Table of Contents DISCLAIMER PREFACE WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR? WILL YOU FIND SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE OR ADVICE? INTRODUCTION HOW TO USE THIS BOOK? ABOUT MEDITATION IN GENERAL WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MEDITATION? THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION HOW WILL YOU KNOW YOU ARE DOING IT RIGHT? HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU PRACTISE? FINDING YOUR SILENCE HOW TO PREPARE FOR PRACTICE? A NOTE ON GUIDED MEDITATION BREATHING THE IMPORTANCE OF BREATHING RIGHT WHY YOU WOULD OFTEN BREATHE THE WRONG WAY BREATHING TECHNIQUES BREATHING SMOOTHLY SIMPLE ABDOMINAL BREATHING ADVANCED ABDOMINAL BREATHING EMBRYONIC BREATHING FULL ABDOMINAL BREATHING EMBRYONIC BREATHING OR FULL ABDOMINAL BREATHING? DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING FULL YOGIC BREATHING SQUARE OR CIRCULAR BREATHING SITTING MEDITATION THE MOST COMMONLY CONSIDERED MEDITATION METHOD PREPARING TO LEARN MEDITATION: MUSIC RELAXATION ZEN MEDITATION PREPARING FOR ZAZEN – CONTEMPLATING HERE AND NOW SITTING IN ZAZEN MANTRA MEDITATION THE OM OR AUM MANTRA A NOTE ON TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION A NOTE ON CONTEMPLATION PRACTISES MENTAL IMAGERY AND VISUALISATION A SIMPLE VISUALISATION EXERCISE A VISUALISATION EXERCISE TO HELP LETTING GO OF THOUGHTS QIGONG MEDITATION LEARNING TO SENSE YOUR QI LEARNING TO MANIPULATE YOUR QI ADVANCED MEDITATION METHODS BREATHING IN SYNCHRONY MANDALA MEDITATION OPENING THE CROWN CHAKRA: A MEDITATION FOR SPIRITUAL CONNECTEDNESS FINISHING MEDITATION: SELF MASSAGE MOVING MEDITATION THE IMPORTANCE OF MOVEMENT WALKING MEDITATION WALKING ‘YOUR WAY’ TRADITIONAL WALKING MEDITATION PRACTICES QIGONG EXERCISE BADUANJIN BASIC STANCES OPENING AND CLOSING MOVES ‘HOLD THE SPIRIT AND GUARD THE ONE’ AND ‘TWO HANDS HOLD UP THE HEAVENS’ ‘SEPARATE HEAVEN AND EARTH’ AND ‘WISE OWL GAZES BACKWARDS’ WITHDRAWING THE BOW TO SHOOT THE HAWK’ ‘TAKING OFF THE SHOES’ AND ‘BIG BEAR TURNS FROM SIDE TO SIDE’ ‘TWO HANDS HOLD THE FEET TO STRENGTHEN THE KIDNEYS AND WAIST’ ‘CLENCH THE FISTS AND GLARE FIERCELY’ ‘BOUNCING ON THE TOES SEVEN TIMES TO PREVENT DISEASE’ FINISHING BADUANJIN YOGA CORPSE POSE (SHAVASANA) STAYING IN CORPSE POSE OTHER FORMS OF MOVING MEDITATION MARTIAL ARTS SPORTS AND DANCING EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES AFTERWORD – MEDITATION IN YOUR DAILY LIFE RECOMMENDED READING THE BEGINNER'S BOOK OF MEDITATION A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO MEDITATION AND BREATHING TECHNIQUES WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY ATTILA OROSZ 1st Edition, Kindle – published in 2014, by Attila Orosz DISCLAIMER The information provided in this book is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. This book is not meant to be used, nor should it be used, to diagnose or treat any medical condition. For diagnosis or treatment of any medical problem, always consult a physician or other qualified health provider. Always consult a qualified medical professional before beginning any exercise program. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this book or in any other source may or may not mentioned in this volume. The publisher and author are not responsible for any specific health needs that may require medical supervision and are not liable for any damages or negative consequences from any treatment, action, application or preparation, to any person reading or following the information in this book. References or recommendations are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement of other sources. Preface The book you are reading is a short compendium of some of the most common methods and techniques of meditation known today, while also being an attempt to disseminate some common misunderstandings about the subject. It is not meant to be a comprehensive work, but a practical guide of the basics, with some, hopefully easy to follow advice that might help one to set on a new journey, or just help to deepen the practice of those, already on their way. Although there are, of course, many more meditation methods and techniques known to man, the ones selected for this book are those that are the easiest to learn and follow in daily practice, offering the greatest benefits, in return for a little invested effort. Please do not take this for a fast-track sales pitch. Contrary to what contemporary marketing strategies often try to make believe, there are no short- cuts, especially not in mental or spiritual growth and advancement, such as one would expect from meditation. You will have to invest sufficient time and dedication, but this does not necessarily mean that the journey cannot be easy. Although it is not a fast solution, this book definitely offers some methods, which could work ‘right out of the box’. The only requirement from you, dear reader, is: Once you have finished reading, you should put your new-found knowledge into practice. There are many excellent books on the market today, teaching and guiding through meditation techniques, some are more detailed, others may contain different, more recognised or more suitable methods for your individual needs. This book does not attempt to be better or superior to any other, or even try to compete. The volume you are reading is simply a complementary effort, offering some less well-known methods, often omitted from other works, besides an in-detail introduction to the most common techniques, with probably a slightly different approach towards them. You will find less about the philosophy and history of meditation practices and more practical advice on how to perform and observe them. This of course also means, that many commonly taught methods have had to be omitted. Indeed, this book will not cover some of the newer, more contemporary methods of meditation, it does instead focus on some traditional, time-proven techniques, without going too deep into the religious or spiritual and historical background, these traditional techniques usually complement. The methods described in the book are not follow-along meditations, from beginning to end, that you can just sit down and do step-by-step, prescribed for specific goals, situations, or life events. While there are many excellent books, that offer such guidance, this volume aims to be different. The goal of this book is, to help you understand meditation, through teaching the foundations of some popular as well as some lesser known techniques, empowering you with the knowledge and experience to build up your own routine, your own way, your own meditation practice. Although it may seem much easier to follow detailed advice from beginning to end, that would also restrict you to the pre-described path and no such advice may replace practice and personal experience. Meditation is an intimately personal journey and this book will try to provide you with a useful way to begin on that path. Detailed instructions will, of course, be given to start practising any method you choose, yet you will have to proceed in your own pace. This will develop and strengthen your self-discipline, also making your practice independent from any external source or guidance. WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR? This book is meant for anyone and everyone interested in learning meditation, regardless of age, sex, physical or mental state, or ability, religious philosophical, or spiritual views and previous experience in meditation practice. No questions of religion, philosophy or spirituality will be discussed within, only easy to learn techniques and methods, you may use along your way. Meditation will be regarded as a tool, or vehicle, you might use along your path, any path you have chosen or might choose at a later point in your life. Whether you seek the benefits of meditation itself, want to enhance your health, your mental capacity or ability, your studies or learning experiences, your physical strength, your career, being able to work more efficiently, become more compassionate or caring; or you pursue higher goals – be it spiritual advancement or enlightenment – deepen your religious experience; connectedness to others, or higher powers; deepen your understanding of philosophy or greater questions about life and existence, meditation has much to offer. Regardless of your goals, meditation will have its place in your daily routine and practice. Although this non-comprehensive book is, as the title suggests, aimed at the beginner, you are invited for a moment of reflection on who a beginner really is. What is the point after which a student or practitioner of any discipline might be considered advanced in the subject, nay a master of it? How do you measure mastery? Is it the years of practice? Is it a title or rank earned? Everyone may define levels of advancement differently and many would not consider themselves a beginner, after their many years of meditation experience. Yet, every new experience, everything you learn, means the beginning of something new. Not simply a continuation of a journey, but a whole new journey you set off, empowered by your new knowledge and experiences at every single moment. As the journey may always be regarded as a new one, you might eternally be at the beginning of it, therefore, in a sense, you could always