***What? Me Meditate?

One very powerful way of reaching the still, small voice of our soul is through the practice of meditation. Before you run off, meditation simply means familiarizing ourselves with our mind, thoughts, emotions, feelings, and body. Meditation doesn't have to involve any detailed, complex practice. It can be as simple as learning to stop, breathe, and center within yourself for a moment or two. Meditative practice is a technique for connecting with our inner spirit. It allows serenity, stress reduction, relaxation, and healing to occur. In addition, a moment of meditative time-out provides the opportunity to pull out of problems and imagine a better outcome.

Recall how you typically start off each morning, or how you end each day. Now imagine how your life would benefit if you allowed yourself a few moments of quiet. Wouldn't it be divine to allow breathing space to center, allow inner peace an opportunity to expand, and allow useful insights to rise? Many people turn to addictions (emotional or binge eating, anorexia, bulimia, extreme busyness, drugs, alcohol, etc.) because they do not know how to achieve an internal state of calmness. While meditation alone isn't the magical solution to all of life's issues, it can be a powerful tool to reduce stress and hyperactivity, and separate ourselves from obsessive mental chatter.

Are You Your Thoughts?
Meditation helps us learn that thoughts are just thoughts. They easily come and then they go. We begin to understand that we can let them drift away without generating any drama around them. Teachers of mediation often instruct that we are like the sky, always present, and our thoughts are the clouds which simply float on past. The clouds may change, but the sky itself is constant, unwavering, and steadfast. No matter what thoughts, feelings or emotions come, there is always a peaceful calm that is present within us. Meditation is one way of changing our relationship with the mind, and allowing another relationship to form with our inner spirit.

When we first begin to meditate, our minds resist. We are used to a constant chatter in our minds. Our minds jump from thought to thought like a crazed leapfrog. As we continue to practice, we will notice that meditation is a simple effort that becomes easier the more it is practiced. The main effort is in creating a new habit to set aside a few minutes to sit and breathe.

Meditation Made Simple!
Many of us quickly dismiss the entire concept of meditation. We conjure up images of strange people sitting in cross-legged positions repeating "ohm" over and over again. Luckily, there are many options, and there are no strict rules or programs we must follow. Meditation is simply developing a habit of taking action to go beyond the chaos and busyness, and turning inward to allow greater inner resourcefulness. Listed below are some easy suggestions to help quiet the mind -- and they don't require much time or learning ability. Try one or more of these ideas if you either don't know how to begin, or if you swear that you're just so busy that couldn't possibly create a moment of silence for yourself. Enjoy!

1. Sitting in Silence
An easy meditation practice is to simply sit in silence every day for about 1 to 20 minutes. Sit quietly, take a deep breath, and simply ask, "What is it I need to know?" Continue intentional deep breathing and listen. Listen to the silence. Listen to your hair, your skin, your feet, or your nose. Notice your mind playing with the question, attempting to solve the problem. Allow your mind to be your mind; there is no need to control your thoughts. Just sit, breathe, and listen. Listen even if no answer immediately rises. Breathe and listen.

2. Sitting with a Problem
Try this experiment. When something is deeply troubling you, take a pause from the despair and worry, and just sit with it. Allow the problem to exist without picking at it, or attempting to fix or solve it. Feel the problem and notice where it sits in your body. If possible, suspend judgement and see if you can observe it without an opinion. Might it be possible to drop down from the thoughts circling with frenzy within your head, and just say hello to the problem? Drop down into your body and see what lies there. Simply breathe into the problem. Let the wisdom of your body find its own voice

3. Deep Breathing
Lie on your back. Breathe evenly and gently, focusing your attention on the movement of your stomach. As you begin to breathe in, allow your stomach to rise in order to bring air into the lower half of your lungs. As the upper halves of your lungs begin to fill with air, your chest begins to rise and your stomach begins to lower. Don't tire yourself. Continue for 10 breaths. The exhalation will be longer than the inhalation.

4. One Minute Mediation
Each morning, before leaving your house, find a minute to sit down. You don't need a special darkened incensed room. Just sit somewhere comfortable. Keeping your back straight, slowly take in one full breath. Imagine yourself filling up with energy that flows throughout your whole body. At the end of your inhale, wait to exhale for about three seconds. Then exhale, releasing your breath slowly, imagining that you are releasing from your mind and body all that is stressful or heavy. When you believe the exhale is complete, push a little more air out of your lungs. Repeat for about one minute. Lastly, while you are resuming your normal breathing, remain still for about five more seconds.

5. Visual Meditation
An easy way to create a feeling of physical relaxation is select a calming picture or photograph. Sit back and relax. Breathe gently, slowly and calmly. Look at the image and notice your physical body. Are the feelings of calmness, peace, or relaxation beginning to awaken? If so, gently breathe into these feelings and allow them to expand and take you into a more and more relaxed state.

6. Basic Meditation
People who teach meditation suggest learning the ability to focus on something specific:

a) Some people focus on a phrase -- for example, "I am peaceful."

b) Some people focus on an object such as a religious symbol or a candle.

c) Some people focus on breathing.

* Find a quiet place. In the beginning, it is easier to meditate in a relatively quiet spot. This will help you "turn off" internal stimuli as well as external distraction.

* Sit so that your spine, neck and the back of your head are in a straight line. This allows breathing to occur without restriction. Sitting in a chair with feet on the floor is a good position.

* Focus on the object, or close your eyes and focus on your breath, or chosen phrase. There’s no mysterious magic about focusing on something. The mind loves to be involved with activity, and this simply gives your mind something to do while you take a little time to be quiet.

* Breathe naturally, deeply, and intentionally.

* Allow thoughts and feelings to come and go with detachment. Don't try to control them in any way. Just note them, and when you realize that you are no longer focusing on your object, phrase, or breath, gently return to focus. You may experience a deep state of relaxation but it is OK if you don't.

* Continue this for about 5-20 minutes.

* When done, take a couple of minutes to slowly return to normal awareness. Be gentle with yourself when opening your eyes or coming to stand after a meditation. Allow your body and mind to readjust.