“I used to get agitated at little things around me,” shares 25-year-old Suneet. “Over time, I find myself becoming more patient. I don’t lose my temper as easily.” He attributes this change to regular meditation practice over a few months. “I still wonder how I changed so much. I now look for ways to enhance my meditation,” he shares.
Suneet’s experience could be yours. You are enjoying the benefits of daily meditation and realize there are some questions.
So, let’s have a look at some common meditation questions which even you could have. These answers could help to improve your practice.
#1 “I sometimes feel lazy. Sometimes, I think I’ll doze off while meditating, what should I do?”
You can start with doing some gentle warm ups. This will energize you and remove the stiffness from your body. It will help you shake off the laziness or inertia.
On the other hand, if you feel extremely restless and are unable to sit still during your practice, then the warm ups will help you settle the restlessness in your body.
#2 How to quiet my mind with so much of noise outside?
The key is in accepting. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “What you resist, persists.” The more you fight with the noise, the more you want to get rid of it - the more it disturbs you. Once you accept, it will stop bothering you. So become aware of the noises around you and accept them.
#3 Can I effortlessly flow into meditation?
Gurudev speaks about the three golden rules for meditation.
- 1. I am nothing: If we think we are someone important, unimportant, rich, poor, intelligent and so on, we cannot meditate. Meditation is beyond all these identities. During meditation, we experience the freedom of being nothing.
- 2. I do nothing: Do nothing for the next 10-20 minutes. I don’t concentrate on anything, don’t focus the mind on any thoughts: good thoughts, bad thoughts let them come and pass. Neither I welcome thoughts nor do I resist thoughts.
- 3. I want nothing: How is it possible when I want a better job, grades in school, family and prosperity? Only for next 10-20 minutes say “I want nothing”. Keep aside your desires.
#4 Does food affect my meditation?
It is commonly said, ‘You are what you eat’. Paying a little attention to your food habits could also be one way to have a better meditation experience. The kind of food we eat has a profound effect on our mind. Try it out for yourself. If you eat lot of fried, oily, spicy food, you might feel restless during meditation. If you eat too much of stale, fermented, canned and non-vegetarian food, you might feel dull and drowsy while meditating. It’s best to eat fresh food and keep your stomach light.
#5 Can I have my personal mantra to go deeper?
Yes, you can definitely have your own personal mantra. Practicing meditation with your mantra will not only help you go deeper, but also make you slip into meditation effortlessly. The mantra has the capacity to cleanse your mind of all unwanted impressions leaving you fresh, rejuvenated and recharged. You can find out about the next Sahaj Samadhi Meditation course near your place.
#6 Do I always need to meditate alone?
On the contrary, it is a good idea to form a meditator’s group. Normally we are part of a lot of groups and clubs, so why not have a meditator’s group? A group that will meditate together and share the positive effects of meditation. If you meditate in a group, the effect is also multi-fold. Your group will also motivate you to keep up your practice and you are less likely to miss a meditation session.
#7 What else can I do to go deeper?
It is important to honor the practice. This implies regular practice with faith in the teacher, faith in the technique. Have faith that the technique works for you and have faith in your Self.
Inspired by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's wisdom talks
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