Sit, or lie down on your back with your hands at your side. Your legs should not be crossed. Close your eyes. It is at this point that you will start chanting your mantra (which is usually a humming sound), turning on your soothing mood sound or music, or start your focus on nothing. As you begin your method you want to first be aware of the center of your forehead, also known spiritually as the “mind’s eye.” You want to try and “look” out of that spot and picture yourself lying or sitting – your legs and feet, your torso, and especially your hands at your sides. Start focusing on them, one at a time, and then one finger at a time. Your thumb and index finger on each hand should be gently touching. As you “see” your hands, imagine the blood slowly flowing back and forth in each finger form one end to the other. Do this until you’ve visualized all ten fingers. Obviously blood doesn’t flow like this but the visualization technique is nonetheless important. You should never hurry this process so it should take several minutes. And as you get more focused and relaxed your breathing will slow. While you’re doing this your brainwaves actually start changing from a Beta state to an Alpha state. This has been medically proven by attaching a biofeedback machine to your finger tips. It measures your GSR or Galvanic Skin Response and it can produce an audible sound to guide you on your journey to this state of mind. As you get closer to the optimum the machine will go from a high pitch to a very slow growling sound. This is the optimum – where your mind is completely relaxed.
Contemplating Nothing.
At this point you want to begin eliminating thoughts from your mind. This is the difficult part and it takes practice. It is no secret that nature abhors a vacuum so emptying your mind will not be easy. Unless you are a Zen Master it will probably only be for fleeting moments, which is fine. This is why many people try to do it by focusing on their mantra, music, etc. Whatever works for you is the way to go. You should try and remain in this meditative state for about 10 to 15 minutes. Although some people prefer to do this at nighttime, it is recommended that you try and do it in the morning right after you wake up as a way of centering yourself for the day ahead. It should be noted that sometimes people experience “leaving the moment,” which is a feeling of being separated from your body. Any strange feelings are OK and there is no right or wrong way to experience the meditative process.