About Meditation
What is meditation?
In general meditation is a method for familiarising ourselves with virtuous or positive states of mind that cause us to experience inner peace. One of the simplest meditations involves concentrating on the sensations of the breath around the nostrils which can help us experience inner calm and contentment. There are many other meditations however that involve cultivating and concentrating on specific virtuous states of minds and feelings such as love and compassion. Over time such meditations have the power to transform our normally negative and dissatisfied state of mind into a more positive and peaceful state.
What are the benefits of meditation?
A regular meditation practice has the power to quickly transform our daily experiences. The principle benefits include:
A greater sense of inner peace and well-being
Stronger positive states of mind
Freedom from stress, anxiety and anger
Heightened awareness and concentration
Better relationships
Healing physical and mental illnesses
So much of the stress and tension we normally experience comes from our mind, and many of the problems we experience, including ill health, are caused or aggravated by this stress.
Just by doing breathing meditation for ten or fifteen minutes each day, we will be able to reduce this stress. We will experience a calm, spacious feeling in our mind, and many of our usual problems will fall away. Difficult situations will become easier to deal with, we will naturally feel warm and well disposed towards other people, and our relationships with others will gradually improve.
Meditation reduces stress and helps you
develop as a person
More and more people are finding that regular meditation helps them not only reduce stress and cope more constructively with difficulties, but also helps them develop their innate good qualities such as love, patience and wisdom. Meditation is not selfish - as our mind becomes more positive we naturally feel warm and well disposed towards others and so act in kind and considerate ways towards them.
Can anyone learn?
Everyone can learn and benefit from meditation. You don’t need an excessive amount of time to start with; just 10-15 minutes every day will help to improve your life and well-being. It is important to remember meditation is not always done sitting down. Meditation can and should be practised all day. Integrating meditation into all our daily activities is the best way to experience the benefits.
Most meditation on offer today derives from the Buddhist tradition. The meditations taught at our centre are all original Buddhist meditations, but you do not need to be a Buddhist to come along and practise them. Buddhists respect all people and are happy to help anyone regardless of whether they subscribe to another faith, or even none.
Meditation needs to become a life-long good habit, every bit as much as physical exercise or healthy eating, the difference being that meditation becomes easier and takes us naturally to a completely new space in our life, as we start to uncover the hidden potential of our mind.
Where do I go from here?
Meditation Classes
We believe the best way to learn is to attend a meditation class where you are guided by qualified teachers and there is opportunity for discussion and questions. We hold friendly and informal classes throughout the North East so contact us for details of your nearest class.
Recommended reading
Two excellent books suitable for beginners are ‘The New Meditation Handbook’ and Transform Your Life’ – both books written by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
Audio guided meditations
Meditation for Relaxation is an audio CD with simple meditations anyone can practise to relax the body and mind. Also available as an MP3 download from www.tharpa.co.uk
