MEDITATION
F
or these
changes to take
place, much
depends on
how much time one
devotes to the practice.
To meditate once a week
is more beneficial than
not at all, and it will still
influence your mind in a
positive way. Meditate
every second day, and
you will reap certain and
profound benefits. If you
meditate every day, it is
likely that it will alter
your life in ways that are
both obvious and subtle
at the same time, on all
levels: body, mind and
spirit.
The difficulty with
maintaining consistency
is that there are many
distractions. Most people
are caught-up in a
whirlwind of daily
activities, and it is
difficult for them to sit
and quiet themselves for
even a short period.
Imagine the implications
of the fact that most of
us cannot sit peacefully
with ourselves for even
15 minutes a day! We
spend so much time
looking after our
physical needs,
exercising our mind, and
sleeping what about a
few minutes for uplifting
the soul?
How long should one sit
for? That depends on the
person. A ten or fifteen
minute meditation will
42 www.yogicherald.com Jan./Feb. 2019
work wonders for frayed
nerves and calm the
mind. After thirty
minutes, the mind will
start to leave the worldly
plane, and the person
will begin to transcend
the cares of the day.
Perhaps after one hour
blessedness will envelop
them, a feeling of
tranquility or peace. Of
course, the time frames
and experiences will
vary depending on the
state of mind one brings
into the meditation
itself. The longer you
have been practicing
meditation the easier it
is to get into a
transcendent state.
I would say that even if
you close your eyes and
meditate for five
minutes a day,
something will happen
by way of mental
relaxation. Actually, you
will probably want to
repeat the feeling of ease
you experience, and will
likely begin to prolong
your sittings. You can sit