Meditation Tips

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The Bliss of a Vacation from the Internet

MedGalWalkingRecently I was on vacation, and with the exception of a few email checks, I also took a vacation from the Internet. Though I have done this many times before, I was still amazed at the blissfulness of the mind without the energetic push and pull of the Internet. The mind is so much more quiet and unconcerned with the goings-on of the world when released from the tyranny of the Internet :–). I highly recommend you give yourself a vacation from the Internet the next time you go on vacation.

Sara is the author of the new book How to Be Happy NOW…Even if Things Aren’t Going Your Way available on Amazon, Amazon UK and Amazon DE © 2013 Sara Weston.

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Free Book Excerpt

Download a FREE excerpt of the new book How to Be Happy NOW…Even If Things Aren’t Going Your Way! To download, right click on the book cover image below, and select “Save Link As…” or “Download Linked File As…”. A dialogue box will open. Select the location where you want to save the book, then click “Save”.

For iPad or iPhone, touch the book cover image below to open the eBook. A new window will open with the eBook in it. Touch the screen and an “Open in iBooks” buttons will appear. Touch the “Open in iBooks” button and the file will open in iBooks and be saved there.

How to Be Happy NOW excerpt

Text, photographs and illustrations copyright © 2013 Sara Weston

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You Are Not Your Mind

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Your mind is an amazing and essential tool, but it is not who you truly are. All the thoughts and ideas that run through our minds feel very close, like “us,” so it can certainly feel like our minds define who we are—but if you put your mind on “Pause” for a moment and stop your thoughts, you will find that there is still a presence there. You find that you are still there even when your mind is not thinking.

What is that presence that is still there when the mind is gone? I can tell you that it is your true self, the light and consciousness that make up everything and everyone. But it’s not very transformative to read that. What’s powerful is to experience that eternality for yourself! What’s transformative is to start meditating and slowing down the mind so you can find out for yourself that who you truly are is beyond the mind and the body, is eternal and is good.

Everyone at their core is made of this light. Both the best person and the worst person have this light at their core. What this means for you is that this light is inside you and available to you all the time, but you have to slow down your mind to be able to see it. So, yes again, meditate!

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Anyone can meditate

MedGal-soloWhen you meditate, you go into the light that is inside of you. That light is inside of everyone and everything, and it cannot be owned by any culture, country, religion, lineage or gender. Anyone can slow their mind down and experience that light.  It doesn’t matter if you’re fat or skinny, young or old, mediocre or extraordinary, a gal or a guy—anyone can meditate!

© 2013 Sara Weston. Sara is the author of How to Be Happy NOW…Even if Things Aren’t Going Your Way available on Amazon and Amazon UK.

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Best Times to Meditate

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In the morning, meditate shortly after you wake up. It’s easier to meditate when you feel awake and alert, so take a shower (or at least wash your hands and face) and have a cup of coffee, tea or juice if you need that. A few bites of food are fine, but avoid eating a meal because a full stomach makes meditating more difficult. You will also have an easier time quieting your mind if you meditate before you engage your mind in the things that start it spinning, such as email, TV, Internet, phone calls or other conversations.

In the evening, you can meditate at sunset, when you get home, or before you go to bed. The sunset meditation is especially nice, when you can make it. Again, shower or wash your hands and face before you sit down.

Meditation tip excerpted from the new book How to Be Happy NOW…Even if Things Aren’t Going Your Way. © 2013 Sara Weston

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Don’t judge your meditation

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It’s important to not judge your meditation. The only bad meditation is the one you don’t do! The truth is even when you have meditations that don’t feel as “good” or “powerful” as others, the light is still transforming you. It’s still working, even if it doesn’t feel like a good meditation to you.

>> To help support the 21-day meditation challenge that Oprah and Deepak Chopra are sponsoring, I’m posting meditation tips from my new book How to Be Happy NOW…Even if Things Aren’t Going Your Way.

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Meditate Correctly

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When you begin meditating, the most important thing is to establish a daily practice – you need to focus on just showing up and doing it!  Once you are meditating on a regular basis, then the focus shifts to meditating correctly.

If you just space out and let your mind wander, you won’t experience the benefits of meditation. In order to meditate correctly, it’s important to not think about other people or talk to other people in your mind. Don’t work on your to-do list or ruminate on projects at work or school. Instead, when you notice you are thinking, simply bring your focus back to the area of focus (chakra, breath, mantra or yantra). Don’t fight the thought or get frustrated that you are thinking, again, be patient with yourself and just return your mind to the area of focus.

Also keep in mind that a shorter, completely focused meditation is more effective than a longer, spaced-out one.

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I think I’m thinking more now that I’m meditating!

Since I started to meditateA concern I hear frequently from folks who have just started meditating is that they feel like they are thinking even more while they’re meditating than they did when they first started.

What’s really going on is that when you begin meditating and practicing mindfulness, you become aware of the quantity and quality of thoughts that flow through your mind. You’re not really thinking more, you’re just now more aware of what is flowing through your mind.

Be patient with yourself. The number of thoughts that go through your mind will slow down the longer you practice meditation. You may always have a ton of thoughts flowing through your mind at the beginning of your meditation, but what changes is that they begin to slow down more quickly the longer you practice.