|
Meditation students often come to me and
ask what they can do to improve their meditation. Success in
meditation is not the result of any one single factor but
depends on sustained and systematic effort over a period of
time. However, there are a few tips for meditation that will
help you to improve your performance, regardless of the
meditation method that you follow.
1. Prepare your body for meditation
Your physical condition has a
tremendous influence on your mind. This is true for your day
to day activity, but even more so when it comes to
meditation. You can prepare your body for meditation by
eating the right food, and by coming to meditation with an
empty stomach. Eating the right food, means food which
strengthens the body but doesn’t have any adverse affect on
the mind. If you consume products that make the mind dull or
over-stimulated then it will be much harder to meditate. And
whatever your diet is, when you sit down to meditate, it
should be on an empty stomach. That is why one of the best
times to meditate is in the morning, before you have had
your breakfast. Another good time is in the evening, before
the evening meal.
2. Prepare Your Mind for Meditation
Just as your body must be prepared, so
must your mind. Before you start meditation you must
convince yourself, that this period of meditation is your
time for personal growth, and that it is important, as
important as anything else in your life. When you close your
eyes to meditate, you should not jump up to answer the
phone, or get ready to leave your meditation due to some
slight disturbance. If you convince yourself of the
importance of meditation, then your example will also
convince others around you and they won’t disturb you during
meditation. So, remember your periods of meditation are one
of the most important parts of your daily routine, and treat
them as such.
3. Sing Before Meditation
The Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore
once said, “God respects me when I work, but He loves me
when I sing.” That explains the place of song and music in
all the great spiritual traditions. Before you begin
meditation you can sing spiritual songs, whose meaning
elevates your mind. It doesn’t matter if you have “good”
voice or a “bad” voice, sing from the heart, and your mind
will go to a point that will be the ideal starting point
for your meditation.
4. Sit in a Proper Position
Remember when you were in school and
the teacher looked around and saw someone slumping in his or
her seat, and she said “sit up straight!” She had a good
point; when the back is straight the mind is alert. Sit in a
position that will keep the back straight. Sit with cross
legs in a simple position, or a half-lotus or a full lotus.
In addition to making the mind more alert, these positions
help you to rest the various motor organs, and provide a
peaceful physical base for your meditation.
In the beginning these positions may
seem difficult or uncomfortable, but if you can get used to
them, they will help you to deepen your meditation.
5. Follow the Meditation
Instructions Exactly
Remember carefully what your meditation
instructor taught you and do your best to carry it out,
exactly according to the instructions. Don’t experiment and
make up your own method. The various systems of meditation
are based on thousands of years of experience, so you don’t
have to try to figure out what to do. Take advantage of the
age-old knowledge of the past, and you will make rapid
strides towards a bright future. If you have forgotten any
part of your meditation method, go and see your instructor
and get a review of your lesson.
6. Be Regular in Your Meditation
Practice
This is one of the key factors to
success. Meditation works, if you work. If you only do
meditation once a month or on whim, when you feel like it,
then it will be impossible to be successful and realize the
benefits of meditation: mental clarity, inner peace, love
for others and spiritual awareness. Make meditation a part
of your daily routine. Just as surely as the sun comes up
each day, do your meditation without fail. Fix a time for it
in the morning and evening and do it on a regular basis. If
you get into the habit of doing your practice regularly,
then you have taken one of the single most important steps
towards success in meditation, and indeed, in your life.
7. Be Patient
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and
similarly you cannot make miraculous changes in your
personality or in your spiritual life in just one sitting of
meditation. Don’t be discouraged if you feel that nothing is
happening. Meditation is a subtle art, the changes come
slowly but surely. Keep on practicing and your meditation is
sure to deepen and you will indeed be successful.
|
