The Meditation Page
MossMeditationTM
No Positions, No Mantras, No Mudras, No Music ... No Kidding!TM
What is basic is important.
What is basic is by definition simple.
What is complicated is therefore not important.
If you lower your expectations, your performance will rise.
"One who is established in a comfortable posture while concentrating on the inner Self naturally becomes immersed in the Heart's ocean of bliss." Siva Sutras III, 16
MossMeditationTM is a simple breathing meditation that I do a couple times a day for 20 minutes or more. The method is simple. Here are the basics.
1. Lie down or find a totally comfortable position (I frequently use my recliner or lay down in bed). Remove or undo your belt and any other "binding" clothing (bra, tight pants, etc.).
2. Close your eyes.
3. Breathe, and concentrate on your breathing.
4. Keep breathing for at least 20 minutes, or multiples of 20 minutes.
You should have no music or sound other than the white noise of your environment, and should not focus on that. It is all external, and you need to be all about internal. I don't think it hurts to use incense, but neither do I recommend it.
Think of why you are meditating before doing so. There are a number of benefits, including rest, peace, relaxation. It does not pay to be goal-oriented, just relax into the meditation. During the meditation, whatever thoughts come into your head are to be allowed to leave freely. Do not concentrate on any of them; allow them to go. Think only of the breathing; think about your breathing as much or as little as you need to, but only the breathing. When I say "breathe", I do not mean hyperventilate. You do not have to breathe fast or slow, shallow or deeply, you do not have to keep a rhythm, you just need to breathe, keep breathing, and think about breathing and nothing else.
Keep a log of your meditation. Write down the time you finished, and how long you meditated. If any thoughts or problems or visions come to you, DO NOT TRY TO REMEMBER THEM, but if you do remember them after the meditation, write them down.
You do not have to do 20 (or more) minutes of "perfect" meditation, just do your best. I use the timer feature on my watch; if i don't, I find I usually stop at around 12-14 minutes. If you can meditate longer without this aid, feel free to do so.
If you need to cough, belch, fart, scratch, or sneeze -- DO IT. It is less conscious, in my opinion, to do it than to suppress it. Obviously, however, if you spend the whole 20 minutes coughing, scratching and passing gas, you have other issues which you should resolve before returning to meditation.
MossMeditationPLUSTM
Can't keep your mind clear during meditation? Thoughts keep flooding in whenever you close your eyes and try to clear your mind? Those are subconscious thoughts. Samkhya Yoga (below) tells you to ignore those; MossMeditationTM tells you to ignore them.
MossMeditationPLUSTM takes it a step further. Obviously you're trying to tell yourself something, and that something is important enough to keep trying to get in the way.
So let's try this: Do a 25 (or 45 or 65) minute meditation. Prepare the same as you would using the meditation you're already having trouble with. But tell yourself before you start (probably best said aloud) that you will listen for five minutes. Then go into meditation with a pad and pen handy. Write things down as they come to you (if you can write without opening your eyes, do so). Again, don't focus on it, don't think it through, just acknowledge it and write it down for later, and do not try to remember them after they are written down.
After 5 minutes are up, tell your mind (again, saying it aloud works great), "OK, that's enough for this time. If there is more you need to tell me, I will listen again next time. But now I need to meditate with a clear mind. Thank you." Using your own words for this is fine. Put your pad and pen aside. And then do the remaining 20 (or 40, or 60) minutes with a clearer mind, thinking only of your breathing.
After your meditation, you are welcome to revisit what you have written down, and write down more impressions you may remember or expand on the thoughts. Keep this in your Meditation Log. And of course, since you're listening to your inner voices, it might do you some good to act on them.
This is an exercise in listening to your inner voices, or your spirits if you prefer. It is an experiment, putting the two together using the same technique. I have started doing it. If you would like to do it with me, you are welcome to. If you would like to tell me about your results, please write me.
Disclosure statement for MossMeditationTM
Does my performing MossMeditationTM make you my guru? Well, I suppose so in a technical sense. I'm not going to start giving you orders, and you can do whatever you want to with it. If you cross the initial kosha, which nearly everyone does, we have a spiritual connection.
Who do I pay for my MossMeditationTM lessons? Nobody. Unless you really want to. If you get enlightenment from doing the meditation great -- if you get rich, hey, I'd be happy to relieve you of some of it (a one followed by several zeros would be nice, in US currency, written on the appropriate piece of paper).
Any Questions?
E-mail Me!
Hugs,
Moss
Top of the Page
Why Meditate?
"Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom."
-- Buddha
"Meditation is considered an essential practice for those who seek self-knowledge and self-mastery. Why? Basically, meditation brings awareness of how our minds work. Over time, we become watchers, able to detach from the thoughts and emotions that play out in our minds.
"With this detachment, we gain the freedom to choose whether or not to act on our thoughts and emotions. We learn to distinguish between objective reality and our mental and emotional dramas.
"Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world."
-- Hans Margolius
This page is copyright 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009 Gerald L. "Moss" Bliss, D.D. Created: March 4, 2004 - Last Modified: November 8, 2009. All errors are the author's.