Meditation
Techniques and Practices
Resources
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Articles
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Information
Refer to
the resource list to the left for more
FREE
mind-body techniques including
yoga poses, breathing techniques, meditation, guided relaxation,
imagery and visualization practices.
There are for personal use only and not for duplication or
recording for others.
Guided Meditations
Inner Eye of Awareness
This guided meditation
opens
the door to your inner awareness and transports you to a place
of deep inner stillness by focusing your awareness upon the
inner pulsation that is seen behind the closed eyes. Yogis have
used this practice for thousands of years. Reprinted with permission from
Yoga
Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices for Awakening by
Julie Lusk.
Chakra Energy Flow
Meditation
This guided imagery exercise is based on the chakras and
enables your energy to flow in a natural and healthy way.
Reprinted with permission from
Yoga
Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices for Awakening by
Julie Lusk.
The Inner Eye of Awareness
©
(get a pdf)
Time:
15-20 minutes
Summary:
This meditation opens the door to your inner awareness and to a
place of deep inner stillness by focusing your awareness upon
the inner pulsation that is seen behind the closed eyes. Yogis
have used this practice for thousands of years.
Guided Meditation:
Begin with settling your
body/mind in a meditation posture that is comfortable for you.
This may be sitting upright on a firm chair, or on the floor
with or without a meditation cushion. Choose a position that
allows your spine to be upright and erect, respecting your
knees, hips, shoulders, and back.
Refine your seat by settling
more firmly onto your sitz bones…level your pelvis…circle your
shoulders up, back and down…lift your sternum…place your chin so
it’s parallel to the floor…and lift the crown of your head
gently upwards.
Place your hands either on
your lap with one had cradled into the other with your thumbs
touching or place one on each knee and touch the pads of your
thumbs to the tip of your index fingers. The hands can face up
or down.
Speaking from your heart,
quietly set an intention by saying something like “I’m going to
be still for 15 minutes focusing my consciousness. As soon as I
notice I’m thinking or distracted, I will let it go of the
distraction and return to my consciousness.”
Take a few moments to get in
touch with the sensations present in your body … ask for and
receive permission from your body to meditate.
Get in touch with your thinking mind …and your emotions … ask
for and receive permission from your mind… and emotions to
meditate.
Ask for help and grace from
your inner teacher and your connection to the divine (Jesus,
Buddha, the Divine Mother, etc.)
Follow your breath for a few minutes, or use whatever method
works best for becoming centered.
Take a moment to offer your
meditation to be of benefit to all sentient beings.
With your outer eyes closed, become aware of your
inner eyes by looking at what you see behind your eyelids
…turning your attention inward to your consciousness… simply
observe your own inner world with your inner eye so you can
become more aware of what you actually see behind your closed
eyes…
Perhaps you see a field of gray…or a mosaic of
color…something like the night sky… a ruby red…or a bluish-gray
light … The shapes and color you see doesn’t matter at all,
what’s important is to impartially watch whatever you see as you
see it.
You are looking at mind stuff; the inner
consciousness…this is the place from which all thoughts,
feelings, perceptions and sensations arise and subside. It’s the
energetic ground.
If you would like to spark your inner experience,
blink your eyes tighter, even though they are already closed and
pay attention to what you see…Another way is to rub your eyes
through your closed eyelids very softly and tenderly.
Now notice the dynamic quality of this inner
consciousness…Notice if what you see constantly shifts and
changes, forming new patterns of subtle movement …a kind of
dance of images…color…or shapes…vibrating and pulsing… expanding
and contracting… …this is your inner consciousness and it’s made
of energy… merely watch the pulsation and it’s ongoing nature.
Take as much time as you
wish to follow the patterns of the coming and going of the
designs that are a part of your inner world of awareness.
When you notice your mind
has drifted into thinking, bring your awareness back to looking
behind your eyelids.
If you would like to deepen
your experience, find a point of inner awareness that captures
your attention right now and in this moment…perhaps it’s a
darker, or maybe a brighter spot, and focus there…watching and
witnessing …and allowing it to take you inward still…and deeper.
It’s time to make the
transition back…Bring your attention back to your breath and
without changing it, follow along with your mind’s eye…following
the inhalation and exhalation and the coming and going of your
breath.
Focus your attention on the
rest of your body … shift your weight … and stretch a little
bit…and return to being still.
Open your eyes just a sliver
and then close them, returning inside for a little longer…slowly
blink your eyes open, being aware of blending the inner sight
with the outer world…Sit a bit longer and gradually open your
eyes and stretch more fully. Notice any changes that have
happened since your inward journey into the eye of
consciousness.
Author’s Note: This
practice is one I discovered on my own as a little girl. More
recently, I have returned to this form of meditation and it is
particularly effective for capturing my attention and holding me
in the moment. This rendition was inspired by Sally Kempton and
is included in her book named “The Heart of Meditation: Pathways
to a Deeper Experience” published by the SYDA Foundation in
2002. Sally shares a wealth of her vast knowledge and experience
in her book and it is one of my favorites.
Reprinted with permission from
Yoga
Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices for Awakening by
Julie Lusk.
top
Chakra Energy Flow
©
(get a pdf)
By Julie Lusk
Time: 12-15 minutes
Summary: Energy flows
like a river in this guided imagery exercise. Sitting in a
meditation posture is more effective than lying down for working
with the chakras because the physical alignment encourages and
amplifies the flow of energy.
Guided Imagery
Each of us has internal
currents of energy within that flow like rivers. This energy is
what gives us life and activates us physically, mentally,
emotionally and spiritually. It influences everything from the
concrete to the abstract. For instance, our flesh and bones are
activated into life by this energy source. It gives us
inspiration to accomplish our meaningful ambitions. Primarily,
these rivers of energy span from the base of the spine up
through the top of the head and move up and down, in and out, as
well as forward and back. Furthermore, there are many other
tributaries that extend throughout the rest of our being.
When this energy is open,
flowing and balanced, we’re able to express our full potential
and interact with the outside world. It enables us to easily
receive information, love, and resources from outside of us.
We’re also able to manifest our dreams and life purpose,
liberate our awareness and actions, and free up energy to take
action. It’s important for this energy to flow in a balanced,
continuous way. Too often however, areas of energy become overly
stimulated and excessive, or it bogs down to a trickle. It can
get blocked, leaky, or hyperactive.
The purpose of this guided
imagery is to balance these rivers and currents of energy in a
wholesome way. So, in your own manner, set an intention to
balance and align your energy flow so it serves the greater good
for yourself…others…and in the world.
So, in your own way, become
aware of a constant source of energy and power that is
plentiful…and it’s readily available to you as well as to all
others… There are many ways of experiencing the energy as it
flow and you can use your senses to experience it…perhaps you
can see it, feel it, or hear it… it may have a color, a shape or
a sound … It may possibly sparkle…it may glow… How does the
presence of energy occur to you?
Imagine tapping into this
energy supply right now. Feel it moving and flowing now.
Let’s refine and focus on
this energy more attentively by experiencing it as a fountain
that flows from below your feet… and into your legs… and into
the base of the spine… and it moves upward to the top of the
head and beyond…a constant fountain of energy that flows, and
moves and is alive…actively flowing through the core of your
body from the base to the top…imagine this energy lighting up
your awareness…increasing your freedom…and liberating you.
And now, imagine this energy
as it showers down like a waterfall. It originates above you and
pours down through the crown of the head, down throughout the
core of the body, and back to the earth…Experiencing streams of
energy running downward through you as it boosts and enlivens
your thoughts, dreams, and aspirations into reality…and clearly
imagine your dreams taking shape in the world.
So now, this energy flows
evenly and fluidly…gracefully moving up and down…up and down the
central core that spans from the top of the head to the base of
the spine and back to the crown of the head…It can even extend
from the earth, through you, and into the sky and back down
again.
Imagine and allow this
energy to continually flow…automatically…fluidly…and elegantly…
whether or not you are paying direct attention to it.
Now it’s time to experience
this flow of energy in a new way… This river of energy
influences your incoming and outgoing interactions …so hold your
attention on the whole length of your spine, from its base to
the top. …Allow a wellspring of energy to radiate constantly
through the length of your spine, …and feel it start to move in
and out…forward and back… and sideways…. … Imagine a constant,
abundant supply of energy radiating out from your core…Energy
shining out through the front…out the back…to the sides…and all
around…making it possible for you to express your self in your
life… including your work …touching your relationships…and the
world you live in …as this energy moves along the length of your
spine, radiating outward in all directions.
And now, this energy returns
to you, moving from the outside to the inside…replenishing your
energy…receiving it in its many forms…in the form of
information…thoughts…and love…being returned to you…naturally
flowing into you until it begins flowing in and out like a
dance…evenly…smoothly…and effortlessly…continuing to flow,
whether or not you are paying attention to it.
And somehow, energy currents
are flowing in all directions…up and down…in and out…in unison,
balancing and blending and harmonizing…cooling and calming down
where the energy is excessive and too strong…and activating and
energizing where the energy is too weak or blocked.
And part of you steps out of
the way so this can happen naturally…and this part of you
notices how all this happens.
This energy source is inside
you and all around you… It is constant and supportive…and it
guides you…balances you…and makes you feel whole and complete.
It’s time to reawaken to
your surroundings…Listen to the sounds (name some as they
occur)… become aware of your breath…feel the air on your skin…
feel your body, your physical presence…and when ready, stretch
and open your eyes.
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