How to Meditate More Effectively

This short article is not meant to be a complete guide, rather a few tips to guide those who are already established in a meditative discipline. One of the principal purposes of meditation is to deeply connect with our radiant essence, to literally see and experience ourselves as this light, and to integrate this into our life as a whole. There are many techniques to help raise our level of vitality and to act as a vehicle of concentration. Through the intention in which we practice a technique, or simply our meditative awareness, we create a non-verbal vitality, open up an inner space and through our concentration carry our consciousness deeper and deeper within ourselves to discover our source. When sitting in silent meditation, it is a common mistake, to try and aggressively force oneself into a deeper state, i.e., I will not move a muscle for the next hour. This creates an artificial rigidity that interferes with noticing and cultivating our natural radiant state. It is better to truly focus, and as the need arises, periodically stretch, look around, take a few deep breaths, then continue. As you do so, do not come out of your meditation; rather just relax the technique for those moments. In this way your practice will remain fresh, and more likely to produce results.

Deep meditation occurs naturally as we purify the channels and create the inner environment conjoined with a proper intention. For example, “today I will go deeper than ever.” This has a passion, energy, and recognition to it. As we move deep, it truly does feel that this is the most alive we have ever been. Do not fight with the mind; rather use the vehicle of the practice. If you are using the breath, then join with the breath itself. If you are using mantra, then become the non-verbal radiance of mantra, if you are visualizing, then include a point of very bright, transcendent, super-light and be sure you create a happy light, if you are using devotion then join with the enlightened-mind of the master, if you are going direct, then rest in natural awareness deepening in your true nature. In this way, the pranas are directed to an inner abode, and as the pranas of your consciousness dissolve into this, the mundane everyday thoughts naturally disappear, as they no longer have any support.By resting in a non-verbal mind, you are not so overwhelmed with the outer mind. The thoughts and emotions that do arise can then be felt as natural. That is you remain in the underlying energy of your being, even when a thought does arise. In this way you learn how to integrate the various levels of your being.Another common mistake is to space out, or to try and be somewhere else.

The best temple for meditation is your own body. Trying to hear inner words, trying to see a light, are all examples of disconnection. You already know what the aliveness of your heart feels like, and a quiet attention without words. Cultivate these qualities through the sense, “Today I will go deeper.” Deeper is not a manipulation of thoughts, Rather, it is an activation of the heart – love. It is truth, this is it. It is not thinking I will move my arm, it is actually moving my arm. It is multidimensional. It is the spark and ecstasy of your spirit, softened into love, then loved into ecstasy in an endless dance. Going deeper is feeling your own body and what underlies it. Going deeper is the willingness to go through each step, for it is true results you want. Going deeper is letting go of everything else and being present deep within.Learn through practice what enhances and what takes you away from this inner aliveness. For example, you may discover that by directing a subtle sense of breath through your tailbone, or in the back of your heart, for example, that you feel more alert and easy, more open. Thus you may breathe like this for fifteen minutes. Then you may discover to move the energy with your intention, thereby unifying your mind, body, and breath.

There are countless experiences to discover. You can create an inner sanctuary whereby you can meet beings who live in this kind of light, and the intimacy of it being in your body is wonderful. You can gather essences, happiness, and light into nectar, within which you gain an indescribable experience. As the pranas are refined and become more vital, through a consistent application, you may see an inner light. You will not have to search for it, you are it. Meditation is not creating a dull state of mind, this is spiritually useless. You can remain alert for hours simply breathing, exploring, deepening, and turning into light the interior of your body. By doing so, you have the physiological support of the body and will better awaken to the underlying subtle bodies.

I truly encourage each of you to deepen and gradually lengthen the time of your formal meditation. Use whatever time you do have well. Ten sincere minutes of quieting, and feeling a love of the divine is better than forcing an hour. If you truly do 10 sincere minutes each morning, you will naturally, and gradually, extend the time more and more. You will make the time, get up earlier, and prepare the body more – as it becomes a love, a passion. It is not just like brushing your teeth or taking a shower, rather it is one of the great joys of life.

As you become more familiar with your natural state, and conjoin this into awakening the body and awakening the chakras, you will find a source of energy which is your spirit. Then your meditation will extend into hours, even if you do have a busy schedule. Learning how to use the subtle breath is invaluable as a support for longer meditation. While ten minutes is extremely beneficial; when we are ready, three hours each morning is more optimal in awakening a divine core within our body that stays with us throughout the day.

Read stories of the masters. Bring that vibration into you life and you will receive a transmission of that. Moderate your lifestyle, for example, learn how to conserve your sexual essences, eat reasonable, and get some sleep rather than watching that late night movie. By conserving our life essence, we can better cultivate softness within leading to bliss. Otherwise our mind is not firm and effortless concentration is not experienced.

I encourage you to keep at it. Do not make the conditions too complicated, just do it. If you are too restless, then do breathing exercises or yoga. Finding and cultivating our true nature is of more enjoyment and benefit than any other activity in life.

Keep the spark alive!
In Service to Awakening,

Blessings