening, and you start drawing in people and resources to help along the path. If you give yourself permission to connect with what you need, it will come to you

Stay as mindful as possible, all day long.

Life isn't as simple as it used to be. We have evolved our society to a level that often seems out of touch with the basics of living and learning in a human body. Yet as spirits, we are creating bodies that are much more sensitive on a psychic level than in generations past. The combination of a sensitive body and a complicated, artificial lifestyle can create tremendous pain, feelings of unreality, unwellness, unconsciousness, and boredom.

It's no small wonder that the new age and human potential movements have soared over the past few years, as sensitive people search for their own inner guidance.

When I was young, I was often sick and had low energy. I came home from school and slept until dinner time. Doctors ran every test under the sun and found nothing. What was really going on? As a clairvoyant, I look back and realize that as a child, I was healing the pain in my family and in my neighborhood. I was not only taking on the negative "stuff" of others, I was also giving away my own energy--so much so that I often felt exhausted. As a teenager, I never suspected that my mother's words "You're too sensitive" might actually carry a much deeper truth.

"Sensitive" people are really just spirits who have created bodies that are open on a psychic level. You may not consider yourself intuitive, but you wouldn't be reading this if you weren't.

We often take psychic experiences for granted. Ever been to the mall and came home with a splitting headache? Spent hours arguing mentally with your boss or a friend? Seen images in your head when you close your eyes? These are examples of trancemediumship, telepathy, and clairvoyance, respectively.

The reason they don't make any sense is not that you don't have intuition, just that what you are perceiving is "psychic clutter." This is often what gets in the way of your communication with your body.

Earth is like a spiritual development school. As an immortal spirit, you choose what kind of body you want (male or female, blue eyes, red hair, tall or short, can sing or mountain climb, etc.) before you incarnate. Sometimes, you make very specific choices, other times you just take the next body that is available that will meet your needs. You probably had more than one learning or creative goal for this lifetime, as well--something you wanted to experience or accomplish.

As a child, your path was clear to you. Most very young children remember who they are as a spirit and where they are headed. Recently, I heard the story of a two year old who climbed onto her mother's bed one bright morning and asked "Mommy, do you remember me?" Her mother was startled as the little girl continued: "You know, it was a long time ago, back when we were sisters."

Another time, I heard two little boys playing outside my window. One boy asked his friend "Do you remember what it was like before you were born?" The other one paused only a second. "Yeah," he replied, with absolute certainty, and they both went on with their game.

As children we remember, but time goes on and we absorb other people's concepts, criticisms, and the "white noise" of society into our consciousness. This foreign energy is painful to both body and spirit. Gradually, we find ways to escape it and spend more time out of our bodies. This can take the form of daydreaming, marathon shopping, watching TV, or more serious escapism such as unhealthy foods, cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs.

The farther you wander from your body, the harder it is to communicate with it and create what you want through it. Life becomes stuck, and your spiritual goals do not move forward. You wander off of your path- - and start living and doing what other people want you to do. Sometimes, illness or tragic events are the only way you as a spirit can get through to your body to say "Stop, you need to go this way."

When you are in communication with your body, everything starts to flow. Your intuitive abilities begin to clear, and you can use them to make your dreams come true. Bodywork and spiritual readings are helpful, but it is important to learn how to create that communication for yourself. As a beginning, try this short exercise:

Sit down in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. Take ten, slow deep breaths and begin to relax your muscles. Notice where there is tension in your body and begin to let it go. Now, say hello to your body. Yes, that's right: "Hello Body!" Notice how it responds. Do you feel an emotion? Pain or stress in some part of your anatomy? Bodies communicate through emotion and physical sensation. Ask yourself what your body is trying to tell you, and write down the answer. It may not make sense now, but write it down anyway.

Do this exercise every morning and evening, and you will begin to receive a wealth of information about who you are and how you can create more with less effort. Honor what your body tells you. The more often you say hello to your body, the better communication you will have with it, and the more you can create through it.