Creating A Place To Meditate

            Children love a routine at night when they are preparing for bed.  Putting them to bed, reading them a story, singing to them; whatever the routine is that a parent may have, calms them and relaxes them.  When children go on a road trip in the car they do so much better when they have something special with them that reminds them of home; a special blanket, a cd of songs that calm them and so on.  My daughter has a special “blankie” that makes her feel safe and calm when she’s on a trip. 

            Though we are older now and more sophisticated, it is still important for us to have a routine or a ritual, especially in the case of meditation.  This is mostly because, although meditation sounds so very simple – you just learn to follow your breath and quiet your mind – it really isn’t.  What can help us is to have things around us that can help to get us into that meditative state.

            The first thing I recommend is a meditation place.  This meditative place is a place where you can go to in order to meditate each day and night.  It is the place that you will go to each time over and over.  I think when we have that ritual of going to the same place it tells our mind that “okay, it’s time to meditate.”  It isn’t important where our meditation place is, but what’s important is that it is consistent.  You can create a beautiful area with a bubbling fountain, candles, and comfortable pillows or you can choose to sit on the same old comfortable couch each time.  What matters is that you choose the same place with the same objects around you every time.  Having this same place to go to will allow your body to recognize that “Ah, this is the place where I relax, calm my body and my mind.  This is where I get into my meditative state.” 

            Another thing that can be helpful is having objects around you; it can be a picture, a candle, a flower or anything that reminds you that this is a peaceful time.  I have a table that has objects on it that represent peacefulness to me.  Some people call it an alter while others call it a table.  I love candles, perhaps you do too, so I have a candle on my table.  I love lotus flowers so I have a lotus flower on the table.  Some people love crystals and will place a crystal on their table.  I have a gem that represents my birthstone that I feel is beautiful and peaceful.  This is simply a place with the items that represent peacefulness to you and it becomes somewhat “sacred” to you as you meditate.  That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a religious spot with religious artifacts, unless that’s what you want it to be.  It doesn’t have to have a religious connotation to it.  It simply has to represent peace to you.  As time goes on, the feeling you achieve when you see this table or alter will become more and more intense and calming each time you see it. 

            Some people also use meditative music in the background and that’s fine if it works for you, as long as it doesn’t overwhelm your space and clutter your mind.  Many like to use incense, appealing to your sense of smell.  I used to meditate with a group in this one place that always had incense burning.  When I would enter the room the immediate scent of the incense calmed my body and my mind knew it was time to move into a meditative state.  That’s what you’re looking for when you design your area for meditation.  You want the area to appeal to your senses and make your body and mind recognize that this is your place to go into a meditative state.  This is your place to be calm.

            At first, I think it’s also beneficial to tell people around you that you are going to be meditating and ask them to be quiet around you while doing so.  Ask them to honor your need to have silence around you, especially as you are just beginning.  What’s most important though is, just like that child who needs and enjoys routine, you need a consistency that brings your mind and body into that meditative state.

            One other item that many people enjoy when they meditate is having a special bell to ring at the beginning and at the end of their meditation.  It really enhances your experience and makes it far more beautiful.  Many people utilize the bell as a sign to their body and mind that this is the beginning and then the end of their meditative moment.  A simple inexpensive, pleasant sounding bell is all you need for this.

            One way to experience different styles and techniques of meditating is to join a retreat.  My partner and I offer retreats that give you the opportunity to experience many of these different techniques I’ve explained thus far.  Retreats give you the opportunity to try various things before actually going out and creating your own space.  You may find that you thought music would enhance your meditation, but instead it clutters your mind as opposed to helping it empty.  You might find that incense create a sense of instant calming for you when perhaps before it was never something you would have considered.  Going on a meditative retreat is definitely one of the best ways to experience different techniques and styles to get you acquainted with the art of meditation, whether you are a beginner or have been meditating for a long time.  Sometimes, as someone who has meditated for many years you find that you’ve reached a plateau where you can’t seem to get any more relaxed or deeper than you currently have been.  Going to a retreat can open new doors to your style and technique that will bring your meditation skills to a whole new level.

            Either way, creating a calm and consistent atmosphere is a positive and necessary step in creating your path of meditation.  Remember, in order to be consistent you should meditate twice a day; once in the morning and once at night.  This twice a day mediation is the beginning of your finding a clear and peaceful mindset throughout your day.

Resource box:

Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D. is a meditation expert, international speaker and the creator of the weekly Meditation For Health Podcast, available at http://www.MeditationForHealthPodcast.com  He also creates a weekly podcast that explores the world of Enlightenment available at http://www.EnlightenmentPodcast.com   He has a weekly podcast that explores the world of Happiness at http://www.HappinessPodcast.org  He also has a blog at http://www.Meditation-Enlightenment.com  If you would like to contact Dr. Puff, his e-mail address is DrPuff@cox.net

How To Meditate Anywhere

            Where can you meditate? Do you need to have a quiet place free from all distractions and noises or can you actually meditate anywhere, anytime, any place?  Many people live in crowded cities or areas where it’s busy.  Does that mean that they can’t meditate?  Is it possible to meditate even when there’s cacophonous noise all around you?  I say it is.

            Let me share this story with you.  Many years ago I went to my wife’s high school reunion.  I didn’t know many people from her high school because I had grown up in a completely different area.  So while I didn’t know many people and she knew just about everyone, she obviously wanted to meet up and enjoy conversation with her friends.  She wanted to spend time with her friends, reconnecting.  We were in a room with a band playing and many people talking and laughing.  I was sitting there quietly and I decided to try something.  I wanted to see if I could meditate even with all this noise around me.  I could clearly hear all the noise and conversation, the music all around me.  I kept my eyes open and although I could still hear my surroundings I was able to go into a meditative state without being obvious.  I managed to meditate and relax in a meditative state while she enjoyed herself and her conversations.  Even with all that noise, all the conversations going on and people dancing I was able to meditate.  I surprised myself with this ability because up until this point I had never been in an atmosphere like this.  My life normally is rather quiet, so I’ve never really had the opportunity to try meditating in this type of atmosphere.  I have been meditating for a long time and this is definitely part of the reason for my ability to meditate so quickly and easily in this particular situation; however, my point is that if I can do it than anyone can.  If I can learn to meditate anywhere, so can you.  All it takes is practice, determination and dedication.

            Many people live in large cities, or have large families, or maybe live in a noisy house.  You ask yourself, “How do I meditate with all that noise going on all around me?” and my answer is simple; “You listen to the silence in the noise.”  In my house I have an area set aside in the middle of my house to meditate.  I never ask my family to be quiet.  If the television is on, music playing, whatever the noises around me I don’t ask them to be quiet, I just meditate.  How is that possible?  Well, the key is to listen to the silence amongst the noise.  That may sound kind of odd but let me explain.

            It’s like a room.  The room you’re in right now may have chairs, a television, and tables.  If you’re in the car there’s the steering wheel, the seats, the console.  But in both of these places while there are things around you there is also space.  The space, in many ways, can be like meditation.  Find the silence amongst all the noise.  Find the silence in the noise.  The background in which the noise is taking place is silence.  Be present with that silence.  Go there, be attentive, and be present with that silence.

            If you live in a big city you may hear cars honking outside and the people making noises as they walk by; but what about all the emptiness, all the space around you?  Go to that emptiness, that silence, and space.  It’s a lot like a bite from a mosquito.  There’s a tendency to scratch that bite because it itches, but if you scratch it then it actually gets bigger and more bothersome.  If you ignore the itch, it goes away.  In a sense you’re ignoring all that noise around you.  All the cacophonous noise that’s all around you is simply ignored.  You don’t push it away, you just in a sense acknowledge that it’s there and then get back to your breath.  Breathe deeply, breathe slowly, and when your mind goes back to the noises around you, simply go back to your breath, your mantra or your prayer word.

            Another little trick that I like is to use headphones with music or a guided meditation while you are meditating.  You listen to meditative music or guided meditations and while you may still be able to hear the noises around you, but your main focus will be on the music, on your breath or on your guided meditation.  That’s really the key.  Your mind can only focus on one thing at a time.  In one day we bounce all over the place.  We listen to a conversation, move our attention to a noise, go back to a thought, whatever the distraction may be.  Meditation is about focusing on one thing and staying there, staying focused.

            When I was at the noisy reunion that I spoke of earlier, I focused on my breath.  Even though I was still in a noisy place I could focus on my breath and tune out the noises around me.  I found the silence that the noise was created in and stayed there, concentrating on my breath.  Even though I could still sense the background noise, I was in a deep place.  You can do this too.  Wherever you are, you can make it a place to meditate.  You don’t need everything to be perfect.  Just focus on your breath, your prayer word, your mantra.  When your mind’s distracted by external noises, instead of thoughts, just get back to your breath.  If you’re in a very quiet place, your mind can be just as loud as if you were in a noisy crowd.  Don’t fight that noise, but acknowledge it and go to your breath.  Concentrate on breathing in, breathing out, slowly and deeply.

            What you will find is that no matter where you are, no matter what circumstances are occurring in your life, you can still meditate each and every day.  Remember you can meditate anywhere, anytime; just be present and at peace.

Resource box:

Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D. is a meditation expert, international speaker and the creator of the weekly Meditation For Health Podcast, available at http://www.MeditationForHealthPodcast.com  He also creates a weekly podcast that explores the world of Enlightenment available at http://www.EnlightenmentPodcast.com   If you would like to contact Dr. Puff, his e-mail address is DrPuff@cox.net 

Meditation, Awakening and Enlightenment

People from the Eastern hemisphere are probably more acquainted with the term or the word “Enlightenment.” If you’re from the Western hemisphere, you probably are acquainted with the term “Awakening”.  So what is “Awakening” or “Enlightenment”?  In the Western tradition Abraham Maslow was really the pioneer in studying these wonderful experiences of “Awakening”.  He called them “Peak Experiences.”  They really are magical, wonderful, enlightened experiences of truly being present in the moment.  Being present in the moment and alive; being so present that you feel and sense everything around you and everything inside of you.  It was a very magical, beautiful experience he found as he researched it many years ago. 

            In more of the Eastern traditions they use the word “Enlightenment,” very similar to what we call “awakening” in the West.  It entails loosing the egoic and being present with right now.  Buddha is quoted to have said “There is no self.”  I think what he meant is that we are so in touch with all that is around us that we loose the egoic identity of “me” and “mine.”  There’s a greater love and we’re more in touch with other people than we are with ourselves.  Sometimes, when people do drugs this experience of “me” and “mine” occurs.  I definitely don’t advocate this method as a way of moving into an awakening.  We all know that drugs are not a solution to finding ourselves but will only put us on a path to self-destruction.  Meditation is a safe and much more effective way of experiencing this form of awakening.

            There truly are many different definitions of enlightenment or awakening.  I could go on and on about what it means or what it doesn’t mean.  In the Western tradition the term “via nakeva” is described as “it isn’t what you think it is.”  It means that it isn’t anything that you think it is.  In the East they often use the term “neti-neti” which means “not this, not that.”  So enlightenment is really beyond description.  It fascinates us, we pursue it, and some people even enter monasteries to experience it.  Some people enter retreat centers and programs to find “enlightenment” or “awakening.”  There is a lot of energy around the world going into finding an awakening or enlightenment. 

            I too hold to the tradition that true awakening and enlightenment truly cannot be fully described.  It is beyond words, beyond description.  What I can do is give you some practical, hand-on tools so that you too can have these wonderful experiences on your own.  Perhaps the best way that I can describe it is that enlightened, awakened people are very quiet.  I don’t mean that they don’t talk; what they do is they stay “still inside.”  They allow their mind to be quiet, to be at rest, and to be present with what is.  I often use the example of children.  Children are often perfect examples of enlightened beings because they are really 100% present with what is, right here, right now.  They don’t worry about the past or the future.  They concentrate on that moment that they are living in. 

            If you’re interested on having your own enlightenment experience I encourage you to be still.  Be quiet, quiet the mind.  What you will find is that in that vacuum, in that huge emptiness of nothingness, it is actually filled beyond description.  Let me give you an example.  If you have ever been in a cave, as I have been when I’ve been spelunking, when you turn off all he lights it becomes pitch black.  It is still, with no talking, yet what you will find is that is still but so amazingly full that emptiness can be.  That silence is amazing.  I encourage you to find this emptiness, this quietness, and be present with what is.  Don’t think about it, don’t put words to the moment, don’t describe it, just be in that quietness.  It isn’t beautiful, it isn’t ugly, it isn’t exquisite, it just “IS.”  Lose all the adverbs, all the adjectives and just be.  Be still.

            If you practice this experience of being still, in this quietness, that is what I am going to call “Dr. Puff’s Awakening or Enlightenment Experience or Life.”  When you are truly still you are awakened to the vast infinite reality around you that your normally very busy mind is keeping you from.  Be still and quiet.

            In the Christian and Jewish Bible there is a beautiful verse that I really love that says, “Be still and know that I am God.”  I think the key there is to just be still and the whole vast cosmos opens to you.  The wonderful thing is that you can experience this on your own.  All you have to do is work towards quieting your mind.  I know it’s work, but it is so worth it to reach the point where you can truly quiet your mind.  Keep practicing and working on it. 

            I think one of the best ways of achieving this is to go on a retreat but if this is not possible keep using the techniques I teach you here or the podcasts on my website to work towards that moment when you become enlightened.  Eventually you will find that you can find that place in your mind where you are still, quiet, and even “awakened” or “enlightened” on your own.  Work towards this and keep meditating.  You will begin to have perhaps “mini enlightenment” experiences that will get bigger and grow.  Perhaps some day you will enter a world where throughout the day you are truly present and still.  You will be still and enlightened with the vast and wonderful cosmos that used to be cluttered with your thoughts throughout the day. 

Resource box:

Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D. is a meditation expert, international speaker and the creator of the weekly Meditation For Health Podcast, available at http://www.MeditationForHealthPodcast.com  He also creates a weekly podcast that explores the world of Enlightenment available at http://www.EnlightenmentPodcast.com   If you would like to contact Dr. Puff, his e-mail address is DrPuff@cox.net

Meditation and Earnestness

Perhaps the most important concept or discipline I can teach you is “Earnestness”.  When I was younger, while I had been introduced to mediation, I wasn’t earnest in practicing it until later in life when I realized how mediation so closely related to my own growth as a person.  For me, it was a process in learning how important meditation was to my life and my growth in life.  I had to first realize that meditation was a good experience.  I enjoyed it but, until I learned about how meditation was a basis for growth, I wasn’t earnest about it.  Once I learned about how effective it was not only in my own growth as a person but also as a whole, I became passionate and more earnest in practicing it regularly.  It has become a firm and solid foundation on which my daily life is built.

            The side benefit I got from this earnestness was what the East describes as an “awakening”; the sense of being peaceful throughout the day even when I’m not meditating.  You too may find this to happen once you learn to live 100% present in the moment when you approach meditation with earnestness. 

            Earnestness is truly the key to developing a practice that will work for you, as it has worked for me.  If you haven’t found that key to whatever you are looking for, whether it’s happiness, growth, spirituality, awakening or whatever you call it – once you find that meditation is something that you want to do and make it a priority, I truly believe you will find that key.  You will have to let other things go and make meditation a major part of who you really are; you will have to approach it with earnest and passion.  When you approach mediation with earnestness, only then will you get the full benefits of it.  You will develop a sense of “all is well”. 

            If you really want to develop and experience the wonderful, infinite benefits of meditation you have to be serious about it.  You have to develop a sense of earnestness.  You have to make the decision that meditation is going to be a central part of who and what you are.  This may mean that you forego something else in your life to make time for your meditation.  It may mean that sometimes, even when you’re tired, you still take 20 minutes to a half an hour to meditate.  You will make it a big part of who you are, a big part of your life, and you will receive the affects of mediation and all it has to offer.

            So the two keys of earnestness are first, believing in meditation and its affects and second to make it an important part of your life.  I really think I can guarantee that once you do this you will love the benefits of making meditation a very large part of your life.

Resource box:

Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D. is a meditation expert, international speaker and the creator of the weekly Meditation For Health Podcast, available at http://www.MeditationForHealthPodcast.com  He also creates a weekly podcast that explores the world of Enlightenment available at http://www.EnlightenmentPodcast.com   If you would like to contact Dr. Puff, his e-mail address is DrPuff@cox.net 

Morning Meditation: A Peaceful Way to Start our Day

            Morning meditation is such a key part to our day.  I want to look at it together and explore how we can make it a wonderful, transforming experience so that our day can go well each and every day. 

            When we first wake up in the morning, we have echoes of the previous night; echoes of our dreams that often resonate with us when we first wake up.  If you’ve had a restful, peaceful night of sleep because you mediated the night before, then you will probably wake up rested and peaceful.  If you went to bed stressed, worried and your dreams reflected that experience, then  you will probably wake up not very rested and beginning the day with worries and fears. 

            What can really be helpful is to change your morning experience into something positive, healthy and into something that can help you throughout the day.  Here are some steps that I recommend you implement every morning so that you can have a beautiful morning with a beautiful experience each and every day.  Of course you may not be able to do them right away or you may choose to make some changes and work towards having a beautiful, wonderful morning every day.  It takes time and effort to implement these changes and many of us are very, very busy.  It’s up to you how you approach it, but either way you will benefit from beginning your day in a more positive way by implementing these techniques.

            First let me talk about what you can do to start your day off right.  The first thing you will want to do is wake up in a gentle, calm way.  I am very anti-alarm clock.  The phrase itself portrays “stress”; alarm clock – waking you up with alarm.  Instead, I recommend you set your wake up clock to beautiful gentle music.  Have it play gentle, spa-like music.  Your MP3 player, iPod or such are great for this.

            Next you will want to wake up and drink a glass of water immediately.  You’ve been dehydrated all night long and need to replenish your system with either cool or warm water, whichever is your preference.  Be sure to drink water and not other substances such as a morning cup of coffee or orange juice, etc. as the water is what your body truly needs. 

            After you’ve had your water I highly suggest you grab an inspirational book you can read.  Even if it’s just a few sentences or paragraphs you can read to set your mind on something good, calm and peaceful.  Your thoughts and mind can now think about calming, peaceful and positive thoughts instead of the negative thoughts you may have woken up with. 

            Next I recommend doing a little yoga or stretching so that you can prepare your body for your meditation.  After your stretching or yoga, you can begin your morning meditation.  Find a quiet, peaceful place to meditate.  Work towards meditating about 30 minutes or more every day but you can start off with just a few minutes; perhaps five or ten minutes to begin with.  You need to sit quietly, comfortably and perhaps at first use a guided meditation.  You may also want to use a mantra or prayer word to help guide you.  As you breathe in you say “I am”; breathe out and say “peaceful”.  You say this in your head each time as you breathe in and out calmly in a relaxing manner.  It really is a beautiful way to start your day on a positive note.

            As you’ve had more experience meditating you can follow your breath.  As thoughts creep in, acknowledge them but release them and go back to concentrating your breathing again.  This is what is called “Breath Meditation” and it truly is one of the most powerful ways to start your day.  You present yourself to God and the Universe in a still, quiet, receptive mode and it is a beautiful way to start your day.

            To finish off your beautiful beginning to the day I suggest you take a moment to connect yourself with the beautiful world around you.  Go to your yard or someplace outside and soak in a little bit of the nature around you.  If you live in a large, busy city you can even create something inside your own house that allows you to breathe in and soak in the beauty of nature.  A few ideas are to use something as easy as a small bubbling fountain with a plant or two, placed next to a window that allows the morning sun to come in at you as you relax.  It can be anything that allows you to connect yourself to the beauty of nature. 

            Then it’s time to go to your breakfast table.  Take the time to sit and enjoy something “live”, unprocessed.  Perhaps a piece of fruit, an apple, an orange or something healthy that will start your day off in a positive, healthy way.  Try to stay away from processed foods, instead enjoying what nature has provided us to nourish our bodies.  Infuse your body with vitamins and enzymes that are alive and nourishing.

            Finally, perhaps as you sit down in your car to begin your journey into the day, take one last moment to pause and just thank the world for the beautiful day before you.  Be thankful that you can be in this beautiful world, present and participating in it peacefully throughout the day.  So as your busy day gets started, if you need to you can come back to how your day began and allow that peaceful start permeate throughout your day.  Starting with a peaceful, calm, relaxing morning will make a world of difference in how you see the rest of your day, no matter how hectic it can become.  You will always have that peaceful beginning to look back on.

Resource box:

Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D. is a meditation expert, international speaker and the creator of the weekly Meditation For Health Podcast, available at http://www.MeditationForHealthPodcast.com  He also creates a weekly podcast that explores the world of Enlightenment available at http://www.EnlightenmentPodcast.com   If you would like to contact Dr. Puff, his e-mail address is DrPuff@cox.net 

Living a Meditative Life

          Meditation is a wonderful experience, but so often so many people out there stop meditating and their mind goes back to being extremely busy, active and non-attentive.  They leave the meditative state of mind to go back to the every day world.  I like to encourage people to truly keep their self in a present awareness all day long.  This is actually the premise of the retreats I offer on a regular basis, focusing on a full day of living a meditative life.

            Living a meditative life is different than just simply meditating.  Many people who meditate often live different lives.  They have their meditation and then they have their life.  They have deep and wonderful, very present awareness experiences in meditation but the second they stop meditating they let their thoughts, their feelings and their egoic mind take over.  They go back to living a very hectic, crazy life.  You don’t have to live this way.  You can practice meditation throughout the day in a variety of ways.  The key, the foundation of it all, is to be 100% present in whatever you are doing.  If you are eating, just be present with eating.  If you are walking, be present only with your walk.  If you’re smelling a flower, just be 100% present with that flower.  If you’re listening to music, be 100% present with that music.  If you’re with a friend, be 100% present and attentive with your friend.

            Most of us lead our lives, all day long with our minds jumping all over the place.  We hear commentary in our heads; “like”, “don’t like”, “want”, “don’t want”, “I wonder if…” and it goes on and on.  All day long it’s like having a little person on your shoulder whispering in your ear.  By the end of the day, we are exhausted from all that mind clutter.  For most people the only time they get away from this constant mind clutter is by going to sleep.  For those who meditate however, we can learn to quiet our mind during the day when we are awake.  That is the beauty of meditation.  What if you could keep that state of meditation throughout the day?

            It is possible to keep that state of meditation going all day long!  The key is to truly be present with one thing at a time, without all the mental commentary.  Of course we need some commentary to help us make decisions and learn new things but overall most of what we do can be done very spontaneously.  In one of my books I call it “being in the zone”, where you really learn to just trust and go with your natural instincts.  You will find that when you do this, things flow very well.

            It’s much like someone who’s playing sports.  Once a person learns how to do something and do it well, when they get their mind out of the game and they simply trust and flow with their instincts they do it very well.  They’re present with nothing but the current moment and doing what comes naturally in playing the game.  Many athletes will even use the term that they are “in the zone”.  It’s the same way with every day life.  When you just trust and flow with what you are supposed to do then what you need to do will just come out of you and happen.  When you need to make decisions you can ponder them but mostly you just flow with life, being present with life and quieting the mind.  Quiet the mind in such a way that you can just flow with life, be with life, live life; ultimately, just being.

            I’d like to share a technique that can be very helpful in being in the present moment throughout the day.  This technique comes from your meditation practice.  When you meditate, let’s say you’re just focusing on your breath – a breath meditation.  When your mind wanders you simply go back to your breath.  When your mind wanders you witness the thoughts, acknowledge them and then go back to your breath.  Let me give you an example.

            Say you are talking with someone and your mind wanders.  Don’t try to suppress your mind from wandering, but acknowledge it and just go back to being with them.  Perhaps you’re watching the sunset and your mind wanders to different thoughts.  You recognize that your mind has wandered but you bring it back to that moment of just watching the sunset, being one with the sunset.  Another example would be that perhaps you are going for a walk.  You enjoy your surroundings, look around but suddenly your mind wanders to perhaps how hot it is or what you have to do tomorrow.  Recognize that your mind has wandered and bring it back to focus on just the walk and the things around you.  You don’t try to suppress your thoughts but you witness them, acknowledge them, but then bring your mind back to one thing, the walk.  Be present with the day, with the moment you are in and experience the here and now.

            I believe that if you can find a way to apply the principles of living a meditative life you will find you are living a much happier life.  You will learn how to live in the now, concentrating on one thing at a time and not cluttering your mind with continuous thoughts.  You will learn how to acknowledge your thoughts but then quickly re-focus your mind again on what you are doing.  It’s almost like going into an automatic pilot mode in life. 

Resource box:

Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D. is a meditation expert, international speaker and the creator of the weekly Meditation For Health Podcast, available at http://www.MeditationForHealthPodcast.com  He also creates a weekly podcast that explores the world of Enlightenment available at http://www.EnlightenmentPodcast.com   If you would like to contact Dr. Puff, his e-mail address is DrPuff@cox.net

Meditation and Fear: How to Find Relief from Our Fears

            What are fears?  Fears are something that we have created in our mind after, usually, having a negative experience.  I say “usually” because fears cannot only come from our own experiences but also from those of others also.  A lot of people have different fears.  The main ingredient of fears is that they are created in our minds, reinforced in our minds and sustained in our minds.

            Outside of the fear of heights, which is an innate response and a “natural” fear that has been scientifically proven to be apparent in some very young children, all the rest of our fears are created in our mind.  We have a negative event and we reinforce it through thinking about, fearing and analyzing the negative impact of our fears.  Thus mediation can be extremely beneficial in helping us conquer or deal with our fears; as meditation is all about quieting the mind, getting the mind peaceful and still.

            I’d like to share two techniques to use in order to help you deal with your fears.  As an example I’m going to use the fear of snakes, as a lot of people have this fear.  Let’s say you’re afraid of snakes.  If you are put in a position of being placed in a moment that you have to deal with this fear; perhaps you walk into a room with snakes in it or you see a television program with snakes on it. 

            The simplest thing to do is to pause for a moment, breathe as deeply as you can, hold it and breathe out.  The key here is to recognize the fear and that the fear is real; however, you are going to address it by breathing deeply in as long and hard as you can.  Hold it for as long as you can.  Breathe out slowly and deeply.  As that fear is there keep breathing, taking your thoughts off the snake and concentrating on your breath.  The key here is that you are re-focusing your mind on your breath.  This technique can be used in most any instance when you’re feeling fearful.  Because you are holding your breath you’re not thinking about what’s causing the fear, but instead concentrating on your breath.  While you are not in a true state of meditation you have focused on your breath, removing your mind from the fear.

            Now let’s apply this to your mediation practice.  You’re following your breath, focusing on your breath.  Unlike the technique above, you are not holding your breath but breathing slowly in and out.  You may want to choose a mantra to think in your mind such as “I AM” as you breathe in and the word “PEACEFUL” as you breath out.  You say these words in your mind as you breathe.  Now that you have gotten into your relaxing meditative state, what you are going to do is focus on that which you are afraid of.  Remain in this meditative state and focus on your fear; again, we will use the fear of snakes as an example again.  Focus on snakes, just think about them.  You will find your body tensing and becoming fearful again.  Keep breathing slowly and deeply.  You will find the anxiety building up again.  As you feel the anxiety building up, take your mind off the snake and begin to focus on the breathing again.  You will feel your body relax.  As it does and you become relaxed again, think about your fear again.  Imagine yourself being in the same room with your fear and think about it.  As you feel the anxiety take over again, go back to breathing and saying your mantra.  Repeat it over and over.

            After a series of regular practices you will find that you will have a great relief of the stress caused by your fear.  Some fears take longer than others and it depends upon the strength of the fear but don’t be easily disheartened, it takes time.  As always, take the time to regularly meditate and begin to focus on those things which worry you and make you fearful.  Remember to bring yourself back to your breathing when the anxiety begins and eventually you should find relief from your fear.

Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D. is a meditation expert, international speaker and the creator of the weekly Meditation For Health Podcast, available at http://www.MeditationForHealthPodcast.com  He also creates a weekly podcast that explores the world of Enlightenment available at http://www.EnlightenmentPodcast.com   If you would like to contact Dr. Puff, his e-mail address is DrPuff@cox.net