Establishing A Daily Meditation Practice

It's important to establish a daily practice and then stick to it. This doesn't mean dedicating 12 hours a day to meditation, it just means creating a space in your home where you can take a few minutes and meditate and do the exercises. I advise people to start with some of the basic exercises and devote 10 -20 minutes a day as they develop their physical and mental abilities. Many people quite simply overload themselves and expect too much too soon, then get discouraged when they don't see the results they thought they should see.

Getting Started

Set aside a corner in one of your rooms. You can stock it with whatever accoutrement you wish. Many folks have cushions, candles, incense and a small CD player for music or guided meditation CD's. Use whatever tools and accessories you want to, as there's no right or wrong at this point.

Once you've created your 'sacred space' then all you have to do is use it. Set aside a few minutes each day and begin working on your breathing and Full Body Awareness. Don't worry at this point about how long you meditate, just get into the habit of doing it. The effects of meditation are cumulative, so 5 minutes a day everyday is better than 20 minutes once a week.

Eventually you'll get to the point where you don't need any accessories and you can clear your mind and meditate anywhere, at any time, but for now don't worry about that, just create a pleasant, sacred atmosphere and get started.

On 'Expectation'

In the spiritual circles we often hear people talking about doing things 'without expectation'. It's amazing how often the simple truths are all around us.

When we begin meditation or working towards the kundalini, we often feel that we should be able to do certain things within a certain time frame. We expect to be able to clear our minds and access our deeper abilities. We expect to be able to sit for an hour and meditate, or to see auras, or feel other people's chi. Then when it doesn't happen we become disappointed and confused. I can't tell you how important it is to break free of these expectations.

When we let go of expectations and learn to just relax in the moment and just BE, then we are making progress of the most important kind. In the west we tend to be so goal oriented and have a need to see results, but frequently the cumulative effects of meditation aren't noticeable until much later. Meditation is about this moment, about BEing totally in this moment, rather than about who you'll be when you've become a good meditator.

The important thing with a regular practice is to just do it. The effects are cumulative and one day you'll look back and see that all those short meditation sessions actually added up.

---

Robert Morgen is a Reiki Master who currently holds a Black Belt in Hoshin Roshi Ryu. He's the founder of the Kundalini Awakening Discussion Group, the Druids Circle Discussion Group and the (offline) Druids Circle in Lakewood, CO. You can find more info on all these at; www.druidscircle.info

He's also the founder and Executive Director of the Windhaven Foundation for Sustainable Living.

He writes a regular column on subtle energy for Fight Times Magazine and a twice monthly column on Kundalini Awakening at Alumbo.com.

In addition to teaching about energy work and Kundalini Awakening he donates time to teach about Renewable Energy, Alternative Building and Creating Sustainable Lifestyles in various Public Schools.

He travels and teaches as much as possible and you can find out how to attend one of his Kundalini Awakening seminars at his website at; www.windhavenco.org

His new book "Personal Mastery: Develop Your True Inner Power By Awakening Your Kundalini" is now available at http://www.lulu.com/RobertMorgen.

In The News:


Stressed out? Create a place to meditate
Chicago Tribune, United States - 2 hours ago
By Margaret Slaby Patricia Lewis likes to start her mornings with meditation. The 20 to 30 minutes that it takes, she says, sets the tone for the entire day ...

iPhone Gems: Sixteen Zen, Relaxation, and Meditation Apps
iLounge, CA - 13 hours ago
By Jeremy Horwitz If you’re reading this article, you probably already know what “zen” is, so rather than defining it or the meditative state known as ...

Study: Zen Meditation Really Does Clear the Mind
U.S. News & World Report, DC - Sep 3, 2008
This suggests Zen meditation could help treat attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (so-called ADD or ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, ...

Meditation soothes the nerves of students
UNLV The Rebel Yell, NV - 21 hours ago
Meditation has been an answer to stress for centuries, growing in popularity with new trends that incorporate its basic fundamentals. ...

Writing As Meditation
Huffington Post, NY - 20 hours ago
Writing can be a form of meditation, of inward exploration of mind. We can 'read' other people's thoughts through such personal writings. ...

The closest thing to Jedi mind tricks
New Scientist (subscription), UK - 18 hours ago
Trained Zen Buddhists return to a state of inner calm faster than people who don't practice meditation, according to neuroscientist Giuseppe Pagnoni and his ...

Event to Promote Social Values Through Meditation
New Era, Namibia - Sep 4, 2008
South African Pratiba Daya, a teacher of meditation with 20 years of experience, will deliver the keynote address. The event will also feature dances and ...

Buddhist group to teach meditation at Fairmount Hallll
Grand Junction Free Press, Colorado - Sep 4, 2008
By Sharon Sullivan The principles of meditation will be taught in Grand Junction by Mark Mindenhall, a senior student at the Avalokiteshvara Buddhist Center ...

Racism, Hyporcrisy, And Republicans: A Meditation
Black Star News, NY - Sep 3, 2008
By Geoffrey Dunn To see their images paraded and bastardized --there is no other word for it-- before the Republican Convention last evening in a video ...

Temple Emunah has adult programs
Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA - 5 hours ago
Beginning in September, Temple Emunah offers a meditation course and a monthly Women’s Study Circle. The five-week course on Jewish meditation, ...
David Jacobs, Quincy's last rabbi, dies at 81 Daily News Tribune
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