Meditation

Article & Photos By Marcia Galleher

MEDITATION INSPIRATION 
My brain was so overloaded I couldn’t read. This happened in my first year at college. We were scheduled to have a Biology exam followed by a Psychology exam on Monday morning. One of my classmates asked me to stay up all night to study with her, prompted by the use of ‘uppers’. Although I hadn’t experienced amphetamines before, it worked… too well. 

I succeeded in the exams and then proceeded to the Literature class. The teacher gave us a surprise test on the chapter we were told to read over the weekend. I didn’t do that; hadn’t even considered it. The paper test sat on the desk in front of me. Staring at it, there was no cognition to comprehend the words. My brain connections were not functioning. Trembling and teary, I went to the instructor and told her I could not take the test. She released me from class. A few weeks later, another classmate suggested I try Transcendental Meditation. 

TM is a form of calming the mind by silently focusing on the repetition of an inner sound. During the initiation, I was told to practice the mantra two times a day for 20 minutes. This discipline opened the door for a lifelong quest to understand the psychology of the mind.

There are numerous meditation techniques to quiet the ongoing chatter. All those thoughts, constantly inquiring, evaluating, critiquing, pondering the past, fantasizing the future, and crashing into each other, one right after another. How can we acquire discrimination, know what is true, or simply be peaceful? There is space between thoughts. Meditation is our resource to sit and find that emptiness.

In this moment, pay attention to your brain. It weighs 3 pounds located and protected inside the bony structure of the skull. The brain is a soft, massive, organic network of connections intimately intertwined with the impressions of the body. It also emits signals to create the mind, which is invisible, yet so powerful. The brain is the source of our conscious awareness and interpretation of reality. It is the seat of our evolution as we continue to grow and adapt to a diversity of experiences.

Why don’t we meditate? It’s not easy. It takes discipline and courage to sit down and confront oneself directly. We would notice we are thinking and thinking a lot. Meditation requires a dedicated willingness to simply be and breathe. When we do, habitual brain grooves begin to shift. The brain state moves from high alert beta wavelengths to an alpha state. Thinking slows down and an inner spaciousness arises between thoughts. 

Meditation reduces the wandering mind. Simultaneously, we are more present in our everyday relationships. We feel integrated with others. This naturally eases anxiety. The spaciousness acknowledged during meditation promotes one’s intellect. Insight and clarity are gained. The discipline is healing by its force to strengthen the immune system. It supports our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Less negativity. A positive attitude. Humor arises. We become open to new opportunities. The quiet mind can adapt easier to the continuous waves along the journey of our Life.

Let’s meditate. Sit tall on a chair, meditation pillow or find a comfortable, steady seat on the yoga mat. Bring attention to your breathing. It’s important to be aware of the inhalation and exhalation moving in and out of the nose because it keeps you present. Close the eyes. This turns our awareness inward, avoiding the temptation of responding to the outer environment. Turn your left palm up on the legs and place the right palm on top. Connecting the tips of the thumbs. Deliberately begin to stretch the inner breath, smooth and slow. Breathing changes the nervous system from reaction to relaxation.

 This simple, visual meditation technique gives the mind something to pay attention to while sitting. Imagine the inhalation rising up from the tailbone to the top of your head. Upon completion, draw the exhalation down the spine back to where you sit. Repeat this over and over. Sit more than five minutes into infinity.

Alternate Nostril Breathing is an effective method to balance the two hemispheres of the brain. In this short video, Suna demonstrates the use of the right hand to assist with guiding the in-breath and out-breath through the nose, alternating sides. After just a few cycles, the transformation from wondering and wandering washes away. We find stillness, a perfect launch into meditation. This technique is also excellent to practice before going to bed at night. It will support a restful sleep.

In an extended meditation, the personal self dissolves into the wholeness of all reality, unified with the Divine. All is One.