It seems that Tuesday is going to be blog day. So do be sure to check in on Tuesday evenings or Wednesday mornings each week. And remember, your comments and additions to the blog are very, very, important and welcomed! :)
As promised last week, today's blog is a continuation of learning about meditation. I went to a wonderful meditation workshop at Common Ground Corona last week. Here is some of the wisdom Reverend Danell shared with us:
1. When meditating with prayer or mala beads the number 108 is significant. According to Wikipedia the number 108 is sacred in Eastern religions for the following reasons ~
The number 108 is considered sacred in many Eastern religions and traditions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and connected yoga and dharma based practices. For example, Hindu deities have 108 names. Recital of these names, often accompanied by counting of 108-beaded Mala, is considered sacred and often done during religious ceremonies. The recital is called namajapa. Accordingly, a mala usually has beads for 108 repetitions of a mantra. Likewise, Zen priests wear juzu (a ring of prayer beads) around their wrists, which consists of 108 beads.[1]
Japa Mala, or Japa beads, made from Tulasi wood. Comprising of 108 beads in total + the head bead.
The Lankavatara Sutra repeatedly refers to the 108 steps many temples have.[2]
However, in Tibetan Buddhism it is believed that there are 108 sins. And in Japan, at the end of the year, a bell is chimed 108 times to finish the old year and welcome the new one. Each ring represents one of 108 earthly temptations a person must overcome to achieve nirvana.
2. Danell has a different take on the mantra than other teachers from whom I've learned about mantras. She advises to use a mantra that is personally meaningful. That way you are able to feel and be the mantra. Other teachers I've experienced advise using the mantra as a concentration point or a distraction for a busy mind. This is still within the scope of what Reverend Danell teaches, but her point about personalizing the mantra allows the mind, body, and spirit to connect on the particular concept embraced in the mantra.
3. Mantras should always be positive. Words such as "not" or "do not" are negative to the brain.
4. Belief in the mantra is extremely important. Be present with your mantra and believe it. This will allow you to feel it and experience it fully.
5. You can have a particular mantra in mind when you start meditation or you can be still and allow the mantra to arise from within you.
6. The mantra can go at different speeds throughout your meditation.
7. Your mantra can be chanted outloud or internally. Whatever you are most comfortable with.
8. Start by speaking your mantra (whether outloud or internally ~ e.g. thinking it), but then allow yourself to relax into listening to it. According to Reverend Dannel, "at first you speak your mantra, but then it becomes internalized and becomes a memory of the sound; that is the listening part".
9. If meditating with beads you can count the beads as you are chanting or just pass each bead through your fingers with each recitation of the mantra.
10. When holding the beads, lay them over the middle finger of your right hand (not your index finger) and pull each bead toward you with your thumb. Feel free to roll the bead around a little if you like.
Personalizing the mantra was a different technique for me. For one thing, as a yoga practioner and teacher I am used to chanting in Sanskrit. And while I know what each of the Sanskrit mantras means, I don't necessarily personalize them. Thus, I decided to use the technique of sitting with a quiet mind and letting the mantra arise. Well, of course, because I have a chattering monkey brain, sitting with a quiet mind didn't work very well ~ in spite of the prayer beads I was stringing through my fingers. So I started internally just chanting "Aum", the sound of the universe (sometimes spelled "Om"). That helped some, but different words kept coming into my mind. I would chant them for a bit... "peace, peace, peace"... but the first several words just didn't seem right. Then I thought, what do I want most for myself. And the word "calm" came into my mind. Yes, the name of my business is "Peaceful Living Wellness". So I thought "peace" would work well. But, I guess to me, finding a bit of "peaceful living" comes from having a calm mind and heart. The word "calm" flowed gracefully over my mind and the prayer beads. It felt like a soft wave and soon I felt like I was floating on that soft wave.
The meditation time was over like a blink of an eye. We were meditating for over twenty minutes, but I felt like it was five minutes. The relaxation that comes from meditation is absolutely amazing. Not only was I able to embrace that sense of calm, but I also felt joyful and lighthearted. Imagine, all that from just twenty minutes of breathing and internal chanting!
In the words of my favorite kirtan artist, Snatum Kaur, "breath into your quiet center"...
Love, Light, and Namaste!
Jen
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