Meditation

Here's a simple way to meditate.
Now that it's getting warmer, find a public park near you. Pick a spot where there aren't a lot of people around to bother you. Sit in a comfortable position with your legs crossed and your hands either in your lap or together. You may lean up against a tree if you like. As you sit down, feel the texture of the tree you lie against and the cool feel of the grass around you. Close your eyes, and try as best you can not to think about anything.

Clear your mind. When I do this, for example, I picture a quiet rippling pond in my head. As the ripples of the pond gradually flatten out, my thoughts drift away and I am able to focus in uninterupted meditation. Since you are just starting out, you should probably try something a little easier than recalling useful images in your mind.

After you close your eyes and have cleared your thoughts, open your eyes and focus on the environment around you. Carefully examine EVERY detail: the colors around you, the movements of animals and insects (try to avoid watching people...you might annoy or disturb them), the way the wind moves things gently about.

Next, close your eyes and focus only with your ears. Try to focus on listening to what you have just seen. Listen to the way the wind rustles through the trees, and take note of the sounds you hear swirling around you. Try to picture the area you are in in your mind. SEE the sounds that surround you without opening your eyes.

After you have done this, keep you eyes closed and let your mind freely wander. Don't attempt to think about anything, let things come to you, and think about them, no matter how crazy some things may seem. If you have succeeded in all steps, by this point you will be in a deep meditative state.

Once you are done meditating, slowly get up and stretch (you will probably be a little stiff). Actively try to think about the things you thought about during meditation as you stretch out. If some of the things you thought about were very interesting, start a journal and keep track of them. If you practice this, say, once a week or so, your skills of meditation will greatly increase. Eventually you will reach the point where you don't need to go to a park to meditate. You will be able to picture every aspect of the park in your mind, and if you re-live this memory you will be able to meditate whenever or wherever you wish. Use this memory as a meditation tool as I use the gentle pool of water I mentioned earlier. I hope this exercise helps bring peace and focus to your life.