The Meditation Blog

The alchemical tradition from the Western perspective developed a philosophy and system of spiritual growth which was shrouded in symbolism. Part of the reason much of the material from that time was communicated in such symbolically dense terminology was the need to hide the true meaning from church authorities. The work of Carl Jung, M.D., in the early twentieth century led to the revitalization of much of the symbolism and artwork of the alchemists. His suggestion was that the alchemists were encoding deep psychological symbolism in the spiritual imagery.

Many of the diagrams and images developed by the alchemists showed mandala-like patterns that were quite similar in form to the Yantras from Eastern paths. These images tend to flood the mind with symbolic expression, such as the image of the Azoth shown below. It can be used as a focus of meditation, much like the Yantra image from an earlier post.

For a full description of the meaning of this image, please the excellent book by Dennis Hauck: “In Search of the Emerald Tablet,” which one of few introductory texts which actually makes the concepts of alchemy understandable to the interested reader.

The aspect of focusing on mental repetition of words or phrases may be combined with focus upon an external image. In Eastern traditions, this may take a Mandala form, such as the Shri Yantra, below. To use this form of visual meditation, focus your attention on the central [bindu] point and allow your eyes to soft focus. Try to minimize blinking, but don’t let your eyes get too dry. When combined with a mantra, this can be a powerful tool to focus attention and still the mind.

Another quite common meditative practice across multiple traditions worldwide is the repetition of a word or short phrase. In the yogic traditions this referred to as a mantra based meditation. In the Christian versions, it is called contemplative prayer. This is the form of meditation practiced in Transcendental Meditation, with the mantra in this case given in the course of training.

The practice consists of choosing a word or phrase, and then allowing it to flow gently through your mind in a repetitive manner. When other thoughts enter awareness, and they will, gently bring back awareness to the word or phrase. Sounds simple! Hardly. Once the practice starts, the mind begins to bombard you with random impressions which form distractions. This is normal, though. No reason to become upset or feel that you’re failing, just gently bring focus back to the word or phrase. Try for twenty minutes once or twice daily. Monitor your results over weeks or months.

Although the contemplative prayer version of this meditation uses some form of phrase in your native language that has a religious connotation, most people find the practice more effective if they choose sounds without immediate meaning attached. Sounds that end with …..MMMMMM are more relaxing for many. Hence OMMM or AAUUUMMM can be excellent choices, or a brief phrase such as OM MANI PADME HUM is quite popular. Use any phrase you like, but try different sounds and see which work best for you.

One of the common experiences when practicing concentration type meditation, such as the breath exercise, is the intrusion of thoughts, memories, or impressions that distract your mind from the practice itself. This simple meditation exercise transforms what would otherwise be a distraction into the focus of the meditation itself. You can compare the experience of this technique with the previous, remembering to use it daily.

Sit or recline in a comfortable, stable position. Close your eyes, and let your breath flow naturally. Allow any thoughts or impressions to enter your mind as they arise. Try to simply observe the thought, and allow it to float away, much like a bubble in an aquarium. More thoughts will arise, and repeat the process. If all is simply stillness or blackness, consider that a thought as well, and let it flow away. Try to avoid attachment to any of the thoughts, and simply let them each float away. The experience should demonstrate the fleeting nature of thoughts and feelings, and this becomes more powerful if you don’t become emotionally attached to the material. Each thought should be released as easily as a bubble floating away.

Before further discussion, it’s probably best to just get started.

First, even though everyone’s life is full of challenging and contradictory needs, finding a short 15 to 20 minutes each day to devote to meditative practice is essential. The most beneficial results of meditation psychologically and physically occur after regular practice of months and years. Making this time for practice a priority will help to move other things aside rather than skipping the meditative practice. Warning: life will immediately conspire to interrupt your practice! Your intent will have to be fierce. Phones off, pets in another room, children at school. . .

One of the most simple meditation exercises uses the natural inflow and outflow of the breath: nothing else is needed.

Take a seat in a comfortable position so that you won’t need to shift your posture for a few minutes. The lotus position is fine, but certainly not necessarily. You can accomplish the same by sitting in a chair with a reasonably vertical spine.

Close your eyes and just take a moment to allow the day’s worries and issues to pass from immediate awareness:

Then gently focus all attention onto your breath. No need to alter its rate or its depth, just internally observe.

Next, internally state to yourself “the breath flows in” on each inhale, and “the breath flows out” on each exhale.

After a few cycles, thoughts will likely start to intrude on your practice. Gently refocus attention on the breath exercise each time you reach awareness that your focus has strayed.

Start with 5 to 10 minutes of practice, and try to work up to 20 or 30 minutes per day.

If possible, keep a simple journal, and document for yourself the results of the practice. Compare the entries after several weeks and after several months.