MEDITATION PRACTICES AND REFLECTIONS. PART 1

The objective of meditation

There is no magic in meditation. This is just a specific exercise, training and no more. The goal of meditation is not to “open the third eye” or to “comprehend the absolute.” The goal of meditation is a healthy body and a mind, calmness, harmony, balance and happiness. All of these are so scarce in our busy time.

Meditation is not as difficult as it seems. Moreover, I am sure that most of you have already been involved in meditation, and even are able to appreciate its effect! For example, many of you, when you could not fall asleep for a long time, start to count sheep: first sheep, second sheep ... n sheep, until you fall asleep. You could imagine curly-headed sheep jumping over the fence and it helped. What do you think, why did it work? Because you focused your attention on one thing and stopped thinking about the rest of the things. All the worries and thoughts just left your brain!

But the very monotony of this process calmed you and you fell asleep! See, no tricks, everything is extremely simple. Meditation is based on a similar principle, although it is a very rough and simplified comparison. You concentrate on the breath, on the image or on the mantra, and thereby calm your mind. Undoubtedly, the effect of meditation is much wider and deeper than the effect that gets manifested when counting sheep. This practice can give you incomparably more.

Many articles from the Internet on this issue are overloaded with esoteric terminology: they proliferate with such words as "chakras", "energy", "vibration".

I believe that such articles do not play into the hands of the propagation of this undoubtfully useful and effective practice, since all these terms can evoke bewilderment and skepticism in an ordinary person. All this gives an impression of some sort of sectarianism that makes it impossible to discern the very essence of meditation. In fact, why do you need to “open the lower chakra” when in reality you just want to learn how to control your emotions, not to succumb to momentary impulses and mood changes, or to get rid of depression?

I look at meditation in a completely different way. For me, this is not a religion, not a secret teaching, but quite an applied, if I may say so, discipline that helped me a lot in my life – ordinary, earthly life and not beyond cosmic-spiritual. It helped me to cope with my mood swings, addictions, weaknesses. It allowed me to realize my potential in a full manner, set me on the path of self-development. I am sure it can help more people. Anyone can learn meditation. There is nothing complicated about it. And even if you do not succeed, it will still bring its effect.

TO BE CONTINUED...