What is Meditation?
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If you ask 100 people what meditation is, you'll get 100 different answers. Meditation is one of those things that just can't be defined with language because the states you are looking for in meditation transcend thought and can't be described using the rational mind.
Here's our favorite definition of what meditation is and how to practice it. Basic Meditation PracticeThere are all kinds of meditation practices out there, but almost all are based on these foundational principals.
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Sit ComfortablySit in a chair with your ankles directly over your knees, knees slightly below your hips, your spine erect but relaxed, your chin parallel to the ground, your hands resting comfortably and your eyes open or closed.
This is a very basic seated meditation position that can be modified in any way that helps you. There are lots of different meditation positions that you should try. But if you're just getting started, this is a good one to try first. Take a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Envision breathing in cool, refreshing air and letting go of anything you brought to meditation with you today. Let go of tension in the shoulders. Check your position and make any adjustments you need. |
Focus on the BreathGently direct your focus to wherever you feel the breath most strongly. This might be the tip of your nose, your throat, your chest or your belly. Wherever you feel it most strongly.
There are hundreds of different meditation techniques and many of them use a different focal point such as the heart, or a candle but it's not really important which focal point you use. The breath is very apparent when the body is still, that's why it's a great focal point to get started with. You can practice envision covering your breath with your awareness from the beginning to the end, just noticing all the qualities you feel. Notice where the breath seems stuck. Notice the rising and falling of the chest and the stomach. Notice the qualities of hot or cold. Notice how your body feels. Notice it all and return to the breath. |
Observe ThoughtsObserve thoughts as they arise in your awareness. When you notice yourself being dragged away by a thought, simply acknowledge that with kindness and return your focus to the breath.
Many people think meditation means 'shutting off thoughts'. This is simply not true. Meditation is observing thoughts as they arises, knowing full well we will get carried away with them and when we do, we acknowledge that as part of the practice and simply return to our breath. It's important to do this gently and with kindness, because trying to force our awareness back to where we want it will only breed more juicy thoughts for us to run away with. We simply acknowledge with kindness, maybe even a little humor and return to the practice. |
The Position
You would be amazed at the number of people who don't start meditating because they aren't sure what position is best. They're all fine! It's not very important which position you practice at all. A good meditation position is one where you are comfortable and supported so you can sit long enough to complete your practice. You also want to be alert enough not to fall asleep. Other than that, pretty much anything goes.
Basic Seated Meditation Position
Ankle, Knee and Hip AlignmentLightly push into your feet and feel the floor supporting you. Make sure your ankles or forming a 90 degree angle between your feet and knees. Make sure you're not holding your legs open or closed.
Back Straight, Sit Tall, Chin Parallel to the GroundCenter the base of your spine is directly below the base of your neck. Image there is a string from the top of your head to the ceiling. Bring your chin parallel with the floor and tuck it slightly if that is more comfortable.
Eyes Open or Closed, Hands Resting ComfortablyClose your eyes or soften your gaze and direct it to a point in front of you. Let your hands rest comfortably in your lap or on your thighs, just so they are supported and you won't have to fidget with them. Notice any areas of tension and let them go. Adjust your posture if necessary.
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EXERCISE
Observing The Breath
Why all this talk about the breath? It seems like a lot of meditation is just breathing. Isn't just sitting there breathing pretty easy? Unfortunately, focusing on the breath is simple but it's most certainly not easy. When the body is still and the mind isn't actively engaged, the sensation of breathing becomes front and center in our awareness.
That's why we talk so much about the breath. We use it as a focal point for our awareness!
That's why we talk so much about the breath. We use it as a focal point for our awareness!
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RESOURCES
9 Attitudes of Mindfulness
John Kabat-Zinn
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Our Favorite Teachers
Most practiced mediators got that way because they followed a tradition or a specific person. At Enlyten Lab, we don't follow any specific tradition, we're not members of any religion and we don't have a guru. What we do have is love and respect of all traditions and the desire to incorporate the best of all of them.
We don't want you to delay starting your practice because you haven't found the right teacher. If you do feel like you need someone to light your path, below are a few great places to look:
We don't want you to delay starting your practice because you haven't found the right teacher. If you do feel like you need someone to light your path, below are a few great places to look:
RAM DASS |
TARA BRACH |
ECKHART TOLLE |
Books on Meditation
If you haven't tried meditating yet, I highly recommend you skip this section. Lots of people never start meditating because they think they don't know enough. They read entire books on the subject and never sit down to practice!
However, if you already have some experience you may find it helpful to have a little guidance on deepening your practice. Here are a handful of our favorite books on meditation:
However, if you already have some experience you may find it helpful to have a little guidance on deepening your practice. Here are a handful of our favorite books on meditation:
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EXERCISE
The Pause Meditation
This 1-minute meditation is perfect for anybody who wants to start meditating but doesn't know how. Just follow all the principals above and 1-minute from now you can go from someone who has never meditated to someone who is starting their practice!
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Building A Practice
Practice Every DayThe prerequisite for building a meditation practice is just that, practice! There is no shortcut around developing the habit of meditation. Beware anyone who tells you that you can the results you're looking for without a regular practice sustained over years.
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At the Same TimeIt helps to develop a ritual around your meditation sessions. It makes them more enjoyable and gets you into the right mindset. Most experienced meditators prefer to practice first thing in the morning or right before bedtime, right before lunch or at night.
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Build Up in LengthThe correct length of time per session when you first start is as short as it needs to be so you will practice every day. Start with 1-minute, every day until you want to add more time to each session. Build slowly and don't be afraid to go back to one minute sessions.
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Set goals but aim wisely.
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Our 6-Week Training Plan
Below is a sample 6-Week Training Plan that will jumpstart your meditation practice.
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Week 1: Learn the Basics/Build the PracticeOne of the major barriers to beginning a meditation practice is feeling like we don't know enough. If we just read one more book about meditation or watch a few more Youtube videos, maybe then we'll know enough so we're not wasting our time. In this section, we're going to review the essentials and give you all the information you need to start building your meditation practice. By the end of week one, you'll feel empowered to start practicing every day.
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Week 2: Awareness of the BreathThe most fundamental style of meditation is becoming aware of the breath. What does that mean and why do we do it? In this section, you'll learn how to bring your awareness to the breath. You'll learn why the breath is a common focal point in meditation and why a focal point is so important. We'll provide instruction on how to get started with breath awareness and how to continue building your practice. By the end of week two, you'll feel secure that your practice is heading in the right direction.
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Week 3: Body Scan/GroundingYou'll notice in weeks one and two that you often get trapped or dragged away from the practice by your mind. We will build on the previous two weeks learning and show you how to direct your awareness out of the mind and into the body. We will use our breath to break us of the cycle of unconscious thought and direct our focus into our bodies, where our emotions live. By the end of week three, you'll feel grounded in your body and less attached to the stories playing out in your mind.
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Week 4: Acceptance/Processing TraumaBy this point, we've built the foundations of our practice, we've learned to get out of the past or future and into the present moment, out of our minds and our bodies and into our emotions and now it's time to do the deep. Warning: this is powerful medicine. Not everybody will be ready for this meditation and it should not be attempted by someone that isn't ready for it. Everybody who does attempt it, should have the proper support system in place.
This week we are going to talk about past trauma and how we play that out in our lives until we process it. To do that, we will expose those parts of ourselves that we least want to look at, hold it with compassion and start to transcend it. If you're ready to take this meditation on, you might spend a lot of time crying this week but after the tears comes the joy of opening more fully into our best lives. |
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Week 5: Loving Kindness/Loving AwarenessYou may have ended last week feeling like you ripped a hole open inside yourself. It will be painful, it will be challenging. Now, it's time to fill that space you created within yourself with love, kindness, empathy and acceptance. You may make peace with your busy mind. You may feel like you've been given the keys to the universe. We will get to the root of the our disconnection from others and from ourselves and begin to cultivate the ground for deeper connection in our lives. By the end of this week, you may notice an ability to live more fully, connect more deeply and find a well of inner strength that has no bottom.
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Week 6: Visualization/Connecting to the Higher SelfNow that we've begun to heal from our past and created a loving space within ourselves, it's time to set a vision for the future. This is what we all hope to get from our meditation practice - a future that is more connected, more loving, holds more space for ourselves and others, aligns us mind, body and soul and connects us with the best possible version of ourselves in the future. You'll learn to connect with your higher self and live with a higher purpose. By the end of this week, you'll have a method of contacting that higher self and the strength to live from that place.
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