Earlier in my lectures in this Hall, I wrote a lecture on general meditation. This particular Lecture is the first in a series that will expand on that first general posting to take a more in-depth look at the techniques of meditation, its effects, etc.
This first lecture deals mainly with the setup of meditation…how you mentally prepare, and also how you physically prepare the area you will be using for meditation.
The first thing that you will want to do when preparing for meditation is select the area in which you would like to meditate. Most students feel “drawn” towards a particular place in which they feel comfortable…preferably an area that you can stretch out, and where it is dark. (Beds, for example, work quite well.) The area which you choose for meditation should be kept clean, and open. (cramped spaces, or areas with stuffy air, will not be as proactive as a clean, dry, open air space.) One other factor that lends itself quite well to meditation is darkness. It is definitely possible to meditate in the light, but most beginning students find it easier to meditate in a dark area. In conjunction with the dark meditation area, try to keep noise in the room to a minimum. My personal preference is a complete absence of sound…some students may prefer a light music, however…if they would like something in which to “center” themselves. There is a very inexpensive line of “mood music”, if you will, known as “Lifescapes”. You can find these generally below the $12 range at Target, or other stores of that nature. New Age music works well, as does classical music, and so does “ethnic” music. Everyone feels a certain connection to their heritage. For myself, I lean towards soft Celtic tunes. Another strong ethnic sort of music for meditation is soft Oriental melodies (Go to a Chinese restaurant if you have no idea what I’m talking about. You’ll figure it out.) With the presence of music, it is important to keep the music very low. If you are using music in an otherwise dead silent room, the volume of the music should be kept just below easy hearing level, so as to become “background” music, instead of being to focal point of your meditation.
If meditating on a bed, try to use non-abrasive sheets, or sheets that are light. The thing to aim for is to be as unconcerned about your bodily sensations as possible, when you first start out. The reason I say this is that one of the keys of beginning meditation is a clear mind. The more physical stimuli occurring as you try to clear your mind, the more difficult it will be. This also applies to the clothing, and amount of clothing, that you wish to wear. The key is to wear whatever feels comfortable…as much or as little as you deem necessary, however you feel most “natural”.
So that generally takes care of your surroundings, and the clothing that you’ll wear. So how should YOU physically prepare? After all, meditation is an exercise of the mind and body…so it would only make sense that both should be the most important factor in your preparations. My own routine begins with a warm shower. I tend to stay away from hot showers…mine are generally lukewarm-warm. I follow this up with some tea…the soft taste of Green Tea and the classic charm of Earl Grey are my personal favorites, although, as always, your own impressions are most important…if warm milk works for you, drink warm milk. Avoid soda or coffees, however, as they contain obscene amount of caffeine…I generally try to get tea that has very little caffeine. Some students of meditation begin with a light stretch. I like to advise caution during this step. Stretching is generally only to be done after a thorough warmup period, so as to loosen your muscles. I, myself, do not even bother with stretching before meditation, as I do plenty of it during my daily workout. The purpose of your physical preparation is to achieve the same goal as the preparation of your surroundings…minimize the physical stimuli as much as humanly possible…hence, if your nose is bothering you, blow it. If your hair is in the way, comb it back. It’s all that simple.
So by accomplishing these steps, you should be physically and mentally prepared to begin your meditation. (The physical preparation also serves as a mental preparation..after a given length of time, during which this physical preparation becomes standard practice, it becomes such a routine that it prepares you mentally.) Now you’re ready to give meditation a try!
In the next lecture on this subject, I will address the beginnings of meditation…breathing, focusing, etc, as well as some of the techniques that I personally use to clear my mind.
May the Force be with you, and may you use it wisely.