How to Meditate

Preparation

Set aside a special place in your room that you only use for meditation. You might want to decorate the place with candles and incense.

Dedicate a certain period of time in your day for your meditation practice. It's good to meditate in the morning, right after you wake up and take a shower, before you start your day. The other best time is in the evening before going to bed.

Take a shower, or wash your hands and face before you meditate. Water refreshes you. Water also neutralizes heavy energies that may accumulate in your aura. It's a good idea not to eat too much before you meditate, or you will feel heavy and tired.

During meditation, it is important to keep your back straight, whether you are sitting on the floor or in a chair. Energy flows up the spine, so try to create a straight pathway for it.

At the end of a meditation session, always bow as a gesture of gratitude.

Meditation

Chakra meditation involves concentrating on energy centers called chakras that are found in the aura, the subtle-physical body. These energy centers are located along a nonphysical energy line called the sushumna. The sushumna in the energy body corresponds to the spinal column in the physical body, starting at the base of the spine and ending at the 'third eye', between the eyebrows and a little above. Seven primary chakras are found at different points along the sushumna. Kundalini, also called chi, prana, or raw energy, sits at the base of the spine in the first chakra. During chakra meditation, the kundalini energy is pulled from the first chakra up through the sushumna to the third eye in the area of the forehead where the sushumna ends.

In chakra meditation, we focus on three of the seven primary energy centers. By "focus", we mean that we place our attention on the areas of the body which correspond with each chakra, one at a time. We concentrate on the energy center, thereby activating it and releasing its energy. Sometimes it is helpful to place your fingers gently on each center as you meditate to help you feel where they are. Eventually, you will naturally feel the energy centers in your body.

Start with the "navel" or "power" chakra, which is approximately two inches below the navel. By meditating here, the first three centers are activated and great power is released into your being. This energy gives you the ability to accomplish physical things. This is the center for willpower and strength.

Then move to the "heart" chakra. This center is in the middle of the chest in the general area of the heart. By meditating here, you get the benefits of both the fourth and fifth chakras. This is the center for balance, happiness and love.

Finally, focus on the "third eye". This chakra is in the middle of the forehead between the eyebrows and slightly above them. This is the center for wisdom and psychic seeing.

It is generally a good idea to spend an equal amount of time on each chakra. If you meditate for 15 minutes, spend five minutes focusing on each chakra. Likewise, if you meditate for an hour, spend 20 minutes concentrating on each center. By practicing chakra meditation in this way, you will bring power, balance and wisdom into your life.