MEDITATION

    One of the ways in which you can begin to care for yourself is by starting a meditation practice. A lot of people sigh when they hear that statement, but trust me, meditation is not hard or complicated. You do not have to do it for a long period of time to gain the benefits. If you only have 5 or 10 minutes to meditate, that is just fine. Here is how you do it:

    First, set a timer for the amount of time that you wish to meditate. That way you will not be distracted by thinking about the clock. Secondly, sit in a comfortable position with your back relatively straight and your hands on your lap. Close your eyes, and then you can do one of two things; you can concentrate on your breath as you breathe in and out. Try not to let your thoughts wonder or take off on any tangents, just focus on the breath. Allow your mind to be as clear as possible.

    My favorite way to meditate and clear my mind is to focus on the space around me. I simply become one with the peaceful silence of the universe. I just keep my attention on being in that tranquil space. A lot of people get distracted or bored when it comes to concentrating on the breath, so this is a great alternative.

    The good news is, in meditation, there is no failure. If your thoughts start to wonder, or you start drifting off into some kind of fantasy, that's okay. Just gently bring your attention back to your breath or the silence all around you. That is the whole of the game in meditation, to keep training the mind to focus on that one particular thing and be free from distractions. It takes some practice to get the mind to be quiet and focused for any period of time. And some people, never get it to focus for more than a few seconds at a time. But that's okay, remember, there is no failure in meditation. When you find yourself being distracted, just gently bring your attention back to whatever it is you're focusing on, even if you can only get it to stay there for a few seconds at a time. That is all there is to it...

    It is even possible to receive psychic insights or have mystical experiences while in meditation. But we will talk more about that tomorrow.