Meditation is something we do every single day, we have been meditating regular from our childhood but not knowing we are doing it.

Meditation is the bringing of one’s mind to a focused point, and in that, having total focus to the point that you are able to eliminate what is going on around you, at this point you are in a state of meditation.

Some examples of meditating without our direct knowledge: ask yourself:

1. Do you read?
2. Do you listen to and lose yourself in music?
3. Do you get lost in a movie?
4. Are you able to day dream?
5. Can you get lost in a painting?
6. Completely lost in a game?

I could go on and on, but I’m sure you get my point!

When we take our focus to a single point, and using one of the above examples, when you get so into a movie that it almost becomes reality to you, you are in meditative state.

A great many people come to me stating! “I cannot meditate” or in a meditation will say “I cannot see or visualize what I am being told during my meditation”, I at this point will bring them back to the above questions, and usually they will often agree to any number of points that will fit their persona.

There is also the ultimate response, often one that makes me giggle, at the end of a Quiet! Meditation, I will often get “but Paul! I got absolutely nothing”, yeh!!!!!!! I will cry, that was the objective, absolutely nothing!

Many years ago I studied the martial arts to some degree as well, my focus oddly was never on the fighting element of the arts but the energy development, obviously “form” was a huge part of the development of mind and body, every single ounce of this development was designed to align the body and mind as one, this is a huge, huge! important lesson; one that everyone should learn.

Once during a lesson my instructor while teaching us the development of the martial arts, said the body and mind are like that of a car, you would never have a shinny Rolls Royce (the body) and have a rusted engine (the mind).

The brain needs training and equally important “time off” and the only way to achieve this is to meditate.

Meditation:  the dictionary states, “Written or spoken discourse on a focused subject”!!!

Mmmmm I don’t think so, I would say that’s an extremely watered down descriptive on that word, definitely not a correct descriptive on the subject. I would say that it should have been more along the lines of:

Meditation, the ability to focus completely without distraction; to bring the mind to one focused point, an ability to bring mind and body as one. Complete concentration! Well something along those lines.

Meditation can also be extremely quick, it does not have to be over great lengths of time. Meditation can be used for a great many things not just spiritual and or medical.

I taught my daughter how to meditate for her school development, in the meditation I guided her toward seeing the subjects she was to be tested on, her exams, her tuition and lessons on each specific subject.

I directed her to see all the lessons clearly and remember every part of each lesson. I guided her to know that everything she witnessed and learned is stored within great vaults in her mind. I guided her to see the links to each of these vaults and how to open them and retrieve what she needed in order to fulfill the requirements needed to complete her objectives.

The result, she finished high school with the highest results in the school’s history. This is not a trick nor is it a con, belief in one’s self is paramount and this combined with the meditation results in achieving your objectives. Unfortunately I cannot guarantee your results.

I can show you the path and even put you onto it, but you must choose to walk it.

That’s another part of the key; you and your choices. If you choose then choose and stick to your choices, walk the path completely and not half hearted, by doing this you will achieve everything and anything you wish.

Ok, so let’s get started:

The only way to do this is step by step. Let me begin by taking you to the absolute start, preparation:

First:
Choose a place where you can meditate, it needs to be quiet and without chance of interruption. If you can, choose a place that you can meditate in the same place at the same time every day.

Now before you lose your mind and say, “EVERY DAY?” I know that life does get in the way, but I would be aiming to get you to meditate every day if possible, and if you really want to you can, but that’s entirely up to you. But for now aim for at least twice weekly.

If you have chosen your bedroom, try to sit upright, so a comfortable chair with a pillow or cushion to support your back would be preferable, but if you must lie down, then lie on the bed but prop your head up comfortably, but then again upright is preferred but optional.

So let’s assume you have chosen your place, time and method (Upright or lying down). Make sure you switch off any cell or mobile phones, and any land lines (Home or office) phones.

The next step is to loosen any clothing around the neck or waste and allow yourself to relax and be as comfortable as possible.

Now if you are not used to meditation or meditating, you may well fall asleep during your first few attempts, don’t worry, this is normal, so it is advisory to set an alarm to wake you when you need to be back in the land of the living so to speak.

You may also do what I call “setting up,” that entails making sure you have a comfortable and warm temperature in your room also either soft light or candles and meditative music; choose soft music or ocean sounds that will sooth your mind and body. Some incense may also help you to create the relaxed environment you will need to achieve your goals. Also water for you to drink, meditation and the breathing exercises that go along with it can often make you very dry.

I guess at this point I should add if you are going to use candles, then please make sure you place your candle or candles in a very safe and secure place that has no option of falling and setting fire to anything, it’s easy really, just use your common sense and remember your life, your family’s life, and you’re home is important so take great care.

Now, as I did say this is the beginning of our series of meditations and we are going to start a journey together to bring you to places you will only have dreamt of and opening areas of your brain you may not have used before, so that being the case, I think we should begin at the beginning as if you were a novice, sometimes that’s always a good thing, my teacher told me, “forget what you know and learn what you need,” good advice I think.

It’s your first time? So here we go.

1.    Choose your area carefully
2.    Setup your area (as mentioned above)
3.    Select the appropriate music needed
4.    Switch off all phones
5.    Set your alarm, (I think 15 minutes is a good start)
6.    Loosen your clothing and remove your shoes
7.    Begin!

To begin we must relax the body and mind as one, this is achieved in many ways, but for the first one we will do an exercise that I teach to my first time students.

• “The Water Tank”
• Imagine you are sitting in a tank of water where the surface is about six (6) inches above your head. Remember you are completely safe and you can breathe in this water so there is no fear attached to this exercise.
• Sit quietly and allow yourself to be comfortable in your aquatic environment, feeling weightless and totally relaxed.
• You may start to find your mind drifting to everyday normal things I call this mind noise, whatever you see, hear or feel, just imagine it on the side of a lorry or truck and see it coming in from the left pass across your vision and disappear off to the right, then do not give it any more attention or focus.
• Come back to your now weightless body sitting comfortable in this tank of water, just above the surface you will be able to see sunlight bouncing gently off the surface and away from you, as if you were looking at the water surface from a boat.
• When you are ready, imagine a plug being pulled and the water begins to drain slowly but definitely out of the tank.
• As the water falls away you will drop gently and eventually touch the bottom of the tank.
• As you settle at the bottom of the tank the water continues to drain gently away until you feel it begin to touch the top of your head.
• As your head begins to break the surface of the water, you will begin to feel the warmth of the sunlight gently on the top of your head.
• The water continues over your head, past your eyes, ears and down your jaw line to your neck
• As it continues to drain away you will begin to feel the warmth of the sunlight warming your head and penetrating your muscles and bones warming and relaxing you internally as well as externally.
• Allow yourself to fall deeper and deeper into your seat, or fall deeper and deeper into your bed as you begin to get heavier and heavier relaxing and gently becoming aware that  you are in fact feeling better and better.
• Give yourself permission to let go, actually say to yourself “I give myself permission to let go.”
• Let go of all your aches, pains, problems, and issues focusing totally on yourself.
• Falling deeper and deeper into a complete state of relaxation and euphoria although your body is getting heavier and heavier, you yourself will be feeling lighter and lighter, almost disconnected to your body, but joined only at the mind.
• Breathe in the golden sunlight that completely surrounds you, allowing it to fill you from the inside, all the way from your toes through your legs, up to your hips, filling, warming and relaxing every muscle on the way up.
• If you have any joint issues or problems, allow this beautiful warm golden sunlight to penetrate and release the joints by working deeply into the joints and sinuses again relaxing them totally and completely. If you have been suffering from a joint problem, then see the light actually begin to heal the area infected, by reducing the inflammation, repairing the tendons and nerves connected to that joint. It is important to see this at its completed state that is completely repaired. Allow the golden warmth and light to continue to massage the area like it were two hands made of this golden light and energy, working and massaging the muscles, releasing and healing constantly.
• You are now completely immersed in this beautiful golden light. It surrounds you, binds you and warms you giving you a feeling of complete euphoria and has now removed all the worries, stress and strains from your life at this moment.
• I want you to imagine now that you can see in front of you the fuel gauge of a car, but it is important to see this gauge as completely empty, see the needle pointing to empty.
• As you sit in this amazing golden light, see it focusing positive signs all around you, little golden plus signs. As you breathe these signs in, breathe them deep into your being, and as you release see negative signs surrounded by a dark charcoal or black as they leave your body. This is the stress and negative things that you have been attached to or involved with; see the positive enter your body and fill your being and see the negative release and float away into the light to be cleansed.
• Keep doing this until you see the fuel gauge come all the way to full, and by the same time all of the negative problems will have left your body, you will be cleansed.
• It is now time for you to come back into the room.
• Once you feel you have achieved your fill of this golden light, and knowing you are completely cleansed, you will feel as if you have had the best sleep you have ever had. You know and feel that you are ready to take on the world.
• Allow the golden light to move away from you, upward and back to the sun.
• And as you have released from the golden light of love and divine protection, take a breath and come back into the room.
• You have completed your meditation,

Repeat this exercise often, until you can do the exercise without having to refer to notes or audio.

This exercise and many others are available on CD from the Paul Francis website at www.paulfrancis.net