Special Points

If you choose a very passive method for your practice – such as watching your breath, or the method of observing the gap between breaths – you may find that your body is restless and your mind noisier than ever. You end up feel not only not full of Buddha-like bliss but frustrated and demoralized. You may well conclude that ‘meditation is not for me’.

Such methods were created over 2000 years ago, when people were much more active than we are. In addition, their lives were simpler, and they were not being bombarded with the sensory input that we know today. Thus, for those people of so many years ago, it was much easier to sit and be still and silent at will. However, for the majority of us contemporary people that simple act presents difficulties.

Getting Physical
Rather than trying to make the mind be silent and forcing your body to be still, before you do any passive technique, engage in some physical activity that allows you to release any mental or physical restlessness. As noted elsewhere [Meditation Methods] any activity becomes meditative when we add some qualities to it. So for instance, you could go for a run before you sit; or, put on some music and dance for 5-10m minutes, then sit. Or do the method called Gibberish, speaking nonsense sounds, mentioned in The Role of the Mind.
To read more about active forms of meditation visit http://activemeditation.com and http://osho.com.

Boredom, and Bliss
After the novelty of getting your meditation practice underway, you might have times of boredom. Like a child, the mind is always curious to explore the new; it also likes to be engaged in problem-making, as we saw in Awareness or Mindfulness. It simply has no role to play when you are meditating, and will become bored. Understand that that is its nature, and continue undeterred with your meditation.

We’d all like to be able to be detached from our pain, the dry times and the sad times. But who wants to be detached from the good times and the lovely experiences? When you emerge from your meditation feeling high, it’s tempting to want it again, even to pump up your ego with it. Remember, all experiences are of the mind – and we are moving in a domain beyond the mind.

Not Pushing...
The old habits of the mind will make themselves felt when you are meditating. For example you might start competing with yourself – seeing how long you can sit in meditation, if you can better your time of yesterday, urging yourself to go beyond your limits even if your body is in pain. (Of course the mind can also try and sabotage your intention to meditate by telling you that you have reached your limit before you’ve barely begun!)

...Yet Going For It
If there is one key word to guarantee success in your meditative practice it’s 'totality'. You may not do the methods perfectly, but what’s more significant is to do them with all you have got. How long you meditate is not as significant as your degree of participation.

So, for example, when you are dancing in meditation, really dance – not just going through the movements with your mind engaged in something completely different, such as what you are going to do when you are done. Each method requires you to be present, on every level of your being, and whole-hearted in your involvement if it’s going to have a transformative effect on you.

Follow the instructions of the method given, don’t improvise, but then gauge for yourself, by tuning into your body and staying in contact with yourself, how much to exert yourself. There is a fine line between totality and over-zealousness to the point of causing yourself physical harm.

By and by your level of awareness and sensitivity will be heightened, and will act as reliable barometers. At the same time the habit of your interfering mind will begin to loosen its hold on you.