Table of Contents Acknowledgments PREFACE Simplistic Approach and Guide to Meditation The relaxation response: Make relaxation techniques fit your life: Finding What Works For You: Relaxation technique 1: Relaxation technique 2: Relaxation technique 3: Relaxation technique 4: Relaxation technique 5: Rhythmic exercise as a mindfulness relaxation technique: Tips for fitting relaxation techniques into your life: How-To Create A Meditation Room List of some of the oils used to help with the meditation process Conclusion
Acknowledgments
This is Edition 1.50 There will know doubt be updates and corrections made to this work book. First a note about the cover, I chose it because I always meditate best when I'm riding my bike. In fact my Sangha jokingly refer's to me as the Biking Buddha. That being said most of this book was conceived while I was cycling.
布雷特 – 阿倫感知郎 Bùléi tè - ā lún gǎnzhī láng ブレットアレン知覚ラング Burettoaren chikaku Rangu تصور لنج.بريت ألين Lama B.A. NinChi Mu Shiki Lang
Was ordained on 05/02/2014 and is now charged as Lama of the New Age Zen Taoist Kalachakra Sect. Also known as 'Unifhist' he is currently head master at the Murasaki Temple in Naples Florida.
PREFACE
This book is not meant to take the place of professional meditation classes. But simply provide you the tools you need to help bring your meditation practices home with you. In these pages you will find helpful information to elevate your home meditation practices and bring you a little more relaxation and stress relief. The body and mind are constantly bombarded with stressors, you should take some time to help relieve some of that stress. This meditation manual written primarily for those who are thinking about or who have just started to meditate. I also hope that it will be useful to the seasoned meditators as a reminder of what meditation is all about.
Introduction: As way of an introduction to meditation I would like to quot from different sections of Bo Lozloff's book “We're All Doing Time” “Everyone wants to feel good. Consciously or unconsciously, every living thing moves through time trying to feel more complete, more satisfied than the moment before. From the tiniest germ's struggle for survival to the wisest being's search for enlightenment, life on Earth is a matter of doing our time according to our best guesses....” “Being human, though, our guesses are based not just on instinct, but also on a tremendous amount of thinking and reasoning. And because we have such a wide range of choices, many of our decisions are bound to be bad ones, that is, choices which makes us feel less complete, less satisfied....” “But since the beginning of human life on Earth in the middle of all the jiving and bloodshed and endless quests for pleasure, wealth and power-a few people here and there have gotten together to pursue Truth-the big Truth, capital 'T'.” “This search for Truth – for the key that makes sense of life, for the deep, mysterious something which connects all of creation-has never stopped, never paused, for a moment....” “And here we are. It's important to understand that this is who we are. You and I are seekers on a sacred, ancient path carved out by trailblazers like Buddha, Mohammed, Jesus, Mary, Moses, Great Yogis, Gurus, Lamas, Medicine Chiefs, Shaman – countless men and women of every age, race, and land....” “We may breath, live, walk, and talk but most of the time we don't use more than a fraction of our spiritual power that would make life infinitely more natural and more worth living....” “It's not that we're bad or wicked or anything like that. We're just spiritually clumsy; we're way out of balance because we usually see life from the narrow view – worrying endlessly about the terrible limited world of our views. Wisdom and joy comes only from learning how to see a wider, much more wondrous world; and power comes only from the Spirit within....” “Spiritual practices, mediations can't help us predict or control our world, but they do help us put forth what Buddha called 'Right Effort' – since, patient, and good humored effort to give up our weaknesses and blind spots so we can come into harmony with the Grand Design....”
“Amidst all the old stuff and craziness of our normal lives, we begin to use our energies on the things that help to lighten our load-quieting our minds through meditation, serving others, remembering not to get so lost, having faith in the way life works.”
What is Meditation? Meditation is, first of all, the calming of the mind through concentration. You've probably noticed how scattered your mind can be, constantly jumping from one thought to another all day long. Meditation at it's heart calms and focuses your thoughts so you can enjoy some tranquility or you can use it to study just one thought with out the interference of other thoughts.
How can Meditation help with my stress? Meditation gives you access to that still place at the eye of the storm – that calm center within us, all that remains cool, calm, collected, even in the midst of chaos and turmoil. That place of understanding and clarity amidst all the confusion. It's a place you can go any time to find renewed strength to deal with life's many challenges. The meditation tools will help you learn how to find freedom – freedom from the need to constantly make things different than the way they are. We can then carry on with our lives with more serenity and do what needs to be done instead of being derailed by distractions. Meditation smooths out our rough edges and our knee-jerk reactions, while building and fortifying our core of inner strength and stability.
Will meditation interfere with my religion?
NO! Meditation 'Is Not a Religion' but a mental tool, so it can't interfere with your personal faith. It is by it's very nature non denominational and does not even require a faith.
But when used with a personal faith, it can only deepen and enhance your spiritual life. Many faiths use a Centering Prayer technique as a way to integrate faith into a meditation practice.
Personally I like to think of Prayer as “TALKING TO GOD” while I Like to think of meditation as sitting quietly and patiently listening to “GOD TALK TO US”. Meditation is like pumping iron with the mind and heart. It strengthens your ability to see and then overcome the barriers that separate you from your basic goodness, or happiness & contentment. It helps us all to reconnect with the best parts of ourselves.
Is meditation hiding from life? For Unifhist and I hope all Zen practitioners the answer in “NO” Meditation is a direct, full on engagement, we experience our emotions and feelings, “TO THE MAX” nothing is suppressed or hidden. Meditation practice lets us live our lives more fully and passionately than ever before. It allows us to observe and better understand are interaction and place in the Grand Design.
Simplistic Approach to Meditation Everyone struggles with similar issues regardless of where they live or the diplomas on the wall. So how do people overcome personal violence, sexual abuse, unfairness in the workplace, or the horrors of armed conflict? When you sit and meditate it does not change or answer these questions, just bring you to the point where self-talk ceases, the mind is anything but blank. Instead it's full of an awareness of those sensations, feelings, emotions, and images. I like to think of this as one of the meanings of mindfulness mind-fullness, or the mind being so full that there's no need for, and no room for, inner self-talk. Our inner self-talk, as well as generating or reinforcing unhelpful emotions, also has the effect of keeping us at a relatively superficial level of our experience. We get so wrapped up in what we're saying to ourselves inside our heads that we often don't really notice what's going on in the heart, the body, or even in the outside world. As we start to pay more attention to the breath, and therefore the body, we find that our thinking naturally starts to quiet down. And this creates an even greater opportunity to notice the body, feelings and emotions, etc. What happens as the mind starts to quiet down? And we find that interesting things start to happen. Because we're no longer reinforcing unhelpful emotions, we feel happier. And we are free to notice that happiness more because we're less obsessed with our thinking. So we really notice how happy we are becoming. Interesting things start to happen in the body as well. Because we are no longer reinforcing unhelpful emotions, the body starts to relax. As it relaxes it feels more enjoyable to have a body
and energy starts to be released. And that energy is very pleasurable, and because we are less obsessed with thinking we're free to really notice those sensations as well and sometimes vivid and symbolic imagery wells up into the mind, and of course we are free to really pay attention to that. We don't necessarily think about the imagery, but we allow it to sit within us like a wise presence. So all this is going on in the mind, and the mind is therefore anything but blank. Normal experience seems blank in comparison to the fullness of experience that we can develop in meditation. I'm reminded of times I've been reading outdoors and have emerged from the lines of text on the page to realize that there's a world full of life and beauty around me that seems incomparably richer and more beautiful than the book. And I say this as someone who has always loved reading! Sometimes we decide it is appropriate to think in meditation. And we call this reflection. This kind of thinking is more focused and powerful than normal thought. We don't have a constant stream of thoughts running through the mind, but instead we take a thought and allow it to be there, not going anywhere but simply sitting in the mind, surrounded by awareness, and we notice what responses it calls forth. It's like the difference between watching MTV, with its constant jumping from one image to another, and standing in an art museum, spending time in front of one picture and drinking it in. (Although I've noticed lately that people generally spend most of their time reading the labels of the pictures than they spend actually looking at the pictures themselves a sign, I assume, that they are addicted to inner self-talk and uncomfortable with actual experience.) So, no, it's not contradictory to say that meditation isn't about making your mind go blank, but that it can help us to reduce, or even eliminate, inner self-talk for periods of time. Meditation is about developing mindfulness, or mind-full-ness. Unifhist believe the meaning of life is to experience it. Is meditation about making your mind go blank? One of the most common misconceptions many Buddhist have about meditation is that it's about making your mind go blank. I don't know where this meme and teaching originated, but it's pervasive and longlasting. Certainly, we want in meditation to reduce the amount of thinking (the noise) that goes on. Most of us are plagued with thoughts that arise seemingly without cause. It's rare to experience more than a few moments without some thought arising. And although this is normal (i.e. very common) it's not healthy. Many of the thoughts that arise in the mind are supportive of emotions of anxiety, ill will, neurotic craving, and self-doubt. So that's why we want to reduce the amount of thinking we do to have a rest from this We can even experience times in meditation when no thoughts arise at all.
Hey, you may be thinking, hasn't he just contradicted himself? Well, no. Let me explain. If you think that not thinking is the same as having a blank mind, then you're making the error of equating the mind with thinking and specifically with verbal thinking, or inner self-talk. There's much more to the mind than inner self-talk! There are perceptions of physical sensations, and there are perceptions of feelings and emotions, these are what Unifhist seek to study the internally generated images generated by the near-relentless onslaught of lives interactions with us in this time line of existence, and how they form and effect are thoughts. Another way to look at it is that Unifhist use Meditation to become better observers, and it's through these observations we become enlightened and those find our place in the universe and thus piece of mind.
Posture/Sitting: There are many books on Buddhist Meditation which show the sitting positions one should follow. Do not get caught up on the “right” position, or the “traditional” position, or even the “higher” position. There are no right, higher or better position. The four important things to keep in mind are: Shakyamuni Buddha was an Indian and therefore sitting crosslegged on the floor was a natural position for him. Until recently Zen and Buddhism, flourished in many parts of Asia; all of these countries find sitting on the floor to be natural. I do it out of a sense of tradition and respect. You are welcome to sit on the floor if this is comfortable for you, but as a beginner don't do it just because you think “it's the thing to do.” At this point finding a position you don't mind practicing in daily is more important. Posture on the other hand is important; by posture I mean keeping your spine straight. This is the one very important thing to remember. Whatever position you meditate in, your spine must be straight. The best way I know of to test this posture is to sit as if at attention – chest out, stomach in, back straight, head looking straight ahead. Now, take a deep breath – slowly and then let it out fast. When you let your breath out, your shoulders will drop, and your stomach will poof out, but your back will still be straight with the lower part curved. Tuck your chin in and 'THAT's IT'. Just remember shoulders down, tummy out, back straight. This posture is important for your breathing, and for your stamina. To be able to keep this posture you may want to put a pillow behind your back if you are sitting on a chair. If sitting on the floor, use a pillow or rolled up blanket to sit on. In all positions, floor or chair, your body should be slightly tilted forward. If on a chair, sit on the front fourth of the chair with your weight slanted towards your
legs. If on the floor, your cushion should be placed in such a way so that your body is slanted towards the front with the weight, again, towards your knees. Your eyes can be shut, almost closed but not tightly, so that the eyelids are relaxed or open enough to look down at the floor a foot or so in front of you without focusing on anything. The mouth should be closed. The tongue is pressed lightly against the roof of the mouth, the tip against the roof of the front teeth. This reduces the need to salivate and swallow. Keep your chin tucked in slightly, and remember to KEEP YOUR SPINE STRAIGHT, your stomach forward, and the lower part of your back lightly curved. There is an important aspect of meditation that is touched on all too lightly in most manuals or classes – how hard it is or will be to let go of one's thoughts. Most meditation manuals will tell you to persevere and things will settle down. I will tell you that it takes a long, long, time for things to settle down, good things are often worth the wait. So don't think you are failing because thoughts keep coming up. That's the human condition, try to remember as Unifhist we are not trying to escape these thoughts but to control, experience and understand them. The best way to look at it is 'When we talk; there are momentary pauses between words, whether we realize it or not. In meditation, there are also pauses between your thoughts – this is what being free of thought entails and utilizes.' With patience, mental training and good breathing, this pause will slowly get longer and longer. Eventually you learn to use these pauses as a sort of bookmark, allowing you to move forward and backward in your thoughts. Like replaying a movie in your mind. As you learn to make these pauses longer and longer you will find the ability to control the speed of it's playback. DON'T TRY TO CONTROL THE EMOTIONS OR THOUGHTS, JUST THE NOTHINGNESS OF THE PAUSE. There is no goal, no winning or losing in meditation, so just sit and be gentle with yourself.
The relaxation response:
Bringing your nervous system back into balance stress is necessary for life. You need stress for creativity, learning, and your very survival. Stress is only harmful when it becomes overwhelming and interrupts the healthy state of equilibrium that your nervous system needs to remain in balance. Unfortunately, overwhelming stress has become an increasingly common characteristic of contemporary life. When stressors throw your nervous system out of balance, relaxation techniques can bring it back into a balanced state by producing the relaxation response, a state of deep calmness that is the polar opposite of the stress response. When stress overwhelms your nervous system your body is flooded with chemicals that prepare you for fight or flight. While the stress response can be lifesaving in emergency situations where you need to act quickly, it wears your body down when constantly activated by the stresses of everyday life. The relaxation response puts the brakes on this heightened state of readiness and brings your body and mind back into a state of equilibrium.
Make relaxation techniques fit your life: Producing the relaxation response. Learn about obstacles to the relaxation response. Learn about your Roadblocks to awareness.
A variety of different relaxation techniques can help you bring your nervous system back into balance by producing the relaxation response. The relaxation response is not lying on the couch or sleeping but a mentally active process that leaves the body relaxed, calm, and focused. Learning the basics of these relaxation techniques isn't difficult, but it does take practice. Most stress experts recommend setting aside at least 10 to 20 minutes a day for your relaxation practice. If you'd like to get even more stress relief, aim for 30 minutes to an hour. If that sounds like a daunting commitment, remember that many of these techniques can be incorporated into your existing daily schedule practiced at your desk over lunch or on the bus during your morning commute. For me it's during my daily bike trip to the store. It's what you should think of as “ME TIME�...
There is no single relaxation technique that is best for everyone. When choosing a relaxation technique, consider your specific needs, preferences, fitness level, and the way you tend to react to stress. The right relaxation technique is the one that resonates with you, fits your lifestyle, and is able to focus your mind and interrupt your everyday thoughts in order to elicit the relaxation response. In many cases, you may find that alternating or combining different techniques will keep you motivated and provide you with the best results. As I said for me it's while I'm riding my Bike, 'Just Me the Bike the Wind and the Sun :-)
Finding What Works For You: How you react to stress may influence the relaxation technique that works best for you: How do you react to stress? Do you tend to become angry, agitated, or keyed up? You may respond best to relaxation techniques that quiet you down, such as meditation, deep breathing, or guided imagery Do you tend to become depressed, withdrawn, or spaced out? You may respond best to relaxation techniques that are stimulating and that energize your nervous system, such as rhythmic exercise Do you tend to freeze-speeding up internally, while slowing down externally? Do you need alone time or social stimulation? If you crave solitude, solo relaxation techniques such as meditation or progressive muscle relaxation will give you the space to quiet your mind and recharge your batteries. If you crave social interaction, a class setting will give you the stimulation and support you're looking for. Practicing with others may also help you stay motivated. I personally like to mix both a solitude and group approach, and think this is a healthy thing for everyone to do. Sunday thru Friday I like the solitude approach using breathing and my bike, and Saturday I like a group approach that uses a rhythmic “Via Chants Sutra's & Music� for guided imagery. I'm reminded of the teaching 'EACH INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHER LIKE
LEAVES THAT COME FROM THE SAME ROOT, AND THOUGH LEAVES AND ROOT MUST GO BACK TO THE SOURCE, BOTH ROOT AND LEAVES HAVE THEIR OWN USES.' So I guess you could say I'm a Leave Sunday thru Friday, and try to go back to my roots on Saturday. ;-)
Relaxation technique 1: Breathing meditation for stress relief with its focus on full, cleansing breaths, deep breathing is a simple, yet powerful, relaxation technique. It's easy to learn, can be practiced almost anywhere, and provides a quick way to get your stress levels in check. Deep breathing is the cornerstone of most Zen Buddhist Zazen & Kinhin practice and many other relaxation practices, too, and can be combined with other relaxing elements such as aromatherapy and music. All you really need is a few minutes and a place to stretch out. Practicing deep breathing meditation The key to deep breathing is to breathe deeply from the abdomen, getting as much fresh air as possible in your lungs. When you take deep breaths from the abdomen, rather than shallow breaths from your upper chest, you inhale more oxygen. The more oxygen you get, the less tense, short of breath, and anxious you feel. Sit comfortably with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little. Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little. Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale. If you find it difficult breathing from your abdomen while sitting up, try lying on the floor. Put a small book on your stomach, and try to breathe so that the book rises as you inhale and falls as you exhale.
Zazen: Zazen is the form of meditation at the very heart of Zen practice. In fact, Zen is known as the “meditation school” of Buddhism. Basically, zazen is the study of the self. The great Master Dogen said, “To study the Buddha Way is to study the self, to study the self is to forget the self, and to forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand things.” To be enlightened by the ten thousand things is to recognize the unity of the self and the ten thousand things. Upon his own enlightenment, Buddha was in seated meditation; Zen practice returns to the same seated meditation again and again. For 2,500 years that meditation has continued, from generation to generation; it’s the most important thing that has been passed on. It spread from India to China, to Japan, to other parts of Asia, and then finally to the West. It’s a very simple practice. It’s very easy to describe and very easy to follow. But like all other practices, we have to engage it on a consistent basis if we want to discover its power and depth. We tend to see body, breath, and mind separately, but in zazen they come together as one reality. The first thing to pay attention to is the position of the body in zazen. The body has a way of communicating outwardly to the world and inwardly to oneself. How you position your body has a lot to do with what happens with your mind and your breath. The most effective positioning of the body for the practice of zazen is the stable, symmetrical position of the seated Buddha. Sitting on the floor is recommended because it is grounded. We use a zafu – a small pillow – to raise the behind just a little, so that the knees can touch the ground. With your bottom on the pillow and two knees touching the ground, you form a tripod base that is natural, grounded and stable.
Burneses Position
There are several different leg positions that are possible while seated cross-legged. The first and simplest is the Burmese position, in which the legs are crossed and both feet rest flat on the floor. The knees should also rest on the floor, though sometimes it takes a bit of stretching for the legs to drop that far. After awhile the muscles will loosen up and the knees will begin to drop. To help that happen, sit on the front third of the zafu, shifting your body forward a little bit. By imagining the top of your head pushing upward to the ceiling and by stretching your body that way, get your spine straight – then just let the muscles go soft and relax. With the buttocks up on the zafu and your stomach pushing out a little, there may be a slight curve in the lower region of the back. In this position, it takes very little effort to keep the body upright.
Half Lotus Position Another position is the half lotus, where the left foot is placed up onto the right thigh and the right leg is tucked under. This position is slightly asymmetrical and sometimes the upper body needs to compensate in order to keep itself absolutely straight. People who use this position should make a habit of alternating which leg they bring up.
Full Lotus Position
By far the most stable of all the positions is the full lotus, where each foot is placed up on the opposite thigh. This is perfectly symmetrical and very solid. Stability and efficiency are the important reasons sitting cross-legged on the floor works so well. There is absolutely no esoteric significance to the different positions. What is most important in zazen is what you do with your mind, not what you do with your feet or legs.
Seiza Position
There is also the seiza position. Which due to my age works best for me and is my normal position for meditation. You can sit seiza without a pillow, kneeling, with the buttocks resting on the upturned feet which form an anatomical cushion. Or you can use a pillow to keep the weight off your ankles. A third way of sitting seiza is to use the seiza bench. It keeps all the weight off your feet and helps to keep your spine straight.
Chair Position
Finally, it’s fine to sit in a chair. To help ground the body in this posture, keep your feet flat on the floor. You can use a cushion, or zafu, the same way you would use it on the floor – placing it beneath you on the chair and sitting on the forward third of it. Some people like to place a zafu between their back and the back of the chair, to keep the spine straight and vertical. All of the aspects of the posture that are important when seated on the floor or in seiza are just as important when sitting in a chair.
Keeping the back straight and centered, rather than slouching or leaning to the side, allows the diaphragm to move freely. This will allow the breath to deepen during zazen. Your abdomen will rise and fall much the same way an infant’s belly rises and falls. In zazen it is important to loosen up anything that is tight around the waist and to wear clothing that is non-binding. For instance, material should not gather behind the knees when you cross the legs, inhibiting circulation. Allow the diaphragm to move freely so that the breathing can be deep, easy, and natural. Don’t control or manipulate the breath. You don’t have to make the breath happen in any particular way. It will happen by itself if you take a posture that you can be reasonably comfortable in and position your body properly. During zazen, breathe through your nose and keep your mouth closed. (If you have a cold, or some kind of a nasal blockage, its okay to breathe through your mouth.) The tongue is pressed lightly against the upper palate—swallow once, to create a seal and reduce the need to salivate and swallow. The eyes are kept lowered, with your gaze resting on the ground about two or three feet in front of you. Your eyes will be mostly covered by your eyelids, which eliminates the necessity to blink repeatedly. The chin is slightly tucked in. Although zazen looks very disciplined, the muscles should be soft. There should be no tension in the body. It doesn’t take strength to keep the body straight. The nose is centered in line with the navel, the upper torso leaning neither forward nor back. The hands are folded in the cosmic mudra. The dominant hand is held palm up holding the other hand, also palm up, so that the knuckles of both hands overlap. If you’re right-handed, your right hand is holding the left hand; if you’re left-handed, your left hand is holding the right hand. The thumbs are lightly touching, thus the hands form an oval, which can rest on the upturned soles of your feet if you’re sitting full lotus. If you’resitting Burmese, the mudra can rest on your thighs. The cosmic mudra tends to turn your attention inward. In zazen, we focus on the breath. Breath is the vital force; it’s the central activity of our bodies. Mind and breath are one reality: when your mind is agitated your breath is agitated; when you’re nervous you breathe quickly and shallowly; when your mind is at rest the breath is deep, easy, and effortless. It is important to center your attention in the hara. The hara is a place within the body, located two inches below the navel, inside the body. It’s the physical and spiritual center of the body. In zazen, you will begin to develop a relationship with the hara. You will practice putting your attention there; putting your mind there. As you develop your zazen, you’ll become more aware of the hara as the center of your attentiveness.
Just Remember In Zazen one watches or focuses on the breath as it moves, counting each exhalation as it goes out until one reaches a count of “ten” breaths. If you find your thoughts wandering simply return to a count of “one”. The mind wanders and we come back to the present moment – NO PROBLEM! This is the beginning of training the mind – like plowing a field so that the weeds are knocked down and the seeds of awareness can take root and sprout.
Kinhin: Or Walking Meditation is a wonderful way of transforming something that we do every day into a deeply healing, deeply nourishing and enjoyable tool for our awakening. It is a practice found both in Taoist and Buddhist traditions. When we practice walking meditation, each step of our journey becomes the destination - becomes peace and joy. I first learned walking meditation from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, at a retreat that I attended in Plum Village, in the spring of 1995 - and have been enjoying it ever since! Time Required: ten to thirty minutes, or longer if you'd like
1. It's wonderful to practice walking meditation any time that we are walking. When we're first learning the practice, however, it's best to set aside a particular time for it say, first thing in the morning, or during your lunch break, or right before bed at night. 2. Walking meditation can be practiced indoors or outside. When the weather is nice, I like to practice outside, where I can be energized by the trees and sky. It's good to either go bare-foot (especially if you are inside) or wear shoes that give your feet and toes plenty of room to spread out. 3. Now, simply stand with your spine upright and your shoulders relaxed, letting your arms hang naturally by your sides. Take a couple of long, slow and deep breaths. As you exhale, let go of any unnecessary tension, smile gently, and let your attention flow deep into your belly, hips, legs and feet. Relax your pelvis, as though you had just mounted a horse. Feel your connection to the earth. 4. Next, begin to coordinate your breathing with taking small steps: as you inhale, step forward with your left foot; as you exhale, step forward with your right foot; and continue in this way. Let your gaze be focused gently on the ground in front of you. You can also experiment with taking several steps with the inhale, and several with the exhale. But keep the pace quite slow (slower than your habitual walking) and relaxed. 5. As you become comfortable coordinating breath with walking, try adding this beautiful visualization: Each time you place one of your feet down, imagine that you are kissing the earth, through the sole of your foot. Each time you pick up one of your feet, imagine that a beautiful pink/white lotus is now blossoming in the place that your foot just was. In this way, our walking becomes a way of expressing our love for the earth, and of creating beauty with each step. 6. Walk this way - slowly, enjoying each step, with no thought of "getting somewhere" other than right where you are, here and now - for ten minutes or longer. Notice how you feel. 7. Little by little, incorporate this practice into your daily life - taking three or four slow, mindful steps, kissing the earth, whenever you think of it. Notice how this changes the quality of your day.
Tips: 1. Don't worry if this kind of walking feels awkward at first. We're learning to pay close attention to something that we're not used to paying close attention to. Little by little, it will start to feel quite natural. 2. When you stretch out your feet and toes completely, and let the entire bottom of your foot be in contact with the ground, nerves, arteries and meridians connected to the entire body are stimulated - which is very beneficial for our health. 3. Let your mind be focused and relaxed. If it wanders into thoughts of past or future, simply come back to the practice. 4. Thich Nhat Hanh's "The Long Road Turns To Joy: A Guide To Walking Meditation" is a wonderful resource. Da Liu's "Tai Chi Chuan & Meditation" includes a section on meditative walking, along with instructions on sitting, moving and sleeping meditation practices.
Relaxation technique 2: Progressive muscle relaxation for stress relief Progressive muscle relaxation involves a two-step process in which you systematically tense and relax different muscle groups in the body. With regular practice, progressive muscle relaxation gives you an intimate familiarity with what tension as well as complete relaxation feels like in different parts of the body. This awareness helps you spot and counteract the first signs of the muscular tension that accompanies stress. And as your body relaxes, so will your mind. You can combine deep breathing with progressive muscle relaxation for an additional level of stress relief. NOTE: Before practicing Progressive Muscle Relaxation, consult with your doctor if you have a history of muscle spasms, back problems, or other serious injuries that may be aggravated by tensing muscles.
Practicing progressive muscle relaxation: Most progressive muscle relaxation practitioners start at the feet and work their way up to the face. For a sequence of muscle groups to follow, see the box below. Loosen your clothing, take off your shoes, and get comfortable. Take a few minutes to relax, breathing in and out in slow, deep breaths. When you're relaxed and ready to start, shift your attention to your right foot. Take a moment to focus on the way it feels. Slowly tense the muscles in your right foot, squeezing as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10. Relax your right foot. Focus on the tension flowing away and the way your foot feels as it becomes limp and loose. Stay in this relaxed state for a moment, breathing deeply and slowly. When you're ready, shift your attention to your left foot. Follow the same sequence of muscle tension and release. Move slowly up through your body, contracting and relaxing the muscle groups as you go. It may take some practice at first, but try not to tense muscles other than those intended.
PM Sequence is the most popular sequence runs as follows:
Right foot Left foot Right calf Left calf Right thigh Left thigh Hips and buttocks Stomach Chest Back Right arm and hand Left arm and hand Neck and shoulders Face NOTE: If you are left-handed you may want to begin with your left foot instead. The most popular sequence runs as follows:
Left foot Right foot Left calf Right calf Left thigh Right thigh Hips and buttocks Stomach Chest Back Left arm and hand Right arm and hand Neck and shoulders Face
Relaxation technique 3: Body scan meditation for stress relief: A body scan is similar to progressive muscle relaxation except, instead of tensing and relaxing muscles, you simply focus on the sensations in each part of your body. 1. Lie on your back, legs uncrossed, arms relaxed at your sides, eyes open or closed. Focus on your breathing, allowing your stomach to rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale. Breathe deeply for about two minutes, until you start to feel comfortable and relaxed. 2. Turn your focus to the toes of your right foot. Notice any sensations you feel while continuing to also focus on your breathing. Imagine each deep breath flowing to your toes. Remain focused on this area for one to two minutes. 3. Move your focus to the sole of your right foot. Tune in to any sensations you feel in that part of your body and imagine each breath flowing from the sole of your foot. After one or two minutes, move your focus to your right ankle and repeat. Move to your calf, knee, thigh, hip, and then repeat the sequence for your left leg. From there, move up the torso, through the lower back and abdomen, the upper back and chest, and the shoulders. Pay close attention to any area of the body that causes you pain or discomfort 4. Move your focus to the fingers on your right hand and then move up to the wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, and shoulder. Repeat for your left arm. Then move through the neck and throat, and finally all the regions of your face, the back of the head, and the top of the head. Pay close attention to your jaw, chin, lips, tongue, nose, cheeks, eyes, forehead, temples and scalp. When you reach the very top of your head, let your breath reach out beyond your body and imagine yourself hovering above yourself.
After completing the body scan, relax for a while in silence and stillness, noting how your body feels. Then open your eyes slowly. Take a moment to stretch, if necessary.
Relaxation technique 4: Mindfulness for stress relief Mindfulness is the ability to remain aware of how you're feeling right now, your moment-to-moment experience both internal and external. This is the cornerstone of the Unifhist teaching. Thinking about the past blaming and judging yourself or worrying about the future can often lead to a degree of stress that is overwhelming. But by staying calm and focused in the present moment, you can bring your nervous system back into balance. Mindfulness can be applied to activities such as walking, exercising, eating, or meditation. Meditations that cultivate mindfulness have long been used to reduce overwhelming stress. Some of these meditations bring you into the present by focusing your attention on a single repetitive action, such as your breathing, a few repeated words, or flickering light from a candle. Other forms of mindfulness meditation encourage you to follow and then release internal thoughts or sensations. Practicing mindfulness meditation key points in mindfulness mediation are: 1. A quiet environment, choose a secluded place in your home, office, garden, place of worship, or in the great outdoors where you can relax without distractions or interruptions. 2. Comfortable position, get comfortable but avoid lying down as this may lead to you falling asleep. Sit up with your spine straight, either in a chair or on the floor. You can also try a cross-legged or lotus position. 3. A point of focus, this point can be internal a feeling or imaginary scene or something external - a flame or meaningful word or phrase that you repeat it throughout your session. You may meditate with eyes open or closed. Also choose to focus on an object in your surroundings to enhance your concentration, or alternately, you can close your eyes. 4. An observant, noncritical attitude, don't worry about distracting thoughts that go through your mind or about how well you're doing. If thoughts intrude during your relaxation session, don't fight them. Instead, gently turn your attention back to your point of focus. It is the goal of every Unifhist to cultivate this to a point in there lives where every moment is spent in this state.
Relaxation technique 5: Visualization meditation for stress relief:
Visualization, or guided imagery, is a variation on traditional meditation that requires you to employ not only your visual sense, but also your sense of taste, touch, smell, and sound. When used as a relaxation technique, visualization involves imagining a scene in which you feel at peace, free to let go of all tension and anxiety. This is a good technique to wrestle control of an exceptionally noisy or out of control mind. Or when one is suffering from illness or exhaustion. Choose whatever setting is most calming to you, whether it's a tropical beach, a favorite childhood spot, or a quiet wooded glen. You can do this visualization exercise on your own in silence, while listening to soothing music, or with a therapist (or an audio recording of a therapist) guiding you through the imagery. To help you employ your sense of hearing you can use a sound machine or download sounds that match your chosen setting the sound of ocean waves if you've chosen a beach, for example. Practicing visualization: Find a quiet, relaxed place. Beginners sometimes fall asleep during a visualization meditation, so you might try sitting up or standing. Close your eyes and let your worries drift away. Imagine your restful place. Picture it as vividly as you can everything you can see, hear, smell, and feel. Visualization works best if you incorporate as many sensory details as possible, using at least three of your senses. When visualizing, choose imagery that appeals to you; don't select images because someone else suggests them, or because you think they should be appealing. Let your own images come up and work for you. If you are thinking about a dock on a quiet lake, for example: Walk slowly around the dock and notice the colors and textures around you. Spend some time exploring each of your senses. See the sun setting over the water. Hear the birds singing. Smell the pine trees. Feel the cool water on your bare feet. Taste the fresh, clean air. Enjoy the feeling of deep relaxation that envelopes you as you slowly explore your restful place. When you are ready, gently open your eyes and come back to the present.
Don't worry if you sometimes zone out or lose track of where you are during a guided imagery session. This is normal. You may also experience feelings of stiffness or heaviness in your limbs, minor, involuntary muscle-movements, or even cough or yawn. Again, these are normal responses. On of the most taught and used Visualization meditations is known as Mountain Meditation. Like other meditation practices, Mountain Meditation is a way to develop calm and concentration, as well as to deepen wisdom and open the heart. In this meditation we use the imagery of a fountain to deepen our sense of presence and stability. Mountain Meditation is practiced by focusing on the breath as you envision yourself sitting like a mountain - peaceful and serene. When thoughts arise, briefly notice them and then return to the breath. This centering mediation brings a marvelous calm and clarity to your whole being. Now picture your favorite mountain, perhaps one you have climbed, or you can just imagine one. Feel your breath at the place where you feel it most clearly, at the nostrils or in the rising and falling of the stomach. Feel-the in - breath from its very beginning, all the way through until your lungs are filled. Then feel your out breath all the way through until your lungs are filled. Then start again, paying very close attention to the breath. Feel yourself sitting calmly, solidly, as if you were the mountain. Sit with dignity and presence of a mountain.. Feel the movement of your breath as wind passing through the trees moving their branches, rustling the leaves. Feel the trees gently moving in a wave as a wind moves up the mountain. There's nothing to fear no matter how strong the wind blows. Nothing can harm the mountain. Keep your attention on your breath the feel of the in breath and out breath the wind blowing through the trees on the mountain. Now say to yourself silently, "mountain" on the in breath, and say "peaceful" on the out breath, After you are established in following your breath, you can let go of these words and just feel the breath the wind singing through the trees. Again, when thoughts arise, just notice that you are thinking, say "later" to the thoughts, and come back to your breath. Be strong and disciplined. It will payoff. The wind may pick up at times. You may think of something that is disturbing like a person who has angered or hurt you. Perhaps an emotional storm is coming. Just let it come. You don't need to replay the argument you had in your mind. Just sit there in the midst of all the emotions that arise, all the stores of the mind. From your heart-center, from the mountain , you can endure it all.
The mountain and thus you can withstand forest fires, earthquakes, blizzards, tornadoes, it is still the mountain time is in it's favor. Simply notice that the feelings are unpleasant and return to feeling your breath. Then continue to sit with patience, perseverance and the strong heart of the mountain.
Making relaxation techniques a part of your life: The best way to start and maintain a relaxation practice is to incorporate it into your daily routine. Between work, family, school, and other commitments, though, it can be tough for many people to find the time. Fortunately, many of the techniques can be practiced while you're doing other things.
Rhythmic exercise as a mindfulness relaxation technique: Rhythmic exercise such as running, walking, rowing, or in my case cycling is most effective at relieving stress when performed with relaxation in mind. As with meditation, mindfulness requires being fully engaged in the present moment, focusing your mind on how your body feels right now. As you exercise, focus on the physicality of your body's movement and how your breathing complements that movement.
If your mind wanders to other thoughts, gently return to focusing on your breathing and movement. For example, if walking or running, focus on each step the sensation of your feet touching the ground, the rhythm of your breath while moving, and the feeling of the wind against your face I have found this technique to be one of the most powerful tools in changing my live, as it forces one to reconnect with the world around them! This breaks the cycle of interacting with the world created by our collective minds, designed to confuse and distract us. I urge everyone to include this technique in your daily practice. In short take time to Smell the Roses! Remember “WHEN YOU WALK THE WAY, YOU DRAW NO NEARER, PROGRSS NO FARTHER: WHO FAILS TO SEE THIS IS MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS AWAY”
Tips for fitting relaxation techniques into your life: If possible, schedule a set time to practice each day. Set aside one or two periods each day. You may find that it's easier to stick with your practice if you do it first thing in the morning, before other tasks and responsibilities get in the way. Practice relaxation techniques while you're doing other things. Meditate while commuting to work on a bus or train, or waiting for a dentist appointment. Try deep breathing while you're doing housework or mowing the lawn. Mindfulness walking can be done while exercising your dog, walking to your car, or climbing the stairs at work instead of using the elevator. Once you've learned techniques such as tai chi, you can practice them in your office or in the park at lunchtime. If you exercise, improve the relaxation benefits by adopting mindfulness. Instead of zoning out or staring at a TV as you exercise as they now promote in many modern gyms, try focusing your attention on your body. If you're resistance training, for example, focus on coordinating your breathing with your movements and pay attention to how your body feels as you raise and lower the weights. Avoid practicing when you're sleepy. These techniques can relax you so much that they can make you very sleepy, especially if it's close to bedtime. You will get the most benefit if you practice when you're fully awake and alert. Do not practice after eating a heavy meal or while using drugs, tobacco, or alcohol.
For that matter if you are using drugs, tobacco, or alcohol quitting these should be the first thing you concentrate your Meditative energies on! SEEK A ZEN MASTER IF YOU NEED HELP... “That's what they are here fore� Expect ups and downs. Don't be discouraged if you skip a few days or even a few weeks. It happens. Just get started again and slowly build up to your old momentum.
How-To Create A Meditation Room Meditation requires a safe quiet place where you won't be disturbed. If you don't have a separate room you can still create a nice space in the corner of a room. You can section it of using a dressing screen, partition or even a sheet will do. If you have kids, it may be a good idea to wait till they are in bed for the night to meditate. Here are the three things to help create that perfect meditative spot. Simplicity: Keep your space clean and quiet. Make sure you have a comfortable chair or cushion to sit on. Make sure your decorations if any reflect a calming meditative state of mind. Smells: You can use potpourri, incense or essential oil candles with meditative scents. If you don't want to burn anything in your house, you can always use unburned scented candles or even scented air freshener. You will find a list of some oils in the next section. Sounds: There are many options when it comes to sounds and meditation. Some people use a CD player and meditative cd. I prefer the free route of using my tablet and a free meditation music app I downloaded from the google play store. You can download the app on a smart phone, but if you get a call while meditating it kind of defeats the purpose. Feel free to email me NinChi.Lang@google.com and I will send you a copy of the MP3 we have mixed here at the Murasaki Monastery. Still others may prefer silence or the sounds of nature from a window in the house. You can also use wind chimes if you find them calming. If you don't have a window around you can use a small fan to activate the wind chimes. List of some of the oils used to help with the meditation process Neroli is obtained from the bitter orange blossom, first becoming popular as a fragrance in the 16th century. Aromatherapy Essential oils from flowers such as neroli often have a sweet quality, and intense, sometimes sensual odors associated with all aspects of creativity and can help dispel anxieties related to poor self-image/esteem, shyness and lack of confidence (Rhind 2009). Benzoin is a resin that exudes from the wounded bark of small shrubby trees native to Sumatra and it has a very long tradition of use as a fragrance. It has a soft, sweet, vanilla like scent; it is a fixative and a base note in perfumery. Although it had medicinal uses, in Hindu and Buddhist practices benzoin was one of the incenses used to drive away evil.
Oils from resins such as benzoin can be used to help impart a sense of inner peace and security, stability and equilibrium. The sweet nature of benzoin is also experienced as nurturing and comforting, grounding and calming (Rhind 2009). Cardamom is derived from the fruits/seeds of Elettaria cardamomum. Like neroli, it is often considered to be an aphrodisiac. Cardamom features in incenses too, for example in Tibetan practice it is used medicinally for anxiety, and in Hindu ceremonies it forms part of a powdered incense formula called Abir. It has been distilled to yield the essential oil since the ˜ 16th century, and is used in perfumery to give spicy, warm notes in floral fragrances (Aftel 2001). Cardamom essential oil has a pungent, warm spicy odor that also has a penetrating camphoraceous/eucalyptus note. This is in part due to the presence of a constituent (the oxide 1,8-cineole) that has been shown to increase blood flow to the brain (Buchbauer 1993, 1996). The fragrance of cardamom is useful for promoting a feeling of calm vitality, self-worth and mental clarity (Rhind 2009). Its main psychotherapeutic use in aromatherapy is for mental fatigue. Virginian Cedar wood-Although it is commonly called cedar, Virginian cedar wood is in fact derived from a species of juniper Juniperus virginiana. The Cherokee tell that cedar wood holds powerful protective spirits. Pieces of cedar wood are placed in medicine bags, and also above the doors of homes to ward off evil spirits. Cedar wood was also used to make totem poles and ceremonial drums. In ceremony and prayer, cedar is burned – and in common with other practices involving incense/smoke this is to carry the prayers to the Creator. In traditional and contemporary sweat lodges, cedar wood is used along with sage and other herbs such as sweet grass, having a purifying function, and similarly cedar branches are used in house blessing ceremonies. It is interesting that the Pacific Northwest tribes say that not only does cedar drive away evil and negative energies but also brings in good energies. Oils from woods such as Virginian cedar can help the individual find a sense of resilience and inner strength. Woody scents can work to support the will, and are useful if you feel the need for an ˜ inner anchor or need strength in times of crisis (Rhind 2009). The scent can also be used in contemporary aromatherapy practice to help eliminate negative tendencies such as recklessness, destructive or addictive behavior, and replace this with independence of mind and spirit.
Bitter has been cultivated for its fragrance products for many years its blossoms yield neroli, the leaves and twigs yield petitgrain, an important constituent of colognes, and the small fruits yield bitter orange oil from their peel. The fruits have a long history of culinary and medicinal uses. The liqueur, Curacao, is flavored with the unripe fruits. The tree is native to Asia; therefore its flowers and fruits form part of Oriental medicine mainly as remedies for the myriad of disorders of the digestive system, as a cardiac tonic and for anxiety. Oils from citrus fruits such as bitter orange have a distinct uplifting effect, and are also indicated for moving forward/moving on from redundant behavior, and making a fresh start (Rhind 2009). Bitter orange oil also has a ˜ green note and thus can also be used to counteract feelings of anger and frustration by promoting regulating, cooling, relaxing, clarifying sensations (Holmes 1997, Rhind 2009). Patchouli- (Pogostemon cablin) is very grounding. It is considered the oil of peace. With its earthy aroma and sedative properties, it can help quiet the mind during meditation. Patchouli's primal scent is arousing and helps to dispel anxiety about sex; it is often used as an aphrodisiac. It is also calming and can help rebalance the body when stress has caused nervous exhaustion. It has antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties that make it good for use in skin care. Patchouli can be used as an inhalant with a diffusor or on the skin with a carrier. Cedar wood- (Cedrus atlantica), with its sweet, woody-balsamic, slightly camphorous scent, helps focus the mind and relieve anxiety, nervous tension, and stress. It is uplifting, strengthening, comforting, and grounding, and it helps to create balance. With every breath, cedar wood's antiseptic properties protect the lungs against respiratory infections. It is a mucolytic (breaks down mucus), which makes it an excellent treatment for catarrhal conditions, especially chronic bronchitis The steam-distilled roots of vetiver- (Vetiveria zizanioides) are restorative and help reconnect us to our roots. The aroma encourages a sense of inner strength and protection and is therefore grounding and nourishing It blends well with oils such as clary sage, jasmine, lavender, patchouli, and rose Indian spikenard - (Nardostachys jatamansi) has an aroma that is warm, earthy, peaty, bittersweet, and woody. It is native to the Himalayan Mountains and is also known as nard. It is one of the most ancient of aromatics, considered precious to the early Egyptian, Hebrew, and Hindu civilizations for both ritual and medicinal purposes. Nicholas Culpeper wrote that spikenard comforts the brain and helps passions and swooning of the heart.
Sandalwood- (Santalum album) essential oil is quickly becoming rare; it will be increasingly harder to find the real thing because of years of unsustainable over-harvesting practices. If you already have some of this sweet woody oil, keep it for sacred use such as meditation. It is a relaxing and meditative oil with sensual properties, soothing and comforting to body and mind. Sandalwood encourages feelings of well-being and has been used traditionally as an incense and perfume. Frankincense resin- (Boswellia carterii) aids in meditation, fortifying and quieting the mind. It is an excellent oil to use for respiratory conditions. Frankincense lifts the spirits, encourages feelings of well-being, produces heightened awareness of spiritual calm, reduces tension, and gives strength. French lavender oil- This ingredient purifies the air, releases angry feelings, calms muscular pains and has a floral smell. It also calms headaches. Lemongrass oil- Its odor is refreshing, tonic, clears the mind and stimulates it. Can also lift your soul, take away fear, depression and anxiety. Helps when you're tired to recover. Bergamot oil- Makes anger and depression disappear. Eucalyptus drops- This ingredient placed between the eyebrows during meditations opens the third eye releasing visions, it also keeps away negative feelings and energies. Myrrh- directly stimulates the hypothalamus, pituitary and amygdalin glands to help reduce stress and bring focus. It's scent is used to assist in spiritual opening while bringing tranquility and calm. Rose- “One of my personal favorites, which is often over looked� Is used to open the heart and receive love- namely self-love and a deeper connection to the spiritual world. Sage- is commonly burned in ceremonial practices by many tribal cultures. It is used to cleanse and purify while removing negative energies. It also restores both balance and energy.
Conclusion Whether you thought meditation is for the weird or fitness buffs, I hope this paper showed you how you too can benefit from meditation. All you need to do is take the information in this short book and find a meditation style that works for you. I have no doubt once you practice meditation a couple of times you will start to feel the benefits and be a regular practitioner. You have nothing to lose by trying it out for yourself. I have given you plenty of free options to work with. Is it not worth the time to make yourself less stressed and more relaxed? The stress of everyday living is constantly building my friends. Do yourself a favor and help relieve some of the burden off of your body. No matter how many times you get lost, remember that you can always return to your breath, to your serenity, to your HeartCenter. I'd love to hear your feed back, feel free to write me at: NinChi.Lang@gmail.com
Drink a cup of tea. Don't think about drinking a cup of tea Just drink it, Taste it, Feel it, Enjoy it.