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Meditation Practice Level 1

Meditation Practice Level 1
Prerequisites: Introduction

The audios for this level are both set to 13 hertz, i.e. a very light meditative state. Practice the 5 minute one first and then move to the 10 minute one. When you can do all techniques on both without falling asleep AND becoming alert and energized after the session, THEN you move on to level 2 (for best results). Note: Since this audio is designed for relaxation please don't use it while driving or operating machinery as it can slow down your reflexes and even put you to sleep. Enjoy!

5 Minute Practice:




10 Minute Practice;




Meditations And Visualization Techniques You Can Use In Your Meditation Practice Sessions

1. Counting Breaths Meditation: A great way to clear the mind by providing a mental focus. As you breathe in deeply and slowly count to yourself "1". And exhale, feeling the breath leave your body. (Thinking "1 exhale" if you like, or just "1"). Inhale again, saying to yourself, "2". And slowly exhale. and so on. Take 3-7 seconds on the inhale and exhale (depending on your lung capacity), keeping the inhale and exhale time the same and enjoy.

2. Nature Meditation: Imagine light from the sun all around you and entering the top of your head and flowing down through your body and exiting your feet, into the earth... all the way to the center of the earth. Pull energy from the center of the earth through your feet and out of your head. Fill your body with energy from the sun on inhale and feel your cells absorb the suns energy as you exhale. Then inhale energy straight from the center of the earth, into your body and exhale while feeling it absorb into your body. You can modify the technique by imagining roots from your feet deep into the earth. Enjoy the breathing and visualizations for as long as you like.

3. Mental Rehearsal: Professional Athletes spend time not only practicing but also mentally rehearsing their moves. Studies have shown that this mental rehearsal improves actual performance and sports psychologists teach it all the time. Think of an activity that you would like to excel at. Spend time visualizing each move exactly how you want to do it. Do this in detail. Then repeat several times before and after trying out the activity you want to improve your skill at and making adjustments as you need to.


4. Swish Pattern From NLP: This technique involves replacing an old image of a habit (something you want to change/be-gone) with something you do want. Explanation of the swish pattern is located here online. Or you could just learn from this video;




5. "Phobia Cure" From NLP located here: Introduction To NLP, It's Therapeutic Models & The 5 Minute Phobia Cure (With A Talk By Richard Bandler)


6. More Advanced Meditation: "The Empty Mind" or Zen Preparation Meditation


Preparation: The key to this Meditation is to focus on your breathing and every time you notice your mind straying to any thought just bring your attention back to your breathing.

Relax your body completely by visualizing each major muscle group relax and let go.

Now do a 4 to 1 count as follows: Take in 4 deep breaths, repeating "4" to yourself as you exhale. Then take 3 deep breaths, repeating "3" when you exhale. Now take 2 deep breaths, repeating "2" when you exhale. Finally, take 1 deep breath, repeating "1" as you exhale.

Meditation aid: Imagine that you are a passive observer of something very relaxing where there is repetitive motion. For Example: relaxing on the beach, watching the waves go back and forth or just lying in the grass and watching as the clouds move by overhead.

Finally, now you want to cause your mind to go completely blank. As you are focusing on this repetitive movement, begin to envision a blank form. Maybe this blank form will arise as 'gaps' in your thoughts. I.e. there are always gaps in thought, become aware of yours. Allow these gaps to expand. If you get lost in thought and notice, then you are already succeeding in the meditation. As you NOTICED getting lost. . Allow each thought to pass as easily as it came in, expanding your awareness of the 'gaps'.


7. Golden Bubble Breathing Visualization: Imagine you are sitting in a golden bubble of pure, light and healing energy. Breathe in this energy with slow deep breaths and luxuriate in it. Great to close a meditation session with.


Tips:

Start off the first couple of days learning how to relax deeper and deeper with each session. Use only relaxing imagery and progressive relaxation exercise to relax your body and mind.


Next day add techniques and ideas from affirmations or self-hypnosis techniques and practice them during each meditation session – after you are physically and mentally relaxed.


If you have practiced all your planned techniques or you don't want to work on techniques, then just spend you meditation session doing deep breathing exercises with peaceful visualizations with the proper format of a countdown and countup (see below) to make this the countdown a habitual pattern through reinforcement, so that whenever you do a meditation countdown you can reach your meditative state WITHOUT the meditation audio. (makes your meditation more effective/powerful). If the audio ends you can restart it and just continue from where you left off or just do your count up and end the meditation.


Recap:

The best way to learn meditation is to practice it regularly. You’ve probably heard that ‘practice makes perfect’ and meditation is no different. Once you have practiced it – regularly – for at least 2-3 weeks (for each level), then it becomes a part of you i.e. accessing the meditation becomes a habit.

If you follow a specific pattern, when you start and end a meditation or self-hypnosis session, then that little ritual you have created becomes an anchor to attain a deep meditative state fast.

This means that any time you want you can count down and go into a deep meditative state and count up to refresh yourself. It will be a skill that is a part of you like driving a car or riding a bicycle. 


The format for a meditation practice 

1. Follow the basic physical and mental relaxation technique as outlined in the explanation of meditation. When you have done this then do the following:

Say “ I will countdown from 10 down to 1 and with each descending number I will relax more and more”. 

Then say “ 10, I am relaxing more and more, 9, I am relaxing more and more…” and so on all the way down to one. 

This serves as a mental anchor associating a 10-1 count down with deep relaxation. You could also imagine standing at a staircase of 10 steps and each step down makes you more and more relaxed (in this method imagine taking each step down after you say the number). You could also imagine that you are writing each number on a blackboard and erasing it for the next one. Whatever works best for you.


2. When you have done your 10-1 countdown after your basic relaxation practice you are in a very relaxed state of mind and body. At this point you could set an anchor, such as by using three fingers of either hand (by pressing them together, lightly), or just the thumb and forefinger like a more traditional meditation posture.

You could also do one of the visualization techniques (see recommended list below) to create an even better inner state and anchor that state. You can set the anchor as many times as you like i.e. after each technique you do. This will make your anchor very strong. Later when you need to access calm, confident and happy states of mind all you will have to do is press your three fingers together (triggering your anchor), take a deep breath and imagine your chosen peaceful scene. That’s it. Instant stress relief.

3. When you are done relaxing, anchoring, affirmations and visualizations and are ready to end your meditation/self-hypnosis practice do a 1-5 ‘count up’ with the intent of becoming fully alert and re-energized when you are done. This counting also serves as an anchor for you as you get used to becoming fully alert and aware at the end of it.

Start by saying, “I am going to count from 1 to 5 and with each ascending number I will become more alert and aware ready and able to have a wonderful day/evening”  . then start by saying “1 more alert and aware, 2 feeling refreshed and reenergized (imagine golden energy fill you up and energize you), 3, ….5, alert and feeling wonderfully refreshed”. Open your eyes when you say 5 then say the last affirmation are you’re done.

NOTE: For all meditation techniques, whether lying down or sitting (sitting in a firm chair is preferred when training to keep form falling asleep), keep your spine straight and arms and legs uncrossed. Easiest position is to sit in a chair with your back straight and your hands, palms down, on your knees or upper thighs. Do each session 1 to 2 times a day to start and build it to at least 2 times a day on a regular basis (3 times a day if you want an extra boost). Work your way up from 5 minutes to 10 minutes and then stick with at-least 10 minutes or more per session. You could meditate for an hour twice a day if you want. 





This post first appeared on Culture & Society, please read the originial post: here

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Meditation Practice Level 1

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