A Beginners Guide to Buddhist Meditation

Most of us live stress filled lives, with little or no time for ourselves. We must work; deal with children, the house, meal planning and those annoying little things that pop up at regular intervals, such as car problems. Then there are the financial worries, job security and the price of gas these days that stretch the pay check to the max. It seems that once we successfully deal with one issue, another pops up.

Stress can adversely affect our health. Fatigue, aches and pains in various parts of the body, heart problems, overeating (or under eating) and high blood pressure can result if we allow the stress to get out of control.

Finding time to de-stress is difficult at best. Exercising helps but not everyone will be able to follow through; because there is always something else that takes precedence and joining a gym can be costly.

So how does one find the time to quiet the mind? With me, it’s right before I’m ready to go to bed when things tend to be calmer.

Turn the lights down and the television off. If you wish, put on a CD or tape of soothing music on low. Light a candle. Sit comfortably; I like to sit cross-legged on my sofa. Light a candle. Take in a slow, deep breath, hold it for four seconds and let the breath out slowly. With each exhale, feel your body relaxing. This may take a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, it will become second nature.

Focus on the flame. Watch it dance. And see the different hues within the flame. Once your eyes begin to tire, close your eyes and try to visualize the flame within your mind. Continue the deep breathing.

This is a variation on the Buddhist meditation technique called Kammattana. It’s a way of focusing attention on something, which will help in getting the events of the day or other worries out of your mind. Another Buddhist technique is instead of focusing on a candle, one is to focus on the breath, where it comes in at the tip of your nostrils.

I try to do this every night and have found that with just 15 minutes of this, I sleep better and awaken with a better attitude. I’m calmer during the day. I don’t worry about the small stuff anymore, the petty attitudes of some co-workers or impatient supervisors. I’ve learned to take my time and not become impatient when waiting in line at the supermarket. The one thing I have noticed most, I don’t get the annoyingly frequent tension headaches anymore.