Learning to Meditate

Chances are if you are reading this you have had interest in meditation at some point in your life. You probably read a book or heard a lecture or have a friend who meditates and have heard about the benefits and of course you think wow, hey I could use some of that in my life. Weather its increased focus, increased perception, stronger intuitive and mental faculties or just simply increased tranquility and emotional stability. all of which can be achieved through regular constructive meditation. So the next question would be where do you start. How do you get your feet wet and start learning the ropes in progressive stages that will not leave you feeling overwhelmed or discouraged. Or even better how can you get instant or nearly instant results with minimal effort? There is a way however, the effort may not be as minim as you like but the reward is that once you begin to achieve meditation it will become easier and easier to reach it and the path of progress will naturally unfold in front of you. Meditation is a path of development which can stay with you your entire life and you will continue reaping the benefits of the positive seeds you plant on a daily basis. Lets compare it to becoming a professional body builder. When you are starting out you may be flabby and pale with no muscle tone. But you know where the gym is and you can, if your intent is strong enough force yourself to begin working out every day even if its just for 15 minutes a day. After just a few day you will begin to see some positive results. These positive results will spark a flame of change within you, "hey I look a little better and I feel stronger and healthier too" Now you are not a professional bodybuilder yet but the seed has been planted, even if you retreat back into laziness and stop working out for awhile that seed that you planted will want to grow, you will desire the results but the intention has not been properly cultivated. Becoming a "professional mediator" is nearly as difficult as becoming a professional bodybuilder, in that there is room for stupendous growth and a achievement in both fields however the amount of work and intention required to get to the top level in either discipline is rarely expressed throughout the vast number of casual gym goers or mediators. Fortunately you don't have to set you goal as being the top tier in you field to still reap the benefits of doing the work. But it does help to set for your self a reasonable goal and once having achieved that you can then look up to the next level of achievement if you so desire. Say in terms of bodybuilding you want to get where you have a visible six pack, this may take several months of dedicated gym time. Similarly if your goal is to be able to sit in meditation for an hour straight without moving or opening your eyes you will have to show a great deal of intention to reach that goal. SO the key is simply this, Daily practice for more than one week with a good system and good techniques that foster growth and eliminate obstacles. After one month of daily practice you will have established a habit that will almost require effort to break, and since this is a good habit there is absolutely no reason to want to break it. In fact both habits are so good for you they will start to push aside you other negative habits and make a space where you can only deal with things that are positive to your discipline and growth. Say that as a non-bodybuilder you had a habit of eating at fast food restaurants almost every day, but as you spend more and more time at the gym and you mingle with others who are have the kind of results you are looking for you will quickly realize that a strict diet is just as important as time at the gym. You will soon find that before when you ate a greasy hamburger and fries it tasted good and filled you up and thus you felt good about it. But as a bodybuilder your body is beginning to function on a higher level that same burger and fries will weigh you down and make you feel lethargic and bloated and the good taste in not nearly worth uncompromising what you gain from being as healthy as possible. Its like if you are driving a Rolls Royce and you pass by the Hyundai dealer you will have no desire to stop in and check out the latest models. One of the similar experiences I have had as a mediator is with watching TV. Whereas I used to watch TV recreationaly for many hours a day now I rarely watch it. Even "educational shows" rarely posess the type of stimulation and intellectual aptitude wicth my meditative consciousness requires to be palatable. My mind only enjoys digesting material that is coming from a point of view of the spiritual reality that I am now aware of. These TV shows are full of speculation and theories and in my mind I know what I know and I just don't have the time to play these never ending pointless games.