get out of ur mind and get in 2 ur senses

8/8/2019 Get Out of Ur Mind and Get in 2 Ur Senses

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MONICA ROMEO

A Practical Guide to Using Meditation in Your Life

Get Out Of Your Mind...

And Into Your Senses!


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C Monica Romeo 2007

ISBN 978-988-99821-1-9

First published in Hong Kong by Monica RomeoEdited by Giles PublicationsIllustrations by Zoe OReillyTypesetting by Fran BollandPrinting and binding by Regal Printing Hong Kong

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval

system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers.


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For Therese and Orlando

The gift that you gave meis more than enough.


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Acknowledgements

My gratitude to Eric who opened the door, and to Lisa, who stoodwith me on the other side.

Thanks also to Bev and Barbara who walked the first steps with me, to Spider who hosted me at Mombasa caf while I wascompleting this manuscript, and to all of you who have sat or walkedin meditation with me throughout my life. You have all helped me tobecome a better teacher.

A special thanks to Leonie for her skilled editing and emotionalsupport.

Finally, to David, who has been with me in chaos and in stillness,in friendship and in love. Grazie Tesoro!


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Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Part I Get out of your Mind .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 1 Defining Meditation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Chapter 2 Stages of Meditation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Chapter 3 Making Time to Meditate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Chapter 4 Why Meditate?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Chapter 5 Choosing and Using Meditation Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Chapter 6 The Process of Meditation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Chapter 7 The Importance of the Breath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Part II and into your Senses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Chapter 8 Sight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Chapter 9 Sound. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Chapter 10 Taste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Chapter 11 Smell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Chapter 12 Touch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Part III Meditating for Specific Purposes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Chapter 13 To Deal with Pain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Chapter 14 To Help you Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Chapter 15 To Solve Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Contents


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GET OUT OF YOUR MIND AND INTO YOUR SENSES

Chapter 16 To Create Tranquillity during Busy Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Chapter 17 To Feel More Loving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Chapter 18 To Let Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Chapter 19 To Deal with Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Chapter 20 To Deal with Panic Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Chapter 21 To Achieve Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Chapter 22 To Face your Mortality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Chapter 23 To Watch your Thoughts and Increase Awareness . . . . . . 149

Chapter 24 Meditating using Chakras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Chapter 25 Mini Meditations and other Quickies! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Part IV Final Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Chapter 26 Further Benefits of a Regular Meditation Practice . . . . . . 179

Chapter 27 A Word or Two about Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

and finally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Recommended Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside back cover

Contents


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Introduction

Years ago, I knew a woman who smoked heavily, drank too much

coffee, worked too hard and could not sit still. She slept little, ate lessand often had headaches. That woman was me.

I am not going to tell you that meditation has made my life perfect,but it has helped to transform it. I am a much calmer, healthier, andhappier person now than I was then.

When I first became interested in meditation over twenty-five yearsago, it was usually taught by religious or spiritual groups. I attended

numerous sessions and explored many different traditions and styles, butI did not find what I was looking for. I simply wanted to know whatmeditation was and how to do it. I was not interested in the completespiritual and lifestyle packages usually on offer, guru included, so I readextensively, turned to nature, and started to meditate on my own.

It was a practice founded on curiosity and a passion to understand,but at first it was not regular or coherent. During a particularlydifficult time in my life, I intuitively began to meditate morefrequently, turning inward and making time for stillness. Gradually,I began to notice the benefits, both physical and emotional. I sloweddown and became more aware. I became calmer, less stressed andbetter able to handle difficult situations. I decided to take meditationmore seriously and began searching for the right teacher.

Eric Harrison was that person, a gifted Western teacher whodemystified meditation and made it accessible. In Eric, I found

someone who could answer my questions and explain what meditationwas, clearly and concisely, someone who could confirm that I hadbeen on the right track all along. Since then, I have been teachingmeditation in Western Australia and Hong Kong to individuals andsmall groups and I have seen other transformations taking place.

It takes patience, commitment, and action but if you meditateregularly, the benefits can be enormous.

This book is for anyone who wants to make some positive changesin their lives, whether it is to become calmer and more relaxed, morecreative, happier or healthier.

Introduction


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It is also for anyone who wants to handle difficult situations better,lessen the impact of emotional or physical pain, or simply wants to

live life in the present and enjoy it fully. These are only some of theproven benefits of meditating.

In the following pages, you will learn what meditation is and whatit isnt, how to use different meditation objects and how to chooseones that best suit your learning style. You will learn the differencebetween mindfulness and formal meditation, and how both can affectyour body, mind, and spirit. You will learn that meditation is a simpleskill that anyone can relearn. I say relearn because as children weare able to meditate intuitively but sadly most of us lose this ability

when we grow up.

The key is practice. When you learn any new skill, you must build newneural pathways in your brain. Then it becomes easy. It becomes a habit.

With practice, you can learn to meditate even in noisy, public places. Allyou need to do is find a meditation object that works for you.

Meditation is as relevant and useful for anyone who is stressed andliving in the real world as it is for a yogi meditating in a cave or on amountaintop far removed from the stresses of modern life. Bring youropen and critical mind, a willingness to try and the discipline to committo practise and you will soon be meditating successfully on your own.

A small disclaimer;Most of the information in this book is not new. It can be found

in different forms in every culture and religion. It is ancient wisdom

and belongs to all of us. For the most part, I am merely an interpreter,with only the occasional input of my own.

If you want to know more about the history and diversity ofmeditation practices and traditions there are many excellent bookson the subject.

This book is simply my way of making meditation accessible andrelevant for those people who might not otherwise have benefited

from this simple and powerful practice.Best wishes on your journey!


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Part I

Get out o your Mind

Part I Get out o your Mind


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CHAPTER

Defining MeditationThe fact that you are looking at this book means that you are

interested in making some positive changes in your life. All you neednow is the motivation to try something new and the commitment todoing it a sufficient number of times for it to become a habit. Whenyou learn anything new, it feels strange at first, but if you stick withit, it becomes easier and soon you are doing it without thinking.

Eventually, your brain recognises that this is something familiar, itknows what comes next and it helps you to do it effortlessly. So, thekey to learning to meditate is simply making the commitment to doso, and then taking some action!

If you are interested in meditation, it usually means you wantmore of something in your life, perhaps more tranquillity, more

wellbeing or more balance. To bring about a change you have to

do something differently. You cant just read about meditating.You have to experience it. You cant know what food tastes like byhaving someone describe it to you. You have to try it to experiencethe flavour and texture. In the same way, you have to experience thesensations and feeling of meditation to appreciate its benefits. So youneed to be motivated and you need to do something different.

Sounds easy? It is! And yet it is its very simplicity that often makes

meditation so difficult for some people to master. We are conditionedto overlook the simple, to disregard it as having little value. We look

for complex and challenging ways to make our lives meaningful. Yet itis simplicity that usually brings the greatest happiness. And happinessis one of the things we all want more of, right?

At times happiness can seem elusive yet we all have moments whenwe feel truly happy. Usually, they are moments when we feel relaxed

or at peace. Often we also feel a sense of competence or efficacy, notnecessarily because we have done something or achieved something

Chapter 1 Defning Meditation


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but because in that moment we are aware and we are being ratherthan doing. We are totally engaged in what we are experiencing

without judging it. Meditation is a bit a like that.

So what is Meditation?

There are many different definitions of meditation, but simply put

Meditation is the practice of creatingmoments of awareness.

How does it feel when you meditate?

Well, have you ever watched a beautiful sunset, or listened tothe ocean rolling onto the shore and for a moment felt a sense oftranquillity, inner peace or connection?

That is the same feeling you can experience when you meditate.


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The word Meditation comes from the Sanskrit wordMehta, meaning wisdom. The practice of Meditation dates back over 2500 years. Its

beginnings are commonly attributed to an Indian sage called Patanjali.However, there is evidence that meditation was also practised in Chinaaround the same time. There are many different traditions and styles butthe essence of all meditation practices is the same.

You focus on one thing and let everything else go.

What you focus on is called the meditation object and it canbe anything; the tip of your nose, your breath or a candle flame. Itdoesnt matter. What matters is that you focus on something, so thatyour attention shifts from your thoughts to your senses, to what youcan see and hear and feel, to what you can touch and taste. By doingthis, your body relaxes and your mind calms down. Its as simple asthat. The key to most meditation practices is to get out of your mindand into your senses!

Meditation is not fantasising, falling asleep, stopping your

thoughts, blanking your mind or even relaxing, although when youmeditate your body naturally becomes more relaxed.

Chapter 1 Defning Meditation

meditation is....meditation is not....

blank


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GET OUT OF YOUR MIND AND INTO YOUR SENSES0

The main difference between meditation and relaxation is that when you relax, you may drift off, daydream or even fall asleep,

whereas when you meditate your mind is aware and alert.As you meditate more frequently you will notice changes; in your

body and in your emotional responses. As you continue to meditate,you will notice that your meditation practice becomes deeper andmore significant in your life and you will experience different stagesof meditation.


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CHAPTER

Stages of Meditation When you meditate, you move from a normal, busy mind to aconcentrating mind to a meditating mind. At each stage, the focusis different.

Chapter 2 Stages o Meditation

3 stages of meditation

busy

mind.

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I cantdo this...

1

2 3


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Normal Busy Mind

A normal, busy mind is usually full of thoughts.Generally, the energy is scattered, as attention bouncesfrom one thing to another. Thoughts can be aboutanything; money, food, family, job, friends, the

weather, politics. They can be positive or negativedepending on your emotional and physical responseto the situation. In this stage, the focus keeps shiftingand you can easily become tired and stressed.

Stage 1 Concentrating Mind

In the first stage of meditation youbegin to relax, your mind becomescalmer as the focus is on your meditationobject. As a beginning meditator, you

will usually be easily distracted, butwhen you become aware of it you cangently refocus your attention back tothe meditation object.

Stage 2 Meditating Mind

In the second stage of meditation

the focus is solely on the meditationobject. You begin to identify with itand take on its qualities. You are totallyabsorbed in what you are doing.

bu

symin

d....

I cantdo this...


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Stage 3 Deeper States

In deeper meditative states, the meditation objectdisappears altogether. There is only consciousness. Forme, this state happens when I least expect it and it is adeeply moving and emotional experience. It is a stateof real connection, awareness and bliss.

To feel the benefits of meditation, it is not necessary to experience

all the stages. Even in the first stage of meditation, moments of deeprelaxation, stillness and tranquillity are possible. The more frequentlyyou meditate the more benefits you will experience.

Chapter 2 Stages o Meditation

get out of ur mind and get in 2 ur senses

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