Appendix II: How to Meditate

How to Meditate

20 minutes daily is a good start - and has been proven to strengthen the physiology of the human body - not to mention its documented benefits on the mind… Any meditation practice will suffice. Just commit to doing it Every Day. Optimal results are realized if you meditate at the same time and the same place (your favorite chair, or a certain room in your house) every day. Dawn, Noon, or twilight are particularly conducive to meditation, but any time will do. Make sure that nothing can disturb you (cell phone, other people) during this time. If you have no idea of how to begin, then follow the meditation technique described below. It is one of Dr. Glidden’s favorites. (BTW - Dr. Glidden started meditating at 12 years old - so I think his advice here is good…)

Suddhi Meditation (pronounced “Should-ee”)

Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed for the entire time that you are meditating. When you start this practice, the recommendation is to meditate for five minutes twice a day for a week. Then for 10 minutes twice a day for a week. Then for 15 minutes twice a day for a week. Then for 20 minutes (or more) twice a day for the rest of your life. If you can only manage to meditate once a day then that is OK.

This technique is like riding a bike – it looks easy, and it is easy, but you have to get the hang of it first. This is one of the oldest meditations known to humankind. One of the essential ingredients of this meditation is that you remain motionless for the entire duration of the meditation. If you can sit cross-legged, then that is best. If you are a woman, make sure that your right leg is over your left leg. If you are a man, then your left leg is over your right leg. Any cross-legged position will do. Of course, the Lotus position is the one that is most advised, but since this is extremely difficult for most Westerners to do, then sit in a cross-legged position that you can comfortably and without strain maintain for 20 minutes. Keep your back comfortably straight - not bent or hunched over. if sitting cross-legged is just not an option for you, then sit in a

chair with your feet flat on the ground. Whether you are sitting in a chair or cross legged on the ground, you must keep your back as straight as possible and your chin parallel to the ground. Your hands are resting comfortably on your lap. If you are a man, the right palm is on top of the left palm and if you are a woman the left palm is on top of the right palm the tips of your thumbs are lightly touching each other. If you are sitting in a chair, then it is perfectly fine to use a cushion either to sit on or to stabilize your lower back. Sit facing the east or the north. When you begin this meditation, it might be a good idea to set a timer so that you don’t have to be worried about how long you are meditating.

Once you have assumed the position, and set the timer, then the rest is easy. I will outline the steps for the actual meditation now in bullet points:

• Close your eyes and take three full breaths. Try to make the breaths as big and as long as possible. Try to make the inhalations the same length as the exhalations.

• After the third exhalation become the observer of your thoughts. This is a little tricky at first because most of us are so attached to our thoughts that we don’t know detaching from them is an option. It is.

• When a thought pops into your mind just observe it and let it go. Do not think it through. Simply observe it and let it go. Sometimes it helps to mentally repeat

“Detach.” Once released, the thought will quickly be replaced by another thought. Observe it and let it go. If you find yourself attaching to a thought and thinking it through, then simply stop yourself, detach from the thought, and let it go.

• When you consistently detach from your thoughts, they will begin to slow down. They will continue to pop into your mind, but at a slower pace. Your job is to continue to let them go. Eventually you will find yourself in a very calm

and quiet place inside your mind. Enjoy it. Embrace it. Experience it. When a thought pops into your mind (like: “Isn’t this remarkable!”) - just let it go. The entire intention of this meditation is to detach from your thoughts completely, utterly, and totally.

• When the alarm goes off, and before you open your eyes, imagine that a golden healing light is descending over your body from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Imagine that it is completely, utterly and totally dissolving all shreds of illness in your body. Let this visualization linger for as long as you want.

• When you are ready to end the meditation, take a few deep breaths and slowly open your eyes. Take a moment or 2 to soak up what has happened before you get up and go about your business.

You may have many different experiences over time during this meditation. You may feel like you are in the middle of a vast dome. You may start to see lights or a fivepointed star. You may feel a cool tingly glow descend over you. Whatever happens, just experience it and if you start thinking about anything - just let it go. You may also have the curious experience once the meditation is over, that what seemed like two or three minutes to you was in actuality 15 or 20.

By practicing this meditation, you are grounding yourself in something called “The Witness-Consciousness.” It is very powerful.

With time and practice you will be able to experience that part of your mind (the witness consciousness) which is separate and distinct from your thoughts. You will begin to exercise your spiritual muscles. Your intuition will increase, and your ability to pray will deepen. This technique is elegantly simple and yet is tricky to master. The mind is very much like an ocean – turbulent on top and quiet in the depths. Most of us spend all of our time on the surface. As your practice of this meditation deepens so will your consciousness and it will take a great deal more stress to negatively affect you when you are not meditating.