Below are some answers to some meditation FAQ. I want to stress that the best way to get your questions answered is to call me (917-703-1413) or write me at btheo@me.com. Having a conversation and chatting about your experiences is key. But if you’re too shy or in a rush or trust written instructions more, read below. If you’re wondering about something that isn’t here, please let m know and I’ll add it.
Come back to class! If you’re paid up, I HIGHLY recommend returning to class for a free refresher.
Technique & Mantra
Always sit up with your spine erect. We don’t have to be totally straight. Sit up but make sure you’re comfortable. Never meditating lying down.
Don’t try to hurry through it. Make space for it. Settle in. Take your shoes off, turn your phone on airplane mode, etc. Sit with your eyes closed for half a minute before beginning and always finish by letting go of the mantra from the inside and then resting with you eyes closed for 2 minutes minimum after letting go of the manta. SLOWLY open the eyes. Ease back into the eyes open state.
Barely think the mantra. We think it so softly, so faintly. Never focus on it, never concentrate. Just let it drift in and out of your meditation. If you favor the mantra effortlessly and innocently, your mind will naturally wander. That’s a good thing. Let it. When you notice you’re been off the mantra for a while, gently come back.
Meditate twice a day, instead of once. This is crucial. And yes, you DO have the time if you make it. What you don’t have time for is suffering, stress, and the inability to adapt. No one has time for that. So you invest your time, (2o minutes twice a day) to increase your happiness, your ability to adapt, your peace of mind, and performance in every area of your life. The more conscious you are, the more you will achieve and the less you’ll have to do to achieve it.
Mantra & Thoughts
The mantras are bija mantras. They're always moving towards the subtle. If we could characterize them, we'd say they're introverts. Knowing that, we treat them accordingly. Only faintly, do we think them. We never hold on to the mantra, we let them go. We never persist in repeating them.
The mantra may change over time. It might become faster or slower, louder or softer, clearer or fainter. Its pronunciation may change, lengthen or shorten or even may appear to be distorted. Never try to control the mantra. Just let them play. Let them do whatever they want to do.
The mantras work on sound vibration. You don't have to "say" the mantra in your head. Just listen to it recede and become fainter and fainter.
Having lots during meditation? You are? Fantastic. You're meditating correctly.
Do not resist thoughts. Thinking happens effortlessly. If you're thinking, don't try to stop thoughts from coming or feel sorry about having them. Just let them happen. Content or frequency of thoughts doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that we're not resisting them.
Thoughts are not the enemy of meditation, effort it.
Stress Release
There's an inward and outward stroke of meditation. Inward stroke; we go deep. Outward stroke; we release stress. When we're releasing stress, we may not feel deep. We may even feel like nothing is happening. Like you're just thinking your to-do list with your eyes closed. Let it happen. You're releasing stress and the purging of stresses causes lots of thoughts. Don't resist.
Stress release is good. Stress causes all sorts of suffering and ailments. Allowing thoughts in meditation without resistance is allowing the stresses in your nervous system to dissolve naturally. The result is you'll sleep better, worry less, digest easier, age slower, and have a better relationship with yourself and others. Allowing thoughts in meditation is really investing in overall happiness.