Starting a Spiritual Journey

When starting a spiritual journey it is normal to have many questions and too little information. The best source of information that you will ever find lies within your heart. Deep introspection is the best way to find your inner self and the answer to any question you can think of. Meditation is the door to within.

I often hear from my students that they want to spend time in meditation and introspection but just can’t make it happen on a regular basis. Unfortunately, they then feel guilty about not making the time, doubt their commitment to their spiritual journey and just give up.

Here is what I tell them. It is common that it takes a few attempts and trial runs to start a daily meditation and introspection time that will work with your schedule. Starting on a spiritual journey and then feeling guilty about not making any progress isn’t the way to start. Instead, take a few minutes each day and think about starting a spiritual journey and visualize you meditating. This daily thought habit will, in time, help you reach the place where you will find the key that opens the way for you to begin a new daily habit.

So, now you have planted the visualization of your daily meditation. Next, examine your day and determine when you will be able to find ten uninterrupted minutes that you can use for meditation. Again, visualize yourself taking this time, say 3:10 PM, so that you are firm in your commitment.

Step three is to take your chosen time for a test drive and see if it is really the best. If it isn’t, simply experiment until you find the time slot where you will not be disturbed.

In the beginning you should be realistic about the amount of time you can commit to meditation and introspection. Meditation does not require a specific amount of time to be successful. As little as ten minutes a day can serve you well. Carve out a little time from your busy life and try to make meditation a daily habit. As your meditation progresses you will find that things will shift in your life and the time you have available will increase.

If you have never tried meditation before, understanding what you should do and how you should feel will be unclear. Your goal is to quiet your mind and all its chatter so that you can begin to explore your inner-self. It is helpful if you use something as a focus that you can return to when your mind starts to wander. Your focus can visual, sound, or breathing. Guided meditatio
CDs are available on line and in some shops specializing in spiritual development or you can try some of your most favorite music to get into a relaxed state. Visual options are numerous: a candle, your favorite picture, statute, or something from nature.

For a beginner, I suggest using the breath as the focus. Start by taking three to four deep cleansing breaths while visualizing all stress or conce
s flowing from your body. You will count your breaths in and out, holding your breath after inspiration and expiration. For example: take a breath in counting one, two, three, four. Hold your breath for another count of four and exhale again over a count of four. Hold your breath for a count of four and begin again with inspiration. Practice this technique making all the steps effortless and flowing one after the other. Thoughts will distract you. Just simply acknowledge them and let them flow out of your body through your expiration breath.
Experiment with different techniques until you find which works best for you and if a meditation class is available in your area, I suggest taking the class. It is always good to connect and share with others.