Meditation

Most people are aware of how beneficial meditation can be if you embrace it as part of your daily life. It allows a depth of relaxation which cannot be experienced by just sitting around doing nothing, watching the television or reading a book. But like most things of benefit, there is a discipline to be observed before success can be achieved and a little practise may be necessary.

Meditation is part of my daily routine and I would like to introduce you to my method of achieving this truly relaxed state.

Sit down comfortably in a chair in a quiet room which should be warm and comfortable, though not stuffy and certainly not cold. Try not to have any distracting lights shining when you do this exercise. Make sure that your back is vertical and supported. Your thighs should be parallel with the floor and your knees slightly apart. Your feet should point forward although they can also be slightly apart. You will also need to ensure that you do not wear any tight or uncomfortable clothing at the time of this exercise. Overall, the method of the idea is to find a position where your body muscles are completely relaxed and are free from any tension.

Some people try to do the exercise when lying down on a bed. There is no objection to this approach but the association of bed, sleep and relaxation may make you actually fall asleep.

Close your eyes. You can now test for any tension in your body by checking each area in turn. Gently roll your head from side to side and concentrate of any muscular tension. Do the same for your face, arms, shoulders and legs by consciously “feeling” them in your mind. You will be astonished at the tensions you have built up, particularly the first time you try it. You should say to yourself mentally “I am very peaceful”.

Now concentrate your mind’s eye on a place where you feel you can be totally relaxed – perhaps lying on a sun-soaked beach with the waves breaking calmly onto the sand. If you find firstly that your images of this scene change and your mind starts to wander, repeat three or four times “Not now – at this time I am very peaceful”. You should then find your mind will stay and remain on your relaxation.

I use a yellow rose as my first point of concentration. I examine the formation of the flower – the petals, the stamens, the convolutions of each petal, the veins and capillaries running through the petals and the depth of colour. You may wish to picture a waterfall rushing down a mountain side. Allow the imagination to see and hear it, and everyday worries should be allowed to flow away. Complete tranquility should be achieved.

You may find that the feeling associated with complete relaxation will be heaviness. This is caused by a complete loss of muscle tension.

The final phase of relaxation is to ensure that your abdomen is totally relaxed. Your breathing at this stage should be slow and steady, just as it is when you are asleep. You should now have achieved a completely meditative state.

To bring yourself out of this meditative state you must consciously increase your breathing and gently flex your fingers and hands. Enjoy the feeling of stretching each and every part of your body. Slowly count to ten, open your eyes and stand up. Do not jump up out of the chair and rush about – take your time.

The enjoyable feelings of relaxation will most certainly help you recover from the stresses of the day