I want to demystify meditation, and make it accessible to everyone. So I’m going to tell you in very simple terms what meditation is, and I’m going to share some of my experiences with you – partly to inspire, and partly to show you what is possible.
Meditation is really very simple:
It is the combination of deep relaxation, and focused concentration.
It is not a doing. It is a being. You don’t do relaxation – you are relaxed (or you are not). And you don’t do concentration – again, you either are concentrated, or you are not.
Many people are put off because they assume that meditation means ‘stopping’ the mind. So they try to stop the mind (doing). They might try it a few times, and they usually see that it’s really not very easy to make the ‘monkey mind’ shut up! So they give up…
Of course, one of the long term goals of meditation is to be able to achieve a degree of mental control. But for a beginner to try to silence the mind at once, is a bit like someone who has never used a computer trying to design and program a website in one go!
relaxation + concentration = MEDITATION
When you relax deeply, and focus your concentration, something magical happens. I use the word magical rhetorically: it is not magical in the sense of inexplicable – on the contrary, I will explain scientifically exactly what this ‘magical’ effect is – but it is wonderful, enriching, and enlightening! With practice, a whole new world, a new life opens up before you. You become more grounded, more balanced emotionally, physically rejuvenated, and… I’ll write in much more detail about the specific benefits of meditation later.
- I will tell you about my experiences;
- I’ll teach you some techniques to help you to meditate – including some tricks that not many people know.
- I’ll also describe the benefits of meditation in detail.