| Tips for Better Meditation |  |
By Dada Vedaprajinananda (Copyright 2004)
Meditation students often come to me and ask what they can do to
improve their meditation. Success in meditation is not the result of
any one single factor but depends on sustained and systematic effort
over a period of time. However, there are a few tips for meditation,
that will help you to improve your performance, regardless of the
meditation method that you follow.
1. Prepare your body for meditation
Your physical condition has a tremendous influence on your mind. This
is true for your day to day activity, but even more so when it comes
to meditation. You can prepare your body for meditation by eating
the right food, and by coming to meditation with an empty stomach.
Eating the right food, means food which strengthens the body but
doesn't have any adverse affect on the mind. If you consume
products
that make the mind dull or over-stimulated then it will be much
harder to meditate. And whatever your diet is, when you sit down to
meditate, it should be on an empty stomach. That is why one of the
best times to meditate is in the morning, before you have had your
breakfast. Another good time is in the evening, before the evening
meal.
2. Prepare Your Mind for Meditation
Just as your body must be prepared, so must your mind. Before you
start meditation you must convince yourself, that this period of
meditation is your time for personal growth, and that it is
important, as important as anything else in your life. When you close
your eyes to meditate, you should not jump up to answer the phone, or
get ready to leave your meditation due to some slight disturbance. If
you convince yourself of the importance of meditation, then your
example will also convince others around you and they won't
disturb
you during meditation. So, remember your periods of meditation are
one of the most important parts of your daily routine, and treat them
as such.
3. Sing Before Meditation
The Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore once said, "God respects me
when
I work, but He loves me when I sing." That explains the place of
song
and music in all the great spiritual traditions. Before you begin
meditation you can sing spiritual songs, whose meaning elevates your
mind. It doesn't matter if you have "good" voice or a
"bad" voice,
sing from the heart, and your mind will go to a point that will be
the ideal starting point for your meditation.
4. Sit in a Proper Position
Remember when you were in school and the teacher looked around and
saw someone slumping in his or her seat, and she said "sit up
straight!" She had a good point; when the back is straight the
mind
is alert. Sit in a position that will keep the back straight. Sit
with cross legs in a simple position, or a half-lotus or a full
lotus. In addition to making the mind more alert, these positions
help you to rest the various motor organs, and provide a peaceful
physical base for your meditation.
In the beginning these positions may seem difficult or uncomfortable,
but if you can get used to them, they will help you to deepen your
meditation.
5. Follow the Meditation Instructions Exactly
Remember carefully what your meditation instructor taught you and do
your best to carry it out, exactly according to the instructions.
Don't experiment and make up your own method. The various systems
of
meditation are based on thousands of years of experience, so you
don't have to try to figure out what to do. Take advantage of the
age-
old knowledge of the past, and you will make rapid strides towards a
bright future. If you have forgotten any part of your meditation
method, go and see your instructor and get a review of your lesson.
6. Be Regular in Your Meditation Practice
This is one of the key factors to success. Meditation works, if you
work. If you only do meditation once a month or on whim, when you
feel like it, then it will be impossible to be successful and realize
the benefits of meditation: mental clarity, inner peace, love for
others and spiritual awareness. Make meditation a part of your daily
routine. Just as surely as the sun comes up each day, do your
meditation without fail. Fix a time for it in the morning and evening
and do it on a regular basis. If you get into the habit of doing your
practice regularly, then you have taken one of the single most
important steps towards success in meditation, and indeed, in your
life.
7. Be Patient
"Rome wasn't built in a day," and similarly you cannot
make
miraculous changes in your personality or in your spiritual life in
just one sitting of meditation. Don't be discouraged if you feel
that
nothing is happening. Meditation is a subtle art, the changes come
slowly but surely. Keep on practicing and your meditation is sure to
deepen and you will indeed be successful.
Dada Vedaprajinananda has been practicing and teaching meditation for
the past 33 years. He is a senior teacher with the Ananda Marga
spiritual movement and also the webmaster of the Ananda Marga website
(http://www.anandamarga.org). Dada is also a social worker and directs a
kindergarten in a poverty stricken neighborhood in Albania
(http://www.albaniansunrise.com)
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