You will often find people in meditation close their eyes. Why would they do that? They do that to stop looking at ‘reality’ in a way that they are looking and look at it through the eyes of God or Source which really is you.

It’s good in the beginning to close your eyes; but wouldn’t it be fun if we could take it beyond in day to day moments? Being that aware and being that calm most of the time? And being that observer?

I think it will be great fun to be an observer of life and then choose in what parts you’d like to be involved rather than just an observing.

Meditation gives you that choice. That’s exactly what Zen is about – being aware, always.

So let’s see how you can take your meditation beyond:

Reduce your passive meditation time

Let’s admit it; we are not much active during meditation. I don’t know about you but I’d rather be in passion then in meditation. Now it’s hard to be passionate when you are feeling bored or angry or something like that.

So I can always do quick meditation for 5 minutes and get in the vortex (vibrational vortex of pure positive energy) and then access passion easily. So stop prolonging those meditative moments and just use them as keys to better feeling places.

Skip Your Life

This one is awesome! Often we find ourselves in position where we just can’t take it. Either you are too bored or too annoyed. Now a spiritual person like you knows that it is not much fun to be dependent on outside conditions to change in order to change your emotional reaction.

Meditation comes in handy here. Meditation will take you into a better feeling place within minutes – from anxiety, nervousness, anger, annoyance or any sort of negative emotion to a place of ease & flow. Guess what? You have a situation where you can practice this feeling of meditation and take your control back.

Things will begin to change as you change the way you perceive it.

Find Answers to Questions

You can find answers to all your questions (solution to any of your problems) in meditation. You know why? Because when you ask, it is give. Always! So when you asked the questions or when you had that problem the answer and solution were there. But thanks to your observation of problem – the Law of Attraction keeps it right there.

Now when you go into meditation, the questions or desire is still there but there is no resistance because there is no observation of problem. So now you find the answers you were looking for.

Ideas will flood in! Insights will shower on you, you will remember things and people that you have forgotten which can be helpful to you in many ways. Wonderful things happen and you just sit back and enjoy.

Share Good Moments

Find people who are near you who like meditation, and make a list of friends that would also like to meditate. Make a small group of such people and meditate together. This is a great way to stay inspired about meditation and see the growth it brings about.

Often people, especially teens, complain that these gathering turn into parties so easily. And there is nothing wrong in that, meditation is path to joy and so is party. Perhaps a party meditation?

These were my ideas of taking that feeling of well-being which you experience in meditation into other aspects of your life. What are your views? Do you have ways you take it into wonderful new direction?

Photo Credit: chefranden

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“How old are you?” she asked me.

“13?”

“You are too young!” she exclaimed.

“But I really want to join.”

I still remember this interaction when I found that ‘The Art of Living’ people were about to conduct ‘Yes+ Course’ (earlier called Young Adult Course) in my school. Children of my age were supposed to get into ‘Art Excel’ but I persisted and there I was, youngest of them all.

Those were the days I changed extensively. It was an eye opener to inner world. Not that I didn’t knew about it already, I’ve know my inner-self since as far as I can recall. But this was a not just a window to peek in. This was a door that once you open and escape limits, you will never again return to limited thinking.

They asked us to write our every day experience in a small note book. I can’t recall all the detail that has happened because honestly, there was so much happening – energy was really high. I am reading those notes and recalling all that I can of those wonderful 7 day course. (Another reason to write meditation journal)

About ‘Guru Ji‘ & His Philosohpy

The Art of Living his lead by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, lovingly called ‘Guru ji’ or ‘Sri Sri’. He is an engineer himself and a profound teacher. He doesn’t ‘tell & teach’ he takes you there and then you can’t help but learn.

The philosophy of ‘The Art of Living’ is based around internal change through yogic practices. Not just any yogic practice, but developed and refined ones.

Sudarshan Kriya – Sadhna (Meditation)

‘Sudarshan Kriya’ is the central attraction or main ‘Sadhna’ (meditation) in the practice. It’s a series of breathing exercises that really tells you the meaning of ‘Yog’ – union. You become one as body, mind and soul. Oh! I cannot begin to describe the blissfulness of those moments and the life altering awareness that follows.

Satsang – Community of Truth

Community plays a big role in this internal change. You will never find a single person in whole family of ‘The Art of Living’ who is not smiling. And they are not smiling to show something, they are smiling because they know themselves. They know their true nature, they have seen it and most important they ‘be it’. So Aham.

I still remember the 3S’s my teacher taught me: Sadhana (meditation), Seva (service) and Satsang (co-creation with like minded). If anyone seeks a change… No, if anyone seeks ‘revolution’ in their lives – go jump right in!

Go Join-in

I am not being paid to write this. I was paid already when I joined. I was paid with a mirror that shows me time and again my true nature. Or as Chitra Roy puts it “Mere Krishna roop se mera prichaya kara diya…” (You’ve introduced me to my Krishna, God, self.) What more a bribe can anyone pay you? Priceless gift it was!

Things must have changed, for I am not in touch with people. But I know change is good. So find local people and get on with it. Don’t miss this chance for eternal smile.

Jai Guru Dev! (Hail the Mentor!)

PS: You are your own mentor.

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He was really interested in meditation, he was following our blog (Meditation Rocks!) and reading so many books but every time he tried to sit down with his eyes closed – he’d go into sleep within 5 min.. He tried everything – music, coffee, straight spine, yoga, but it wasn’t working out quite well. He felt so sleepy and bored every time. This is brief story of one of readers Shiraz Ali and many of us too.

But then came a turning point – he called up a fried who was also doing meditation and they both tried it together. And voila! The boredom was gone! Like magic. He knew he needed a companion, or at least someone’s presence to keep him awake but it did much more good then he thought.

The More the Better

Group meditation (2 or more people) has always been the way meditation was taught. Not only is it convenient but much more effective too. We don’t want to go on a path alone – it feels weird and lonely. We need to see that it’s possible and sensible – the thing we are doing. And your meditation buddies can be real helpful there. Just pair up with old friend of yours who might be interested in meditation – if they aren’t just be a good friend and tell them about it. Or better – make new friends.

Here are some brief points about having a meditation buddy:

1. You never get bored.
2. It’s really much more effective and powerful that way.
3. You feel inspired to do more and help each other.
4. Over time you develop a feeling of compassion which is so good! All your relations will improve.
5. It simply rocks and so much better then doing it alone – think of it as going to movie with friends.

There are many more benefits but right now a bit out of scope of what I am discussing here so we will discuss them later.

Choosing your Meditation Buddy

Ah! That’s a tricky one. Usually you will find one in your present friend circle. And trust me sometimes you find that the one you least expected to is meditating on regular basis. Here is a trick – look for these signs: cheerful, happy, fun loving, open minded and loving. S/he could be beer lover, fan of Linkin Park, a hippy, a student, a waiter – anyone! You never know.

How to Find Meditation Buddies

So you might want to start talking to your friends about meditation or at least give a hint that you do it. It’s a thing to be proud of! Some time people think that others are going to think that they are weird doing this psycho stuff – but as I mentioned earlier that meditation is as natural and usual as breathing and you are already doing it without you knowing.

So go on give it a hit, put it on facebook status, twitter or head over to Meditation Rocks! fan page and make some new friends over there (common interests).  Why not say something like ‘<Your Name> is going to give Meditation a hit, who want’s to join in?’

Now you might get replies like ‘No one!’ or ‘Have you lost it!’ or maybe eve ‘ME!!!!!’ so have fun – don’t take it seriously.

And when you are done, make sure to comment about it in future posts. Feel free to say anything in comments section – even things off topic. Let’s act like friends – since we are meditation buddies.

Let’s Hear What You’ve Got to Say

Can you suggest more benefits of having meditation buddies? Any new way to find more people? What is your take on this – do you like it as personal exercise, or keep group meditations as occasional even or always meditate in a group? Let’s hear what you have to say.

Photo Credit: Best Friends Are Huggable by StuSeeger, on Flickr

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Since the launch of the Meditation Rocks! I’ve received hundreds of emails with questions, love letters, suggestions, ideas, offers (to co-author a book!) and even threats, I reply to all of them personally. Majority of you asked about Meditation classes. You asked questions like ‘Do you go to any classes?’ ‘Do you take any classes that I could join?’ ‘Can you recommend any classes/group that I could join?’ So I thought of answering them all together.

Doodles of Meditation

Think of meditation as an art. Well I am not talking about Picasso or Mozart. I am talking about the doodles that kids make… err… everywhere. They just do it for fun and those who keep doing it for fun and explore more places, ideas, methods and mediums (think Dad’s car, modern art with water colours), they develop it into a skilled art and those who connect with their source during the process of creation become masters of the art – they are Picasso and Mozart. It all starts with those cute little doodles.

Meditation is same, we start with simple, funny and sometimes crazy (but cute) ways and important thing is – doing it for fun. And those of us who keep on doing it for the fun of it and enjoy the whole process go deeper or higher (or both!) and become masters of meditation.

So where does groups/classes fit it?

Many of us gifted souls don’t need to go to an art school/college to become Picasso. But some of us might want to, maybe to get more exposure, meet the likes of us and come together to co-create and explore new ideas. That’s what the blog and meditation classes are all about. And it’s a proven fact that meditation, in a group, is more powerful. So if you think you want to meet new people, explore new ideas or maybe just have some fun – go ahead join a group or class or even better, stay on this blog.

Choosing the right class/group

There is modern art, and then there is traditional art and so on… Meditation too comes in many flavours. From Zen meditation to Modern Meditation(that we are exploring here). The important thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. Join the class/group where you feel good, where you feel relaxed. Meditation shouldn’t feel like work or burden or just another item in to-do list.

My recommendations

I’ve been practicing meditation consciously since the age of 8 (and probably earlier but I don’t remember). In 10 years of my experience I’ve come across many groups and classes. So here are my recommendations:

The Art of Living

This was a life transforming experience. Their week long YES+ Course (for youngsters) and Basic Course (for elder generation) or maybe Art Excel (if you are a kid, btw congratulations!) are perfect blend of spiritual enlightenment, yoga, meditation and service. They follow 3 principles of Seva (service), Sadhna (meditation) and Satsang (company of truth or guru/mentor or company of people who think alike on spiritual pathway). The main attraction is Sudarshan Kriya. After a week of AOL experience, you will feel that now is when you are living earlier you were just sleeping.
It was founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, you can read more about The Art of Living here.

Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism: Soka Gakkai International

This is a sect of Buddhism based on The Lotus Sutra and teaching of Nichren Daishonin (13th Century Buddhist Monk). The practice includes chanting, learning and exploring. Experiencing the dynamic power that comes from within during (and afterwards) chanting is just amazing. The main chanting is of words ‘Nam Myho Renge Kyo’. The principles of the practice totally agree with the universal Law of Attraction. I won’t be wrong in saying that the way to manifesting Mercedes is the way to Buddhahood.
Find out more about SGI here.

Meditation Rocks!

Yes you herd right, we will be holding online webinars where we will talk about meditation and discuss the problems you are facing. Also we will be soon publishing podcasts with guided meditations that you could download to your iPod or anywhere and meditate along. Most of the stuff will be free!

Your Meditation Corner

Trust me, it’s the best. You alone are enough to be your own mentor here. Do whatever you feel like, that’s how I learned. There is no reason for you to fear, there is no danger on this road and you cannot get it wrong. So let your heart lead you… break free from all thoughts and limitations. Explore your true potential.

Is there anything other meditation group/class that you’d like to add to the list? Do you want to share your experience? You can comment or just drop a mail.

Photo by longtrekhome via Flickr

Photo by Umair Mohsin

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