3 First-Rate Meditations For Your Happiness (and Your Health & Wealth)

A Quick Preamble: Happiness…that state of mind, that state of internal being, that can sometimes be pretty damned elusive if you let it be so – so don’t..! Seth Godin says: “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” So…long-lasting, comfortable, never-tiring happiness is not something you should be thinking of finding in your next holiday trip or the next big gift you buy yourself, it’s really more about self-contentment, the attitude-of-gratitude for everything and everybody you already have around you – the simple things and the complex personalities that make up your life… …and with the help of meditation, happiness is a whole lot simpler to achieve than you would think..! Cutting To The Chase: Most often – as the millions of people that practice the gentle art of meditation will attest to, sitting still and concentrating on your breathing while reflecting on all the positive components of your life as you push away all the negatives, is the absolute best way of concentrating on the right-here-and-now. Clearing the debris of life from you mind, either at the end of a hard working day or at the beginning of what is in all likelihood going to be a challenging day, always clears the way for happiness to pull in and set up residence in your mind – and every minute of your life. Some important basics and methodology info': METHOD NOTE #1 – Always find a quiet spot where you expect no interruptions. METHOD NOTE #2 – Always ensure you’re sitting or laying comfortably with your arms and hands comfortably positioned. METHOD NOTE #3 – It’s normal for most people to close their eyes, it’s easier, but there are some that prefer to keep their eyes open – i sometimes do – and if that’s what you prefer then focus is key…maybe a photograph of a loved one or a favourite spot in the garden – focus completely on anything special to you that enables you to concentrate on the meditation at hand. Now, there are quite a number of meditations, all good in their own way…the following 3 are probably the most common and in my opinion, because of their simplicity, they’re the best of the lot – with No. 3 being my all time favourite: # 1 – The Empty Box ♦ Pick your spot, be comfortable, breath slow and deep…relax..! ♦ Visualise a large empty box placed in front of you, with the lid open or off – any type of box you prefer, wood, cardboard, plastic or glass. ♦ Imagine yourself taking each negative “issue” in your life right now, no matter how small or large, and placing it inside that box…a bill that will need to be paid, someone close needing care, a relationship coming to an end, an imminent death of someone very special. ♦ Feel each issue as a weight being lifted from your shoulders and your mind as you place it inside the box…focus on the feeling of relief it gives you as it lightens your load. ♦ When the box is full, close its’ lid, open your eyes and tell yourself “It’s my right to be happy with me and now the weight that was pushing me down has been removed, i can focus on my “attitude-of-gratitude” for what and who i still have in my life”. # 2 – On The Beach ♦ Pick your spot, be comfortable, breath slow and deep…relax..! ♦ Imagine yourself with bare feet and your toes digging into the sand as you make your way to the edge of the ocean. ♦ You can feel the sun, smell the brine of the salty water and can hear seabirds noisily passing overhead. ♦ Visualise that calm, sweet sounding ocean as the waves gently roll toward you as you sit on the sun-warmed sand and feel that warmth soaking into your bones along with love, energy and the positive thoughts of your future abundant and completely fulfilled life. ♦ Keep that focus going for as long as you like, then open your eyes, take a final breath and say to yourself “I’ll get through all the negatives knowing that the future i want is already there”. # 3 – In The Forest ♦ Pick your spot, be comfortable, breath slow and deep…relax..! ♦ Visualise yourself slowly wandering through a warm pine-scented forest, with the sun dappling through the overhead branches of gloriously tall and wide trunked trees of all types. ♦ The only sounds are your gentle breathing, birds of all kinds chattering to each other and the sounds of rustling leaves as a gentle but warm breeze passes around you. ♦ With each step you take, you say to yourself “Everything i need to know and everything and everyone i need in my life, is already with and within me – life and living awaits me no matter what obstacles i endure”. A Final Anecdote: Your religion, your age or your sex has no bearing whatsoever when talking meditation – it works for anyone from any walk of life of any age, and so long as you have a few quiet minutes during any part of the day, then your golden..! Breathing and thinking yourself toward inner peace paves the way for health wealth and happiness like nothing else does – calm your mind, calm your spirit, be happy…simple..! * * * A final word or two from Thich Nhat Hahn – at 88 years of age, he’s still a great teacher… To meditate does not mean to fight with a problem.rnTo meditate means to observe.rnYour smile proves it.rnIt proves that you are being gentle with yourself,rnthat the sun of awareness is shining in you,rnthat you have control of your situation.rnYou are yourself,rnand you have acquired some peace. * * *