What if the only thing wrong is the belief something is wrong?
I’ve been contemplating that question a fair bit lately, including the several times over the last few weeks I’ve sat down to write an Inspirational Message of the Week, only to find myself lacking the vital ingredient of inspiration!
I want my newsletters to be of value to you, so even while I want to give you a newsletter regularly I won’t write one unless I actually have something to say!
So in keeping with the question above, it’s actually perfect I have nothing to say right now, as instead I can share with you some great wisdom from a special guest author!
I first met Nigel Coates a couple of years ago at a meditation group. Today he runs a wonderful website helping us to fully explore meditation. Nigel has been kind enough to share a great introduction to meditation with us…enjoy!
When people first think of meditation, they usually visualize someone sitting cross-legged on the floor for hours on end – bolt upright and motionless, possibly chanting the eternal humming sound of… Ohhmmmmmmm.
And they think to themselves, “I could never do that, it’s too uncomfortable!”
And rightly so! But rest assured, Meditation is not about the physical.
Meditation is ‘A mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the ‘thinking mind – into a deeper state of awareness and relaxation.’
If you are struggling to bare the pain of pins and needles, or wondering how on earth you are going to get up off the floor when you are done, you are not likely going to float blissfully on a cloud of relaxation.
So eliminate any pre-conceived ideas that strict posture is needed for meditation. Think of how you are most relaxed… Sitting in a comfortable chair, or laying face up in bed are both fine. It’s best not to fall asleep, (though it often happens to beginner’s, does you no harm, and leaves you refreshed and feeling great), but it doesn’t really develop the ‘mental discipline’ component of the definition.
There are many different techniques used to reach a meditative state.
Some methods, such as Vipassana, Buddhist, Zen and Taoist have been practiced throughout the Eastern world for thousands of years. Students of these forms can spend their lifetimes devoted to practice (which was a lot more common a thousand years ago than now).
Guided Meditation has become a very popular form, and is an excellent method for beginners, or those who only practice on occasion. A Guide leads you through the entire process. As you listen to the recording, the guide will draw focus to your breath, relax your body, and then lead you on a journey. With your mind captivated by the words it helps to reduce conscious thought. You can receive all of the benefits of meditation with ease and convenience.
In essence, each form of meditation has the same goal – to provide an opportunity to connect with your true self, spiritual purpose and universal knowledge. Independent of religion or belief, or even the technique used; the benefits to the mind, body and spirit are universal.
Nigel’s website, Explore Meditation is a meditation reference site to assist your spiritual growth.There you’ll find further information on:
- How to Meditate,
- The different Types of Meditation you can practice,
- Guided Meditations you can Download
- and Meditation Videos
Nigel has an informative newsletter that breaks learning into bite-size pieces, to assist your meditation practice and spiritual growth.
When you subscribe to the newsletter, Nigel’s also giving you immediate access to the Guided Meditation MP3, ‘The Magical Colour Shower’.
Nigel describes this meditation as “A simple recording designed to introduce the varied elements of meditation; Relaxation, Breathing, and Visualisation. With just 10 minutes you can feel refreshed, connected, positive and centred. 10 minutes well spent!”
Sign up for Nigel’s wonderful newsletter at:
www.exploremeditation.com/newsletter.php
I also highly recommend checking out Nigel’s other resources at his website:
As for me, now I’m going to meditate on the question I first asked… What if the only thing wrong is the belief something is wrong?
