Instructions for Breath Meditation
1. Find a quiet place as free of distractions as possible, no telephones, computers or TV. Nature is great if you can do it there.
2. Sit or stand comfortably in a relaxed manner, then close your eyes. With standing your energy is highest, sitting it is lower and lying is lowest. Lying is often not recommended because one has a tendency to fall asleep. The most important however is that you are comfortable and let go of controlling your body completely and are relaxed as possible. Sitting with straight spine and with crossed legs is helpful to open channels in legs and spine, but realize if you are not used to this it can take some time before this is comfortable for you. You can lie down to meditate if you are too tense while sitting, or do it in a warm bathtub if your mind is especially active, as can be with anxiety. Later you can progress to other positions, as it suits you. If you have a lot of stress or body tension, it can be beneficial to do a walk or some exercise before doing the meditation session to release built up tension.
3. Then simply put your focus on FEELING your breathing on any point you like along the channel of breath moving in and out of your body, but stick to one focal point. Some like to put the focus on the breath as it comes in and goes out the nostril, others in the lungs as they expand and contract, others in the diaphragm area or belly. The main thing to know is that ‘breathing’ happens automatically and it doesn’t need ‘your mental help or assistance’, that’s why it’s such a good focal point – it doesn’t need your assistance at all – you can totally let go of trying to control anything. Keep your focus on the FEELING of your breath moving in and out, which doesn’t need your thoughts or mind. Don’t try to manipulate or change your breathing or try to make it someway it is not naturally. When you do this, then you are using your mind to make it be different that what it is, and it’s exactly the opposite of meditation. In true meditative state you do not use the mind. Keep it simple by keeping your focus on feeling your breathing happening in your body, which is the focal point in this meditation.
4. Now it will happen in your session, that you will get distracted from feeling your breath and when that occurs what has happened is that you are likely busy thinking. It is possible you can do a meditation session, thinking the entire time and not even realize you did that until it’s over. All of this is normal and totally okay. You only need to be aware that ‘thinking’ has happened. Don’t analyze your thoughts or it will trigger more thoughts and you will get caught in a circle of thinking. To stop thinking, you only need to set your attention back on the focal point, even if you can only hold it for a few seconds this is good. Don’t be critical about yourself on how you are doing. Again this is thinking and will trigger more thoughts and strong reaction of feeling inadequate or that you are doing it wrong, etc. Drop all this! Non-stop mind-chatter is the state where we all start and it takes some time for thinking to subside and for you to be able to hold the focal point longer. The more you practice, the better you will get at noticing when thinking happens and you lose focus. You ability to direct attention away from thinking and not clinging to thoughts and reset your attention back to your focal point will get better over time as well. To help let go of your desire to think, it can help to give yourself a reminder: I am aware I was thinking. Right Now is NOT my time for thinking, I’m meditating NOW, there will be plenty of time to think about ‘this issue’ later. If something comes up that you feel you need to think about, like an insight or something you don’t want to forget, write it down on a piece of paper so you can think about it AFTER the meditation is done.
5. You repeat like this the entire session. The most beneficial length of time for meditation is 45 minutes to one hour, because at the 45 minute mark this is state of maximum vibration increase and where the strongest healing reactions happen. Meditation is best done twice per day, before starting one’s day and before one goes to bed. To get a result from meditation, you must do it frequently, at least once per day. Think of it more as ‘preventative medicine’ you do each day, like brushing your teeth, for your mental health and well being, see it as a lifelong practice. Also please don’t give up when you first start, because you find it difficult to do. This is normal, and one will want to stop it. Stick with it at least twice per day for one month, and you will for sure get a result and then want to continue on with it.
Benefits of Meditation
The benefit of practicing meditation is becoming more aware of oneself and becoming more efficient with the use of your essential energy. You gradually learn to focus better and not waste time with distractions or useless turning around in circles doing things, which aren’t really essential, meaningful or that which make you happy. You also will become more insightful and creative. The other thing to know is that when you meditate, when your mind is resting, then you are healing, this happens all by itself. Basically, when the mind rests (just like deep sleep), neurons in the brain are enhanced, repaired and rerouted to more efficient patterns. Later these changes will be reflected in the body as the cells replace themselves, and you will see the signs of healing happening. Healing or transformation of the personality is happening with the meditative state, and the newest aspects you’ve accumulated in your personality will be healed first, and the first last at the end of this process. Thus one can expect that the first things to be healed are often beliefs, concepts, or intellectual aspects, then followed by emotional aspects and finally by physical aspects. With enough time spent in ‘effective’ meditation (seconds of no-thought), it will eventually result in a complete healing of all systems of your body, no matter what kinds of mental, emotional or physical problems you currently have. Healing happens slowly, as it took much time to build up the state of personality you have in your body, which is ultimately the cause of all your problems, it will take some time to transform that old structure to the new and healthy one. Be satisfied with your daily progress, growing takes its time and can’t be forced or go as fast as you want it to be. Just know you are healing, each time you meditate. Don’t get trapped into the desire to be somebody or to develop super powers or get mesmerized by ‘healing reactions’, which happen during this process. As your central nervous system is being changed in the brain, this can cause reactions that seem ‘unearthly’, with seeing of images, visions, or seeing sparkly lights or hearing tones in the ears, etc. These are simply side-effects or symptoms of healing, and one should not try to make them happen, thinking that by doing so, one is getting somewhere or developing into another kind of entity… This kind of want is a desire of the ego to get confirmation for a new kind of spiritual image. If you think this might be happening, drop all that, reread the instructions, keep it simple.
Regular Practice Will Get Results
To get a result you must practice regular and it takes some time to get used to doing the practice. The thinking will come in heavy at first and every excuse will be given to say this is not working or this is not worth it, etc. Stick with it twice a day if possible for at least 3 weeks, and then it might become a habit you don’t want to miss. Slowly, you get results. When you start to get results, then you will know why you want to continue to do it. But before that happens, it’s sort of like ‘forcing yourself’ to do it. Keep it simple, just do it.
Why does meditation practice remove stress?
The reason meditation practice reduces stress is because stress is caused by thinking. It’s like you think all these things – re: all you have to do, and you don’t have time to do it, then there’s a conflict, the muscles hold tension with energy charges built up for action but you can’t do it, thus you accumulate stress. Thinking goes a lot faster then what you can physically do, so the more you think things should be different than what they are, which is most of the time with thoughts, then the more stress you build up. As you learn to become more aware of thinking and emotions and body tension from continued daily practice of meditation, as you get better at tuning into what happening inside you, you will start to learn more about your basic make-up, personality, awareness and body and how all of you works. This is known as ‘self-knowledge’, which will allow you to take get insights and realize steps in rising awareness or ability to be consciously present to what is happening ‘right now’. Eventually you will get better at accepting what is happening ‘right now’ and learning to respond to it as needed, versus spending so much time thinking about the past or the future which is not here. So you see, with regular meditation practice you will stop building up stress in the first place, you will become better able to catch that over active thinking pattern when it happens and be able to ‘set it aside’ and simply breath – even during the day – thus you will also grow in your ability to focus your essential energy and control everything about your life. .
It’s a very important life skill to learn how to control the reactions of thinking and emotions and physical actions. All that a human can do, the first thing that always happens is thought, this precedes all else, so becoming aware of thinking is paramount to have true will power and focus and control of yourself. When one’s thinking is overactive, usually certain thoughts are repeating of a certain nature, which create an emotional energy in the body according to the underlying nature or tone of the thoughts. Thinking is part of the nervous system and is what allows us to act, so just prior to a movement in body, energy is built up in the appropriate muscles as an electric charge to allow us that movement. So think, emotion, then act. When one is thinking, one is building emotional energy in the muscles, if one doesn’t act upon that which is set up, and then this is ‘stress’. Basically charges are in the muscles, but it is not released through action. By learning to only think when needed – when one needs to take an action, then one becomes more energy efficient, not building up unnecessary energy in the body when it’s not needed.
Betsy
Yes, Master/Mother Betsy,
This is a meaningful topic that I found for myself to be healed.
You know, my illnesses are I think :psychic (the original cause), then it leads to mental/emotional, as well as physical sicknesses.
I had try to practice simple meditation, reiki self treatment, and affirmation, as well as visualization. I find meditation helps me a lot, to make me closer to the Divine Source, and gives me the healing, and the confidence to be healed, by intuition, and by faith.
Although meditation is let say a little bi “difficult”, cause it needs patient, and with hope, I belief healing can be manifested.
I just do it with very little steps, i have to change my previous habits, and being “reborn” again. It is a long and winding road, but it works. Thank you Mother Betsy, Thank you God for the change You give me to be healed.
Asaf Ayub Pesiwarissa, Jakarta, Indonesia. Namaste
Hi Asaf, thank you for your appreciation. what is encouraging to me is your determination to do what it takes and meditation is certainly the key. Little steps, do what you can, be persistent and consistent and for sure you will get a great result. Namaste’ Betsy
Thanks Betsy….Can I focus on nothingness, or is it better perhaps to focus on my 3rd eye…Both come very naturally to me. Cheers!
With the meditation you are commenting on, you only need to Observe the breathing happening naturally by itself. One cannot focus on nothingness which would need an article to explain why this is the case. An advanced meditation is ‘just witnessing’ where you don’t put focus on anything, which I would suggest you try this one as it is the best meditation instruction and it sounds like you are ready for it: http://falconblanco.com/release/index.htm
Betsy
Hi Betsy,
Thanks; I should have been more clear…I was referring to observing as emptiness…Sometimes I hear emptiness in all of the sounds during meditation…I just relax and just witness..Sometimes a thought will come; sometimes I will naturally focus on my Third Eye; sometimes I will observe my breath. My question was, should I focus in my Third Eye when I start my meditation? Or should I continue with just observing whatever happens…..Sorry if I was not clear…I received Shaktipad about 18 years ago…Thanks
Our absolute true nature has no qualities, it is pure emptiness or stillness, all arises out of that. That you have these questions and phrase them like this, tells me you have not yet touched the depth of that base. One can’t hear emptiness because it has no qualities, sounds arise out of the emptiness. What you are describing as your experience is the witnessing state, which still has observer and the observed (seer and seen) and so duality still exists. To deepen your meditation, you must learn to let go all focus, which witnessing meditation as in link I gave your prior, will guide you to that. So no, don’t focus on your third eye… don’t focus on anything, just observe. You can know you are being effective with that, when you start to feel increase in vibration in body with a warm shimmering feeling encompassing the body. It often happens too in early parts when one starts to let go more fully / deeply of focus on anything, that it will feel like you are falling into a sleep, but not sleeping you are still aware this is happening. Fear often comes when it deepens, you have to go past that and just let the sleepy feeling overtake you. This is not a state or result by itself, it is just a transition stage that eventually goes away.
Another way to describe it is to get to quiet mind state in your meditation (let go mind consciousness), where you feel this stillness and calm mind then the next step is to let go of body identification. YOu will know you have successfully done this when you start to feel the breathing is happening by itself, and you feel it deep in belly which is called embryonic breathing. you will notice the lungs are barely moving at all. You will fall into very deep state when you feel this tingling warmth and feeling sort of like not being in the body, but still keenly aware but not focused on anything. When you get to this point where body and mind id are released, then you can ask Who is observing this, or where does thought come from which may then reveal to you your absolute true self nature.
You might also like this dot meditation, it helped me to deepen my meditation by using a very simple focal point. http://falconblanco.com/dotexercise.htm
I also found holding my breath and saying no matter what I will not think! helped me to learn how to let go of clinging to body consciousness better.
To deepen your meditation, the only way is to let go more, to not focus on anything, don’t hold any energy nor think anything or direct your energy in any way, just relax into center as pure observer and allow the energy that is within to rise…
Hope that helps!
Betsy
Also as kundalini symptoms persist, will I be able to still hold a normal job…It seems everytime I have a kriya (movements, laughing, crying etc), I typically have them at home or when at work no one is around…I feel that the energy guides my circumstances…Even when I get no sleep during the night, it seems my days runs smoothly, even though I am tired and feel I can’t get through…Is this all normal stuff?
yes, it is normal, the energy will carry you though, see link above.
Thank you….I need to digest all of this information….I am looking forward to the book..
yes this has helped…thanks
http://phoenixtools.org/many-are-awakening-right-now/
Hello Ms. Betsy,
I’m fairly new to meditating regularly. I’ve recently progressed to reaching a point after about 20-30 mins where I no longer feel my mudra. I do this thing with my thumbs interlocked in my fists. I really don’t feel my body at all. It comes after this tingly feeling, and sense that I’m drifting further into the darkness, or sinking into my body. In that state it feels like I’m just there inside an empty shell, and that’s when I start to think. However, I remain in this state, but I hate that the chatter picks back up, and I usually just gone out of it at that point because I feel that I can’t progress any further due to my thinking about being in that state, what’s happening, what comes after this,…these are some of the thoughts I have. Do you have any feedback, or advice on how to continue progressing?
Hi Hood Hippie, thanks for trusting in me to ask your question.
It sounds like your focal point in your meditation is simply tuning into FEELING your MUDRA sensation in body, which is doing this thing with your thumbs interlocked in your fists. You are able to sustain focus on simply feeling, this then raises your vibration and you feel tingling in your body. This is great! It means your awareness level is rising in other words, you are vibrating at higher frequency. The next is you don’t feel attached to your body and mind, so that is the empty shell feeling. But you know your body and mind is still there, just you can observe it better because you have distance from it, you are not fully identified with it. This is exactly what you want to accomplish. But now you reach this state, then your body becomes harder to feel as it is numb, so now you need another focal point to deepen your meditation.
The next focal point to advance your meditation, is to let go all focal points. So what you need to do next is just observe whatever appears in your consciousness either outside or inside the body which can be a feeling, thought, image, sound, body sensation, smell, whatever is there but DO NOT keep focus in any spot. Just let whatever arise and observe it. You need to progress NOW to the next step to do pure witnessing meditation.
When you start to feel these sensations the first natural reaction is FEAR, that you are losing yourself. But look close, you are there observing everything that is going on, you are not disappearing. you are not dying, you are just experiencing something new and unknown to you. You are awakening, you’ve never done it before, so it normal to be afraid of it. Awakening is always a gradual process, you are not going to be suddenly changed to be an entirely different person in one meditation session! Each session, you awaken another notch. Just like you have been doing so far. You are always just you but a little wiser and brighter which you always embrace those changes and would never go back to wanting to be the duller or blinder ego-you… So just relax and trust that this is what is happening, and then the fear thoughts will subside. So that ‘fear reaction’ is what is kicking the mind-chatter back into motion. The mind-chatter one cannot stop by wanting it to stop and if one finds it annoying that is mind-chatter itself. The thing to do to settle it down is to just acknowledge this chatter is going on, in other words: observe it is happening. If it’s especially strong, one can put focus temporarily on something else like observing the breathing happening to withdraw attention and energy feeding the mind-chatter. once you relax again then just go back to observing. The mind-chatter and thougths can keep appearing that is totally normal, one can’t stop it, it’s like an old program that easily is triggered. Don’t feel it is wrong or that you are losing ability or beat yourself up, just observe it: there is the chatter and that usually takes care of it. The more you practice like this, the better you get at pure observing. Then one might ask who is observing, or Who Am I. Or what is the source of the thought, or where do thoughts come from.
I think it is good you continue to do the feeling focus til you reach this state tingling state, then at that point shift your focus to just witnessing and relaxing the fear reaction and trusting.
Please let me know if this is helpful and get back to me if you have another question.
Love & Blessings,
Betsy
PS: Here is witnessing meditation instruction: http://falconblanco.com/release/index.htm
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I wasn’t sure if I was expressing everything clearly enough, but you understood and articulated perfectly what I’m experiencing. I have observed that the chatter is fear based when I reach that deeper state, and I know is fear of the unknown. It’s almost like a mini panic attack by my ego. I am going to try your suggestions. I can definitely see how those things would work. Thank you so much! I will let you know how I progress in the near future. Peace & Love
Hi Hood, you are welcome — I am glad that I understood… and wonderful to see how you can observe that it is fear-based. I like how you call it a mini-panic-attack by your ego. stay in touch. love & blessings, betsy