Why Meditate ?

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Why Meditate?
by Derek Ayre

The best place to begin when faced with a question like Why Meditate? is to take a closer look at what the mind is. The mind is a continuity of thoughts that present themselves in a linear arrangement in both our waking hours and when we are asleep (in the form of dreams). Our thoughts cause a reaction in our nervous systems that is known as stress. Some stress is necessary for our day-to-day functioning and some of it is unnecessary and can even harm us. Research has shown that it is the harmful stress that meditation can address and reduce by helping us to transcend the whims and worries of our minds.

Personally, I practice zazen - a form of Zen meditation whose aim it is to empty the mind of all thoughts - although many Zen practitioners would say that zazen is not meditation at all, but more of a process. It is very easy to describe how to do zazen, but takes commitment to make it work effectively.

The practitioner needs to sit in an upright position (laying down may induce sleep or day-dreaming), and focus on following the breath that enters and leaves the body to the exclusion of all other thoughts. If thoughts enter the mind, the sitter needs to reject them and bring his/her attention back to the breaths with renewed vigour.

As sitting for a long time may cause discomfort and circulatory problems, meditators are instructed to stand and walk around at certain periods, remaining focused on the breaths. This should take place every twenty-five minutes or so, and awareness should then also be focused on the movement of the legs, pressure on the soles of the feet etc. again to the exclusion of all irrelevant thoughts.

Beginners, who find themselves almost incapable of holding their attention on just the breaths, should start their practice by counting each inhalation and exhalation from one to ten, then returning to one again and starting all over again. That is, focusing on one, whilst inhaling, two, exhaling, three, inhaling again, and so on.

But, to go back to the question, why do all this? Meditators the world over have been found to suffer very little stress and anxiety, can transcend pain of any sort, can rejuvenate themselves easier after exertion, can deal with sleep problems, fatigue, deal with problems like weight loss, smoking cessation, gain confidence in communication with others, motivation in career and study and much else that is exacerbated by day to day life. And many who master the techniques, find improvement in concentration and all sorts of mental abilities.

If I was asked to put it all in a nutshell, I would say that there are three main functions to meditation.

To become clear of one's aims and intentions in life
To find 20 minutes each day (twice a day if possible) to devote to the practice
Communication to clear any up any problems and to remain committed to the process of daily meditation this can be carried out by e-mail, phone or (if local) booking a one-to-one appointment.

For detailed instructions on zazen (Zen Meditation) click here.

Many of my clients have found huge benefits from exercising a little discipline each day and practising meditation - some have started by using a MP3 (cassette or CD) I have prepared for them (further details).

Although I have made specific meditation tapes (e.g. targetting weight control), I have found that just practising the standard meditation (MP3 download can assist) as outlined above, and holding in one's mind an image of what is wanted and needed in life for a short time at the end of the meditation session, is all that is required.

Thanks for reading,

Derek Ayre

Questions? I encourage you to Email me [My Blog]

FAQ:

Q: I try to control and focus my mind, but it seems impossible. Am I doing meditation right?

A: When we first take up meditation, and for quite some time afterwards (varies from person to person), we face mental challenges that consist mostly of intruding trivial thoughts and quite often a strong sense of impatience, that can border on anxiety.

If you think carefully about this, you may see that your mind has been conditioned, through the learning process, to "compete". Compete for happiness, more money, better relationship etc.. In a nutshell, to win at what you undertake. This attitude is the result of your entire life's conditioning and now the mind does not want to look at what is, but wants to aspire to what isn't and try to manifest it. Once it is manifest (meaning once your goal is achieved), in no time at all, there is another goal taking its place. As time goes by, it is little wonder that we begin to feel that we compete with everything and become impatient or anxious at any attempt to discipline the mind and hold it in the moment of now.

As we sit in our meditation, "ambition" creeps in and tempts us away from complete focus with thoughts about what is to come in 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 days, or 5 years. These thought may or may not produce a state of anxiety as they swing from the positive to the negative. This is our karma. Roshi Philip Kapleau delves deeper into these barriers (known in Zen as "makyo") in his book The Three Pillars of Zen (links below).

MP3 download: Meditation Assistance.

Further Reading relating to Zen...
Books in the united Kingdom

Meditation Bookstore (UK)

The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice and Enlightenment

Zen: Dawn in the West
Books in the United States

Meditation Bookstore (USA)

The Three Pillars of Zen

Zen: Dawn in the West Good Health and Vitality Through Essential Breath Work

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For detailed instructions on
zazen (Zen Meditation)
click here.