Even though meditation is becoming increasingly popular, lots of people aren’t really sure about what it is or how it works. Here’s a quick rundown, with the hope that we’ll convince you to join us.
“The Monkey Mind” is a term that most meditators are familiar with - it describes the ever moving, agitated and unruly state of mind where we haphazardly jump from one thought to another; like a monkey swings from tree to tree. This constant internal chatter is especially active when we’re stressed, usually consists of worries and fears, and robs us of our energy and ability to focus. It feels like we’re powerless to stop it but we’re not - that’s where meditation comes in.
There are 3 Main Types of Meditation:
Focused Attention Meditation is when you focus your attention on one object, such as the breath, a mantra or (with eyes softly open) a candle’s flame. Think of the object like a toy you give to a toddler to keep it busy so it won’t get into mischief. When your mind is steadfastly focused on one object, everything else falls away. When thoughts do intrude and you realize you’re thinking of something else, you return your attention back to the object.
Open Monitoring Meditation is when you observe thoughts, feelings and sensations without judgement or attachment - you let them come up, notice them and let them go. An analogy for this is to think of lying down at the beach and dispassionately observing clouds as they pass through the sky. If you don’t move your head, they’ll enter your field of vision, pass through it and then exit out of your field of vision, seeming to disappear. What usually happens to us is that we don’t let our thoughts go, or ‘disappear’. When one thought comes up, it leads to another. And then another. And suddenly we’re off on a tangent, thinking of something from our past, or something that might happen in our future. With this technique, we try to break the chain of thoughts.
Automatic Self Transcending or Transcendent Meditation is when you use various techniques designed to transcend the mind’s own activity. Unlike the other two types of meditation, this isn't a cognitive approach - there is no focus or individual control or effort. In the same way that the ocean is choppy and turbulent on the surface and calm in its depths, so is the mind. This type of meditation involves letting the active, thinking mind sink down to the quieter, calmer, more abstract dimension, often by mentally reciting a mantra. In this technique, the mantra has no meaning and it can get blurry. Ease is key, in order to drop into the process.
This Sunday, September 7, we’ll be resuming our weekly online meditation group -every Sunday night at 8pm.
For these Sunday night meditations, we’ll mostly be exploring different Focused Attention and Open Monitoring techniques, including Metta Meditation and So Hum Meditation. Meditating as a group is a powerful and easy way to come together. The world needs more peace right now, and the late director David Lynch believed that enough people meditating together could bring this about. Join Us