Meditation

Meditation

for RA, CFS, and Fibromyalgia

Meditation Stones

I had heard about "meditation" for many years... especially since I have done yoga for  more than 30 years, but I really did not practice meditation, nor did I know HOW. I began researching and even asking people about meditation. My questions were somewhat like:

"Is it important that I use a certain kind of pose?"

"Do I have to meditate for a LONG time?"

"How do I breath during meditation?"

"What if I do it wrong?"

"How do I know if I am doing it correctly?"

"What is walking meditation?"

"Can I lie down and meditate?"
"What if I can't keep my mind still?"
"How do I make my mind thing about 'nothing'?"
"Can I use music or do I have to do silent meditation?"

The more I asked and the more I researched, the more confused I became. It appeared that there were many ways to meditate. So , I concluded that I would make meditation MY OWN, and use what worked for me.

The best explanation and answer that I found and that seemed best for me was that meditation is listening (to God) while prayer is talking (to God).  This made a lot of sense to me and I even began to realize the balance of the two (speaking and listening) were to go hand in hand in order to bring balance into my life. I knew how to talk. That part wasn't hard. But I was going to have to learn how to make my mind and thoughts quiet and still, and stop thinking 90 mph.

I have found that meditation works best for me in the evening, at the end of the day right before I retire for the night. I like to go into my room early and set a tone/ mood for meditation.

Meditation Music:

I enjoy Snatum Kaur, Diva Primal, and sounds for meditation (singing bowls for example), but there are many types of meditation music on youtube from which to choose. There is instrumental music w/ nature sounds that work wonderfully if you connect with nature. The variety is endless and therefore, never gets routine or boring. I have found for ME that I do NOT like silent meditation. It is too distracting and I have a hard time focusing without music and I do not enjoy it. So I don't do it that way.

Lighting:

I use candles to set a tone of serenity, softness, and peacefulness. I close the door to whatever room I am in to let others know that I am spending time alone. I turn off all lights, electronics, tv, computer (unless I'm using youtube for music), radios, etc. I even turn on a fan for 'white noise' so that I do not hear what is going on in the rest of the house. I keep the candle sometimes in front of me and watch the flicker of the flame.

Position:
I do whatever is comfortable for me at the time. Sometimes I am dealing w/ pain.. so I lie down. Sometimes I sit on a pillow in 'easy pose' . Other times I sit up in my bed. Whatever I do, I make sure it is comfortable and that I can breath easily. There is no wrong way.

Mood:

Sometimes I take time to devote to a spiritual reading before entering into meditation. There are many selections of spiritual readings. I select something that inspires me, frees me from the troubles of the day, and helps me to release worry and fear. Sometimes I use angel cards  and select one theme to meditate on. For example: I may select healing as a theme. I then meditate on all the areas of my life I would like to have healing in and release those areas for healing. I call healing into all areas of my life including financial, relationships, health, etc.

Scents:

I also use sage. I like to burn sage and deeply breathe in the scent while meditating. This aroma is very calming to me and one of signifigance because I do not use it many other times. Sometimes I use essential oils by putting oils on a cotton ball or using a diffuser. Certain oils represent certain moods. (U can research essential oils and their affects on the mood and body)

Meditation Stones:

I have a number of stones that I use while meditating. Some are the size of my palm and some are smaller. I select 2 or 3 stones and place them either on chakra points or in my hands. They bring me much comfort and represent different things to me in life. I have a turtle carved out of stone. This turtle represents that sometimes illness and Life  is a journey that is walked out slowly, but is always a winner in the end, and never gives up.

Prayer Beads:
Many religions use prayer beads. I did not grow up using the practice of prayer with beads, but I now sometimes use prayer beads during meditation. I have several sets of beads that I use. They are both necklaces made of stones / glass. They are long enough to fit around my neck and do not have a clasp. There are several ways that I use them. I may feel led to give 'thanksgiving'.  I say 'thank you' on each bead for something that I am grateful for as I go around the string of beads. This gives me a deep sense of appreciation and peace. I also use it to pray for others. There are limitless ways that one could use meditation beads.

Singing:

Sometimes I sing during meditation. This is very calming to me bc I like to sing and I find spiritual songs that bring me deep peace.

Time:

How long do I meditate? It is different each time and I do not even go by a clock. I meditate for as long as I feel like I need to and then I retire for bed. Usually I like to meditate until I feel a deep sense of peace and serenity.

Breathing:
It is important to try to remember to breath deeply, but not to the point of 'distraction'. In past times, I would become so concerned about whether I was breathing correctly or not that it kept my mind from becoming clear or cleansed of negative thoughts. So, I breath at the beginning and then let myself relax.

I now look forward to meditation because I do not go by any "set" rules that are set for someone else. I basically did research, chose what worked best for me and forgot about rote rules to follow.

I also do not have any hard and fast rules about what time to meditate. I do not feel GUILTY if I do NOT meditate. This is not the purpose of meditation. In other words... it is something to serve me and benefit my life whether I use it daily or one time a year.