~by Ruth West
April brings Spring, and Spring is a good time for new beginnings. What a great time to birth a meditation practice! Meditation can be simple, and it’s free. You can get many free guided meditations on the Web in the form of audio, video, or scripts.
There are as many meditations as you can think of. Some just require paying attention to your breathing. Others require mantras (a special sound or word of your choice), mudras (special hand positions), chanting, humming, emptying your mind (harder than you think, but easy with practice), concentration (like focusing on a favorite spot), or listening to something soothing.
Pick a peaceful place and sit up straight. For those who cannot sit on the floor, you can sit in a comfortable chair. You can make a simple “Nature altar” – a place to focus your attention - with a favorite object, photo, flower, candle, incense stick, or you can just sit outside with Mother Earth. You can ask for guidance with a particular issue, ask for peace, or ask for healing. You can connect with Nature, Source, or yourself – whatever you feel is most appropriate for your belief system.
There are many articles and e-books on the Web for guidance to starting a practice. The most important things to remember are - to pick what is important to you – and - to Practice it EVERY day. It can be short and sweet so there are NO excuses!
My favorite guide is “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Meditation” which you can pick up at any library or bookstore, because it has such a wide variety of ideas and information, plus quizzes and worksheets in one handy place, and it makes starting a practice from scratch so simple and easy to understand.
The MOST important thing is a little catch phrase from Nike – just DO it!
With my wishes for your success
~ Crone