Meditation - A Matter of Distinction

Most people would say that we establish reality with our mind, but to me nothing could be further from the truth. It is not reality we establish, as through the imagination, the mind can distort memories or opinions through it’s belief-system, usually based on our personal preference. We often resist what is right in front of our noses if it is in any way unpleasant or counter to our belief system. But don’t take my word for it - experience it for yourself by reading this without judgement lest it become merely another belief.

Our reality comes from our direct experiences and if we are to define experience, it is about what we can feel in the here and now, and we don’t feel anything without our body. This is why true meditation is directed to some physical aspect of our being such as for example, our breathing.

As we focus on our breathing, we may become aware of lots of other sensations coming from our body vying for our attention. A tightness here, an ache there, a feeling of pressure somewhere else.

In meditation, this is where a paradox occurs. The more we try to get away from these experiences, the more they compete for our attention.

These experiences can be valuable in helping us to understand our personalities and how we have created them. So therefore, if we are not trying to focus on just our breathing, they would probably not arise. It is in this way that we create the paradox. Focus on our breathing to the exclusion of all else is bound to bring about the resistance from our mind. It is through this struggle that we learn about our true nature. It is all about a matter of trust. Trusting in the process of self-discovery through meditation.

Further reading…
Full Catastrophe Living: How to Cope with Stress, Pain and Illness Using Mindfulness Meditation(quite a title there!) is a true breakthrough in the art of behavioural therapy and self control. This book has sold over 400,000 copies worldwide. It ia an excellent beginner's guide to meditation and as guide for a mind/body movement is has transformed Western medicine.

This practical, step-by-step meditation guide is based on an eight-week programme called mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) created by stress-relief and meditation expert Jon Kabat-Zinn at the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Boston.

Jon Kabat-Zinn also explains: What stress is - and why we do actually need it. How to handle potentially stressful situations. How to use mindfulness meditation to help you: relieve physical and emotional pain, reduce anxiety and panic, help improve your health and your relationships, and much more. (USA Link)

Thanks of reading.
Derek Ayre
http://www.ayrehypnotherapy.com

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