Your steps
[up]
Plan your mission
Look for an appropriate time to sit. It could be early morning or in the evening after work. A time which feels good for yourself and those you're living with. Make it cosy. If you like some music, use it. If you prefer complete silence, invoke it. You can adapt lights too and even burn some oil or incense if you would wish so. But be aware not to be too cosy as you might fall asleep! You're better off with regular and shorter periods of excercise, than with longer at irregular times. Plan ahead in accordance with your needs and possibilities. You can play around with different techniques to find out what sooths you best. You can read some inspiring material f.i. to frame your meditation. Or select a virtue or quality to concentrate on. Or propose yourself to find clarity in solving a problem. But first and foremost: keep your overall aim in front of you at all times....
Become Observer
I am comfortably sitting, breathing in and out. I direct my attention inwardly. I notice my respiration, take another good breath in and out. I now concentrate on my thoughts. I listen to them. I become aware of what I'm thinking. I now look at them as scenery passing by before my eyes. I let them go and look through my open eyes and keep on watching my thoughts.
Reflection & Concentration
You now might want to explore a topic you have been preparing. You might even consider reading some text, slowly and gently, to be able to integrate its sense. Or perhaps you just want to be. In silence. By repeating yourself some re-inforcing phrases like: "I am quiet. I am silence. I am a radient source of peace."
Realize that the more powerful are your thoughts, the more positive, the more you'll feel in this way. Whatever thoughts you think, you become. Initially however, you'll find out there is quite a bit of noise going on. All kind of thoughts passing by, perhaps many whom you didn't really noticed before. So it might be a good suggestion to let you guide yourself by a tape or written meditation. You'll find a suggestion in the resources section.
Act and let go
Meditation is an active art and science. It is not something passively happening to us. To implement this notion, you can close your meditation in following awareness:
Look at your self as a significant, but tiny link in the total galaxy we are living in. Consider your self as a little point of awareness in the univers and send out whatever is your concern. Give it away, let go of it. And have faith in the forces behind it all. Meditation is good energy that always finds it way around.
Discover and Experience
Try it out in different forms. The main thing after all is that you learn to enjoy going inwards, whatever way you're doing it and even if it seems a bit strange initially. Going inwardly and remaining focussed on a topic and/or experience...
But don't force yourself. If sitting doesn't accomplish the aim immediately: go for a walk, but continue your excercise of going within, watching your thoughts and gently guiding them towards your area of exploration.
Use your creativity to invent your own ways of personal research and discover the changes and/or benefits.
Evaluate and study
When you have experimented over a lapse of time, you may go back to step 1 and see what your experiments and personal research have changed. You might want to change goals. Or perhaps go for some study material to broaden your ways.
Don't expect miracles, but be open to notice the subtle changes occurring. Meditation doesn't stop when you stand up. It then actually starts because meditation is a way of life, a way of looking, a way of being. And it is only in relationship with others and the external you'll start notice its efficiency.
Resources
[up]
Some samples of inspiring texts
Abandon [FR]
Un vision global [ES]
The shaman [EN]
Sharing enthusiasm can be a donation [EN] Topics for meditation
You might want to explore a topic. If you want a hint for some topics, you can go consult a map of consciousness.
Guided meditations
A guided commentary by Raj Yogi teacher Denise Lawrence from the States, L.A. A meditation for (little) children Visual material
Meditation cartoon Your angel/guide for the day [up]
The Pioneering Website is a general support site for all those
involved in pioneering activities.
It offers new ideas,keys to change, services, an exchange forum and examples of new reality.
Zudan ® - E-mail - Revised document: 21/03/1999