How to Meditate

Meditation is a ritual. Rituals are designed to take us out of the context of our usual routines, so that the destructive, habitual patterns are bypassed. Ritual itself can become a habit; but, if done properly, the habits that develop should be supportive rather than destructive.

The preparation for meditation can be a ritual in itself. The habits developed in this "pre-ritual ritual" can calm the mind and heart and make entry into the meditative state easier and more efficient.

When you are preparing to meditate, we recommend the following:

1. Remove decorative jewelry and timepieces (you may retain any jewelry you sleep with).
2. Turn off cell phones and pagers. Silence the ringer on a conventional phone. It's almost impossible to meditate when you know you can be interrupted at any moment.
3. Similarly, make sure others in your household know you are not to be disturbed for the time you've allocated for your meditation. (One way to do this is to choose a time when others are asleep: late at night, or very early in the morning.)
4. Remove your shoes, and loosen any tight-fitting articles of clothing.
5. Close your eyes.

Guided Meditation

It is best if you hear a guided meditation, as reading with one's eyes closed is difficult at best. We suggest you use a trusted guide to read the following aloud, or read it yourself into a tape recorder and play it back during your meditation. Be sure and read slowly enough to allow the meditation to take about 20 minutes.

• We are going on a journey of you. In this, you want to begin to experience yourself to the fullest measure. You are looking for all the parts of you and how they interact to create the ALL that is you.
• While you are seated, recognize your baggage that is not you. Let it go.
• You are ALL. There are no individual parts: no arms, hands, fingers; no legs, feet, and toes; no head, senses, thoughts. You are without physicality. You are in a place where there is no time, space or movement.
• In this nothingness, an impulse comes forth from seemingly nowhere. How do you, as the ALL, notice it? What means were created by you, the ALL, to explore this impulse? Did you create vibrations? Did you create different senses? Did you create colors or imagery? What is this impulse? What did it tell you?
• You, as the ALL, feel you want to explore further, through movement in form. Create one physical body part to explore with. Name this. The ALL, as you, directs and moves this part to move and explore. Who are you as this part and in relation to the ALL that you are? Where are you? How are you identifying things around you and what are you sensing? Why did you choose this part to explore with?
• Continue your exploration by “creating” another part. Use both parts to explore. Who are you as each of these parts describes you and then defines their own relationship to the ALL that you are? Where are you? How are you identifying things around you? Why did you choose this other part to explore with?
• Create your own time and space through movement. Stay within a three-foot diameter around this creation. Create a form to move with in this circle. Create your own time and space as this whole unit of creation. Move slowly and consciously. Be aware of color, taste, smell, sound and inner vision, Use every part to know the ALL of who you are.
• As you complete this meditation, bring with you into the world the feeling of transformation. See the possibilities in the things around you, and within yourself. Bring with you the understanding that ALL is ONE, and therefore all possibilities are available to all things.