Meditation

Workbook
 Preface:
As the world takes on a fast pace much more stress is added to the daily
lives of its inhabitants. Being a Pagan requires one to slow down and totally
relax just as our ancestors did. Meditation is the key to achieving both
survival in todays world and strength within our religion.

Todays children face the world of a different note than parents, however,
things run just as fast leaving just as much stress. Meditation can aid them
in coping with things and with their overall health as well as build a solid
foundation for their religious journey.

Meditation begins with education and ends when individuals make it

personal and add their own signature to the method and procedure they use.
This workbook hopes to act as an aid to both of these goals.

As with all religious work you may want to skim things and make
corrections and/or deletions where desired to fit your exact belief within
the Pagan realm.

Enjoy.

TristA
 What does it mean to meditate?

Take a look at the code below:

A B C D E F G H I J

K L M N O P Q R S T

U V W X Y Z

Fill in the blanks below to find the definition.

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In other words your mind stops and relaxes like it does when you sleep, but
you are awake.
Everyone should meditate for many reasons. Draw a line from the reason to
meditate to the person that is meditating for that reason.

Lenas Dr. says to relax her

To relax stomach so she wont get sick so
much.

Nora needs to take a break from

To connect with life energy
her stressful life.

Lisa wants to feel when

To keep senses sharp something is wrong without
asking.

Maury has decided to connect

For health reasons
with nature more.

These are only a few reasons to meditate; there seems to be as many reasons
as there are people. Most people who meditate do it for at least two reasons
and range in age from younger than you to older than your grandparents.

The reasons above are all very good reasons for you to meditate which can
also be an aid in your religion.

Being a Pagan you will need to:

- know how to calm down before starting certain procedures

- be totally aware of things around you

- use your energy to connect with nature and the Gods and Goddesss.

Meditation is not something you have to do it is something that you should

want to do so you can be stronger in all areas of your life especially in your
religion.
Complete the following exercises to better understand one of the reasons
Pagans meditate.

1. Know how to calm down before starting certain procedures

Now: Go for a short (2 min.) brisk walk or run outside or using a path in the
house over and over. When done sit down and read a paragraph or page of
an easy to read book.

When done write down on a piece of paper the important things about your
experience. Next you will take a break of at least an hour or wait until
another day then do the next step in this exercise.

Later: Go for a short (2 min.) brisk walk or run outside or using a path in the
house over and over. When done stand with your arms out to your side,
close your eyes and breathe in slowly 2 or 3 times concentrating on them
and slowly counting in your head as you do them (count both in and out
breaths). Next sit down and read a paragraph or page of an easy to read
book.

Findings: Write on a paper the difference in the two experiences. Be sure to

write down how you felt, how easy or hard it was to read the book and all
other differences in the two exercises. Next why you think there was a
difference. When done read the result to find out what the differences
should have been and see how it compares with your experiment.

Result: Did you notice the feelings that came over you when you were just
breathing? This is a slight form of meditation. Did you notice the difference
in your concentration and smoothness of your reading each time? I bet you
did better after that form of meditation.

2. Be totally aware of things around you

Now: Go for a small walk in a wooded area, park, or shopping center.

When done write in a small note pad a list of things, people and animals you
saw on your walk.

When done write down on a piece of paper the important things about your
experience. Next you will take a break of at least an hour or wait until
another day then do the next step in this exercise.
Later: Take a few minutes to close your eyes and slowly rub your hands
together in a circular motion. You will need to count each time while
concentrating on the feeling of your skin touching. Then you will walk in
the same area as before and make another list of the things, people and
animals that you saw on your walk.

Result: The relaxing and concentrating on your hands and feelings is a form
of meditation. Did you notice that your second list was longer? It is a fact
that if you relax you will be able to concentrate more on the things around
you.

3. Use your energy to connect with nature and the Gods and Goddesss

Now: Go to a quiet place outdoors, preferably in an area where there are

usually a lot of birds. Stand for awhile until you spot a bird and observe it
for a few minutes.

When done write down the feelings you had when you watched the bird.

Later: Go to the same area but this time before you look for the bird close
your eyes and listen for birds. Using only the sound see if you can
determine which direction the bird is in and if you hear it moving from one
spot to another. When you have grown tired of this (it must be done at least
two minutes) open your eyes and stand, spot a bird, and observe it for a few
minutes.

Result: Did you notice that it was easier to find the bird when you first
prepared yourself and/or connected to it first? Did you feel that you spent
more time and enjoyed watching it the second time? I bet you actually felt
different about everything from being in the area to seeing the bird when you
did a small form of meditation first.
 Understanding and being able to control your body, emotion and self are
very important in meditation. A series of exercises are listed below to
help you accomplish and understand this thoroughly. You are to
complete all exercises completely (this may take trying them several
times) before checking them off.

While sitting quietly visualize something entering through your nose as

_____ you breathe and have it bounce around all over your body trying to get out
until it comes back to your nose and leaves. You will need to physically
feel it as it touches different parts of you; your skin, muscle, veins etc

_____ While sitting quietly over exaggerate each of the sense, one at a time
doing small tasks.

_____ While sitting quietly, bring discomfort until it become comfort (lighting
pulling you hair over and over, lightly pinching your arm, etc)

_____ While standing quietly do some repetitive talking or singing until it eases
you and you no longer think about what you are doing.

_____ Stop yourself in a busy or commotion time and count your breathes
without thinking of anything going on around you; count at least ten slow
breaths in and out.

_____ While sitting do some visualization; visualize a painter making a scene of

a beach with the wind blowing.

_____ When you get small cuts or pains practice doing a visual (ball of light)
while staring at it and follow its path out of the body by the closest out
point (fingers, toes, eyes, ears, mouth)

When you have a minor irritation (emotion, pain, or itch) stop where you
are and will it away. To do this you need to become one with it by
_____
making it less of a priority worthy of your attention. It will get weaker
slowly and eventually have the same level of attention as everythig else in
your body, like breathing, and wont be a distraction at all. .

It might be easier to do some meditation exercises to ease into meditation.

Feel free to do as many as you want, however, it is recommended that you
do at least four. Check them off as you do them.
 Meditation Obstacles

There can be things that get in your way when you are trying to meditate. These things
can make your meditation session unsuccessful. It is important that you control them and
get rid of them so you can have a great meditation experience. There are several ways to
get rid of them and when you start to meditate using this workbook as a guide keep them
in mind, try each one and find a way that works for you to get rid of them.

Below are some things that could be obstacles in your meditation and some suggestions
on what you can do about them:

Anger Crying Excited

These are all emotions you should not meditate when you are experiencing
other emotions so strong that they will keep you from being able to
concentrate on your meditation. You need to clear these emotions before
starting.

Dad talking on phone Television Odors

These are distractions When you meditate you should find a spot where the
noises around you dont distract you. It is important that you are able to
concentrate on what you are doing and block out everything else. As you
get better at meditating you will be able to have more going on in the
background and still ignore it.

Thinking of homework Worrying about chores Concentrating on a fight

These are unfinished business If you still have some things that are
unfinished to the point that they have you spending your energy by
worrying, thinking or concentrating on them then you cant meditate
properly. If these things are taking a lot of your energy you need to
complete them before meditating. There will be the same things that come
up but you dont spend energy on them so it is okay that they arent finished.
 Main Types of Meditation

There are two main types of meditation that should be done by everyone for the
meditation experience to be a total success. They work hand in hand and if both are done
on a regular basis they will make a more healthy and happy person out of you.

On-the-spot

This type of meditation is done when you need a break. On-the-spot

meditation can last from 10 seconds to 5 minutes and is done just about
anywhere. The break can be needed because you need to control more of the
situation or of yourself.

Here is a situation:
When playing ball, Tom was called out by the umpire. He felt he was safe. The Tom
and the umpire got into an argument over who was right. In the end Tom was suspended
from the game and his team lost because he was their best pitcher.

Here is how on-the-spot meditation could have helped out:

Toms situation got out of hand because two people with hot heads were talking. If Tom
had taken a second to meditate at the point when he got called out he would have settled
his emotions and not argued with the umpire. Meditation isnt about giving in, it is about
settling yourself. In this situation although Tom wouldnt have settled down on-the-spot
he would have thought of a more calm way to handle the situation and other options he
could have like reporting the umpire, calmly discussing it with his coach and/or the
umpire during a time-out, or simply protesting the call through the league.

Daily

This type of meditation is done everyday, or on a regular basis. Although

you may see immediate results from it, you will see more long term results.
This type of meditation will aid in your overall personal growth and will aid
in long term maintenance of it.

Here is the situation:

Tina is a great football player because she is quick on her feet, has great depth perception
and can throw the ball further than anyone in the neighborhood. Every Saturday the
block plays football and has a barbeque. Tina watches the game from the sidelines
because she is shy and notices that there is only one other girl that plays, and she is made
fun of.

Here is how daily meditation can help out:

By meditating daily she becomes more comfortable with herself and realizes that the after
effect of her playing isnt as important to her as the actual fun she will have when she
plays. She also realizes that her playing football doesnt have to be stepping over a line
of being cool or being picked on. She can practice more and blow them away with talent
and they will be more interested in her being on their team and winning than the fact that
she is a girl. Meditation isnt about accepting the bad things around you, it is more about
making conscious decisions with a clear mind and to connect more with your soul.

Always remember

Meditation has nothing to do with you bowing down or becoming invincible.

Meditation is not meant to be used as a crutch and should never be used to

escape reality
 Meditation Rules

Before we go into details about on-the-spot and daily meditation be aware

that everything you do has rules and guidelines that must be followed in
order for it to be a total success and meditation is no different. Below are
some important things to remember for your own meditation sessions. Take
into consideration that these are guidelines because meditation is something
that you need to personalize to your own situation, needs, and ways of doing
things.

Where:
Mediating is done almost anywhere and in any situation. Many people meditate many
times during the day in different places and in different ways. The important thing is to
meditate in a comfortable zone. The noise level should be normal for the area and not
totally still and quiet, not that you could find that anywhere.

When:
You should meditate whenever you feel you need to as well as on a daily regular basis.
There is a difference in the two and you should be aware of that. Meditating when you
need to is used to work on control of yourself and the things around you in order to
smooth your own life. Daily meditation should be done to sharpen yourself and connect
your inner and outer self more.

What to wear:
Wear anything that makes you comfortable. Sometimes this is difficult for the when you
need it meditation times but you can make up for not having the proper dress by
concentrating more on the other parts of the meditation process.

Before & after exercises:

Some say that you should do warm-up and cool-down exercises and others feel that they
arent necessary for daily meditation periods. Try to do them a few times and if you feel
they make things better then continue them, if they dont help your meditation then dont
do them. What the warm-up and cool-down exercises are differ as well but it is safe to
say do things that work for you and avoid the things that dont.

Before & after ritual:

Some people feel it necessary to do a certain ritual before and after each meditation
period they have. The rituals vary from walking a circle two times before sitting down to
ceremonies done before and after the actual meditation. It is believed that these are done
to get the individual in the right state of mind to meditate. These rituals seem to be up
to individual tastes whether they are needed or effective. If it feels right and is doable
for you then by all means do it. If it is something that doesnt feel right and/or you dont
have the time for them then dont feel obligated to do them.
Posture:
There are many different positions used in meditation and even more correct postures to
go with them. It is important to remember that although meditation should be something
you tailor to yourself, you need to also make it serious. The easiest way to make it
serious is to pay close attention to your posture; if you are sitting be sure to sit in your
best posture with back straight and head level, if you are standing be sure to stand straight
with shoulders back and feet shoulder length apart. The posture you use needs to be
enough to let your body know that it is time to get serious but also comfortable
(sometimes after becoming used to it) enough to relax for the best meditation experience
you can have.

How long:
The length of time you need to meditate will differ throughout your life and will probably
never be the same for long. Meditation should be done long enough to accomplish its
purpose which will be different for each person, situation, and routine. This will be hard
to judge when you first begin so it is best to meditate past the mind busy time and stop
before you fall asleep.

Life Changes:
It is true that to have the best meditation experience you can have it is best to do a few
things in your life like slow down, relax more, and eliminate the problems and stresses
you have. This is recommended for a lot of great reasons and by tons of experts for each
of the reasons to back up the theory. Those changes are needed and will come on their
own as you meditate more. Meditating will help you see things a little differently if done
on a regular basis and you will begin to make more good decisions which will enhance
your life as a whole.

The most important rule

Meditation is something you are doing for your health, inner-self, and your religion. It
needs to be done the most relaxing and effective way that works for you. Be sure to
personalize your meditation practices and stay faithful to it because it could save more
than you know in the long run.
 On-The-Spot Meditation basics

If you are at home and get upset you probably go off somewhere, like your room to
regroup and clear your thoughts and actions. When you are done with your small ritual
you feel better and are able to cope with the stresses that caused you to reach the point of
needing that time. This is a very raw form of on-the-spot meditation. It will take both
practice and fine tuning before it is considered on-the-spot meditation. When you have
successfully succeeded in on-the-spot meditation the time out sessions you had in your
room will more or less be cut in half and will be much more effective.

Daily meditation will teach you the state of mind that you will need to reach through
meditation. You need to make sure that no matter what form or length your on-the-spot
meditation takes, that you reach that state of mind. You will need to also open up your
creative thinking, which may be hard at first, to find a place and position for your
meditation. Through trial and error you will reach a point where you will be able to
effectively hold on-the-spot meditation sessions without effort. When this happens you
will notice that life will seem to get a lot less stressful for you as well.

It is hard to come up with a specific way to meditate when the times, places, and reasons
to meditate change by the second. When you first start you will have to remind yourself
when you need to stop for a breather and use the opportunity to meditate to enhance the
break. After some time reminding yourself to meditate you will just know when it is time
to.

Each situation, place and time of day or night will play major factors in how you perform
on-the-spot meditation. You will also need to find the right fit of the whole meditation
practice for you as an individual. Basically you will do it when you feel it is right and the
procedure will be a comfortable experience for you. To help get your wheels turning on
ways to vreate your personal on-the-spot meditation plan a small list of some other
peoples favorite on-the-spot meditation practices are listed below.

Turn towards the direction of the Starring at the ground and breathing
sun, closing eyes, and rubbing deep slow breathes while allowing
temples your vision to blur

Pacing the floor or ground in the Sitting with only toes touching the
form of a figure eight. floor and heels moving in different
directions while closing eyes
 On-The-Spot Meditation Exercises

A list of different on-the-spot meditations are below. You will need to try at
least 3 of them. Be sure to try each one that you choose at least three times
before checking it off.

_____ Gravity Pull place your feet on the ground and concentrate on the feeling of
the meeting between the feet and the ground or floor. Imagine how large of a force it
takes to keep you on the earth. Move to different parts of your body and feel how the
gravity is actually pulling more than just your feet. Try doing this in a different position
(laying down, sitting, standing, etc) each time you do it for more fun.

_____ Daily Review Sit comfortably somewhere and after taking a little time to
settle in to a relaxed body start thinking about your day. Start from the morning and roll
through it in your head until you reach the point where you sat down. Finish all
unfinished business in your mind by completing all conversations, running through
actions that you didnt have time to make, and so on. When you have reached the point
you are now you will have closed the day properly and will rest better.

_____ Slow Letter Check While sitting or laying comfortably go through the
alphabet really slow using only the sounds of the letters in stead of the letters themselves.
Be sure to stretch out the sound and say them as slowly as humanly possible. As you say
each one concentrate on how your mouth moves, the way the sounds are made and how
they make your body feel as you are saying them.

_____ Listen to Silence Sit in a very quiet place indoors or in nature and close
your eyes. Listen to the sounds around you for a second so you can identify with them
but then drift from them to the sound that total silence gives off. Find the silence sound
and try to find a pattern (or song) that it is made up of. Concentrate on that sound. The
next time you do this try it in a different spot to see if the song is the same or if it changes
with location.

_____ Hum Sit up straight while in a comfortable position. Hum to yourself

(Hmmmmmm) in a middle volume sound. A few seconds before you run out of breath
stop (make sure you dont struggle with breathing in any way), breathe quickly and take a
second hmmm sound. Continue this procedure until you have relaxed and feel
regenerated.
 Daily Meditation Basics

Some ideas to spice up or aid you in finding your daily meditation routine:

Never meditate hungry or right after eating

Find a regular routine to follow before and after meditating
using things that relax you (dancing, showering, singing, etc)
Dont do daily meditation when you are feeling a strong
emotion do on-the-spot meditation to clear that emotion first
Tell everyone that might bother you that you are meditating and
turn off things that might bother you (phone, clock, etc)
Dont do daily meditation when ill or running a temperature
Until you are really good at it, dont do daily meditation with
other people (unless they are training you)

Daily Meditation Exercises

There are a few ways to meditate on a daily basis. It is recommended that

you find a way that works best for you which may or may not be mentioned
in this workbook. The three most common ways are listed below. It is
recommended that you try each of them for at least a week before checking
them off of the list. Stay faithful and give each way a chance, who knows it
might be the one you like the most.

_____ Quiet Meditation Count your breaths to yourself for a while and as you
drift into a meditative state stop the counting and clear your mind.

_____ Mantra Meditation Say a mantra (verse or line of poetry) over and over
to yourself in a smooth monotone voice for a while and when you begin to drift into a
meditative state, stop the mantra and clear your mind.

_____ Resting Meditation Lay down with your back against the floor and clear
your mind whatever way you feel comfortable with as you drift into a meditative state.

Keep In Mind

In the end you may use one or a combination of methods for you daily
meditations and portions of different methods, or whatever feels right on the
fly, for your on-the-spot meditation practices.
 Bibliography:
8 Minute Meditation; Victor Davich

Meditation for All Kids; Susan Kramer

Meditation For Dummies; Stephan Bodian

Meditation Made Easy; Lorin Roche, Ph.D.

One Minute Meditator; David Nichol, M.D. & Bill Birchard

World Dictionary, North American Edition; Encarta