Basic Meditation - Ch 1: INTRO

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TYPES OF MEDITATION:

There are many variations of meditation. Here are some examples:

mindfulness - focuses on living in the here and now

movement - meditation combined with movement, such as Tai Chi

mantra - based on focusing on a word, phrase, or sound

transcendental - a silent type of meditation (silent in the mind)

progressive relaxation - focuses on muscle groups and tension

visualization - focus on a goal or visualizing achievement

All types of meditation have certain characteristics in common. They typically involve some form of relaxation; some mental steps to either empty, or focus the mind; spending time in the meditative state; and steps to exit meditation.

I have tried many variations, and what I'll present here borrows from several, but will primarily cover the aspects in common. While I consider this "just the basics", it is the heart and soul of meditation. If you do nothing more than this, you can realize all the benefits previously mentioned.

There is no single perfect formula for meditation. There are many paths to get there. If something doesn't quite suite you, feel free to alter it to your needs. This how-to hits on core concepts and techniques. In the end, the best technique is the one that works for you!

CHAKRAS:

You may have heard this term; it refers to 7 locations of the body. For our purposes, I'll skip a full explanation, but I will refer to 3 chakras, as body location points:

Crown: the very point at the top of your skull

Third eye: the middle of your forehead

Solar plexus: upper abdomen, just above your bellybutton

HOW DOES IT WORK:

Our brains are like bio-computers. Electrical signals in different regions, and at different frequencies are just like the signals in a computer, that tell it how to "process".

One way these signals can be measured, is by placing wires and contacts on various parts of the scalp. They are connected to an electroencephalogram or EEG machine. The EEG plots out various signals as brain waves and these charts can show differing brain activities.

When we are awake, the brain tends to show "beta" waves. As we transition to sleep, the brain tends to show "alpha" waves. In deep sleep, the brain emits "theta" waves. During a normal sleep cycle, our brains will shift between theta and alpha states. REM sleep and dreaming happens in the alpha state. It's during these phase shifts in sleep that our brains do the "housekeeping" required to keep our bio-computers running in top shape during our wakeful "beta" days.

What we aim to do with meditation - is simply this: move our brains from the beta state, into that drowsy pre-sleep, pre-awake alpha state, and stay there - not drift into theta (or sleep).

Have you ever experienced a dream, and KNEW you were dreaming?

This is called lucid dreaming, and this happens in the alpha state. So this is our destination when we meditate (the alpha state, not lucid dreaming).

COMMON QUESTION:

How long and when should I meditate?

The short answer is - like exercise, ANY meditation is better than none. We can do mini 1-minute sessions, up to an hour long session.

For best results, and convenience I'd recommend 20 to 30 min sessions, in the morning. I might use 1-5 minute session(s) during the day as a pick-me-up, "boost" or "reminder" session. If I'm not feeling prepped for bed, maybe a 10-30 min session an hour before bed.

I would say to choose a time and length that you can feel good doing everyday, or as frequently as you can manage. Do it in a way that can become habit. Your choice isn't permanent; you can change to accommodate your needs.

The key is to do it regularly.

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