On Meditation
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- In meditation it helps if we can remain open and curious about what we experience.
To do this, approach meditation each time as if it is the first time we’ve ever meditated; as if we know nothing about meditation and be willing to sit and experience what we experience. We will then stay open and curious. If we think we know how to meditate and what should happen during meditation we are closing ourselves off, no longer curious. Remain like a child and be curious to whatever is seen. - The real sign that you are benefiting from meditation is not what we experience in a particular meditation, it is how you feel as you go about our lives. Are we feeling generally more peaceful and relaxed? Are we handling certain every day situations without feeling so stressed and anxious?
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- There is only what is experienced in meditation, nothing more. There may be times during our meditation practice that we feel pretty awful as negative emotions are experienced and there are certain unpleasant sensations felt in the body. There will also be times when we feel wonderful as loving emotions are experienced and there are blissful sensations in the body. Good and bad experiences can be observed at any time of our meditation practice and are not a sign of any sort of progress. The real sign of a good meditation practice is, as time goes by a general feeling outside of meditation of being more relaxed, more peaceful and more comfortable with oneself.
- The beauty of meditation is it will take you where it takes you. There is no goal, no end result, there is just a willingness and an openness to be curious about what meditation is. The benefits will be felt as we remain in this open stance during our meditation practice. |
- In my life I've had periods of depression in particular one spell where I was unable to work for 6 months. I've found meditation enormously beneficial in helping me maintain a positive mental attitude. In fact, I have not had a spell of depression since I started meditating.You can sit to meditate but if you find staying still a challenge then you can follow a standing and moving meditation such as Qi-gong. Meditation does not have to be difficult, whichever form of meditation you follow and you can feel the benefits quickly.
- We have all seen images of people meditating in the seated position with legs crossed as if this is essential. It isn’t. If you find that this is the most comfortable position for you then that is the way for you. If not, then it doesn’t matter, find another position which is best for you.
The most important thing is the meditation itself not the position we adopt. If we are spending the whole time we are meditating in discomfort and even pain, the meditation becomes more or less a lesson in pain management rather than meditation itself. Therefore being comfortable is the key.
- If we are honest with ourselves we will notice any state or experience, whether it is good or bad is temporary and will come and go in our own awareness. Nothing we’ve ever experienced or observed has occurred outside this awareness.
We are constantly aware of experiences coming and going whether in meditation or as we simply go about our normal lives. We can experience a busy mind or a quiet mind during meditation. We can experience feelings of love or feelings of anger towards each other. We can experience a relaxed state or a stressed state at work. Whether we’re formally meditating or not, whatever the experience is, it will begin and end.
- There is no such thing as a good meditation or a bad meditation although it may appear that way. If the mind goes quiet with no thoughts and we have a wonderful sensation of peace and calmness, we may have a tendency to label that as a good meditation. We may perhaps believe we are making some sort of progress with our practice. Then the next time we sit we may have the direct opposite experience with an extremely busy mind, thoughts of all sorts of random things flying by and we may feel quite agitated. We may then judge and label this as a bad meditation. We may then believe we are not progressing or even failing in our meditation practice.
We have to remember that what we experience in meditation is exactly what we were meant to experience.
- We can start to realise that meditation is, a sense of being rather a doing. We can’t actually learn how to meditate. It’s similar to trying to teach a small child to walk for the first time. We can encourage them, we can hold their hands to assist them, but at some point we have to let go and see if they can walk for themselves. Therefore like learning to walk, we can only be guided towards meditation by a teacher and by following a certain technique. The technique allows us to assume an open stance to whatever occurs when we sit down to formally attempt to meditate.
- We have to remember that what we experience in meditation is exactly what we were meant to experience. We have to remind ourselves not to label one experience as good or bad; it is just meditation. Ignore the naturally tendency to decide whether something is right or wrong, good or bad.
Ian McArthur
The most important thing is the meditation itself not the position we adopt. If we are spending the whole time we are meditating in discomfort and even pain, the meditation becomes more or less a lesson in pain management rather than meditation itself. Therefore being comfortable is the key.
- If we are honest with ourselves we will notice any state or experience, whether it is good or bad is temporary and will come and go in our own awareness. Nothing we’ve ever experienced or observed has occurred outside this awareness.
We are constantly aware of experiences coming and going whether in meditation or as we simply go about our normal lives. We can experience a busy mind or a quiet mind during meditation. We can experience feelings of love or feelings of anger towards each other. We can experience a relaxed state or a stressed state at work. Whether we’re formally meditating or not, whatever the experience is, it will begin and end.
- There is no such thing as a good meditation or a bad meditation although it may appear that way. If the mind goes quiet with no thoughts and we have a wonderful sensation of peace and calmness, we may have a tendency to label that as a good meditation. We may perhaps believe we are making some sort of progress with our practice. Then the next time we sit we may have the direct opposite experience with an extremely busy mind, thoughts of all sorts of random things flying by and we may feel quite agitated. We may then judge and label this as a bad meditation. We may then believe we are not progressing or even failing in our meditation practice.
We have to remember that what we experience in meditation is exactly what we were meant to experience.
- We can start to realise that meditation is, a sense of being rather a doing. We can’t actually learn how to meditate. It’s similar to trying to teach a small child to walk for the first time. We can encourage them, we can hold their hands to assist them, but at some point we have to let go and see if they can walk for themselves. Therefore like learning to walk, we can only be guided towards meditation by a teacher and by following a certain technique. The technique allows us to assume an open stance to whatever occurs when we sit down to formally attempt to meditate.
- We have to remember that what we experience in meditation is exactly what we were meant to experience. We have to remind ourselves not to label one experience as good or bad; it is just meditation. Ignore the naturally tendency to decide whether something is right or wrong, good or bad.
Ian McArthur
