Meditation Practice
For Personal Benefit and Spiritual GrowthMeditation is a natural process of withdrawing attention from external conditions and directing it inward to a chosen focus of concentration.
While the side-benefits can be welcomed and enjoyed, the primary purpose of meditation practice is to elicit clear states of consciousness and to facilitate progressive, authentic spiritual growth. The following basic procedure is easy to learn and practice:
1. Meditate once or twice every day.
2. Sit upright in a comfortable chair. It is all right to sit cross-legged if this is convenient. Hold the head up and direct your attention to the front and higher regions of the brain.
3. Inhale and exhale once or twice to relax. Remain still for a few moments until you feel centered. Be aware of your natural breathing rhythm.4. When inhalation occurs naturally, mentally speak a chosen word, such as “God,” “peace,” “joy,” or any pleasant word. When exhalation occurs, again mentally speak the word. Feel that the sound of the chosen word is blossoming in your mind or your field of awareness. Do this without effort and without anxiety about results.
5. When a state of conscious, calm awareness is experienced, discontinue listening to the word. Be still, letting that meditative calm persist for several minutes until you feel inclined to conclude the practice session.
