Meditation

What is Meditation?

In the beginning it is learning to watch the thousands of thoughts and emotions and not get pulled into them. That is where self-inquiry starts, where you become aware of being a witness of your own thoughts and feelings, and also of the gaps in between. By jumping into these gaps it becomes easier to enter into a silent and peacefull place within.

Various forms have been developed through the ages. A one-pointed-meditation is a concentration on a single point. You can achieve this in various ways. Following your breathing is one of the most powerful manners that can lead you to inner silence. In this situation the body awareness disappears, there is no I- identification, your BEING is not separate of the whole. It is for that experience that we practise meditation. During the retreat we will approach meditation in several ways. On five consecutive days there will be the opportunity of taking part in an hour of meditation. You can consider it as a discovery-trip to your inner strength, your true nature.

By connecting to the experience of being a witness, you become aware of your True self - pure awareness, both in and beyond body and mind. Meditation can then also be called a state of “no-mind” or “beyond mind”. In some forms of meditation there is an open focus on what arises in the mind, and in others you help your mind by keeping the focus on a particular object; image, thought, action or process (such as the breath or repetition of mantra or humming to help induce a meditative state). By training in meditation, we create an inner space and clarity that enables us to control our mind, regardless of the external circumstances. Slowly leaving our emotions and concepts behind of what we think we are or should be, and start being who we truly are. The noise in our heads and the turmoil in our hearts slowly get more quiet and we start to access the peace and quiet within. In each one of us there exists a place of balanced awareness. Meditation can help access this place within us.

Different spiritual traditions suggest different physical postures for meditation, mostly sitting, but also while walking and dancing or doing yoga, tai chi or simple repetitive tasks, one can meditate. In most meditative traditions, the eyes are closed. In some schools such as Zen, the eyes are half-closed, half open and looking slightly downward. Others use candle gazing or navel staring.

With the hectic pace and demands of modern life, many people feel stressed and over-worked. We are often so busy we feel there is no time to stop and meditate! But meditation actually gives you more time by making your mind calmer and more focused. And through out the day you can reconnect to that experience. By training in meditation, we create an inner space and clarity that enables us to control our mind regardless of the external circumstances, letting go of outward attachments, and affirming divine freedom within. Then our whole life becomes like a meditation and we will come to experience a permanent inner peace, known as “liberation” or “nirvana”.

The gift of learning to meditate is the greatest gift you can give yourself in this life. For it is only through meditation that you can undertake the journey to discover your true nature.