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Benefits of EquiSync:
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 The DIY, Self-help Guide to Meditation
In the last few years, the self-help or DIY (for "Do It Yourself") movement has taken off. We are a people who like to do things ourselves. Whether that is fixing the toilet or building a deck, we are a DIY kind of people. In almost every aspect of life, there is a "dummies guide to" book on Amazon, which are essentially self-help books for the average person to take on what used to be handled by professionals. So too, it is possible to take a self-help viewpoint on the subject of meditation.
As with any self-help guide, the first step is to take the mystery out of meditation. Meditation comes loaded with mystery because the practice of meditation is woven into so many exotic Asian cultures and religions. The image we get about meditation of that Buddhist or Taoist Guru sitting on a mountaintop in some painful posture and in a trance for days on end seems completely unattainable for the average self-help enthusiasts.
That image is not an accurate portrayal of how millions of people around the world use meditation for self-help in gaining better focus of mind and serenity of the soul. While there are always "purists" who will have a deep understanding of advanced techniques of meditation, the self-help approach to meditation can give you 80% of the benefits of meditation with only 20% of the fuss or less. That is a good 80/20 rule for any self-help guide to offer.
The basics of meditation that any self-help seeker can easily access are place, posture, focus, breathing and duration. There is sixth element which is repetition because to achieve real benefits from doing meditation even in a self-help fashion, seeing it as a habit rather than one time event is the best approach. The important thing to keep in mind is that it you cannot really mess meditation up. You can customize meditation to your lifestyle and to what you can achieve and still get that 80/20 rule to work for you.
Place
You don’t need that mountaintop to get real benefits in your self-help program for meditation. You can do it anywhere you are. You can even use meditation in your car or at the office. Meditation can be a huge resource to turn to if you have a difficult moment where you feel your emotions getting away from you. The self-help value of meditation is if you can find a quiet chair where you can use your meditation methods, you can get back your clarity of mind and that serenity that gives you emotional control.
For your daily self-help driven meditation practice, use a quiet room at home where noise can be eliminated or minimized and where you can sit comfortably. To use meditation, you will look inward briefly and achieve a very simple focused state of mind. So try to eliminate distractions.
Time can also be a factor. You may find you can set aside a short period of time for self-help meditation first thing in the morning better than later in the evening when the family is busy and wanting your attention. The great thing about meditation is that you can pick the place and time that works for you.
Posture
The reason for that weird posture you see in when meditation is being done in the movies is that the person is seeking to achieve an erect spine and a posture that is easy to sustain. Like place, posture is up to you. You should use a posture that is sitting up because if you lay down, you may fall asleep. Standing would be distracting because of the temptation to pace. You can sit cross-legged on the floor if that is good for you. But you can get plenty of self-help from meditation sitting in a chair with a good back so your spine is straight and you can breathe easily and comfortably.
Focus
Meditation is simply the practice of quieting your mind by focusing on something very simple. It can be a spot on the wall, a candle or a picture. Rest your eyes on that object and simply allow your mind to dwell there. Your goal will be to quiet your thoughts and only allow that object to occupy your mind. The object is not the important thing. The important thing is that the exercise of focusing on the object quiets the mind and allows you to become still in your emotions, your thoughts and your state of mind as well.
Breathing
The breathing exercises for meditation are not difficult and you can do them in a self-help program of meditation. Simply think about your breathing and begin to breathe in long and deliberate steps. Draw in your breath until your lungs are full. Think about the feeling of breathing in. Don't hold your breath but simply release it very slowly and deliberately. Repeat. This simple act of breath control is the very heart of the power of meditation. You will be astounded by the effect of meditation with those two simple principles, focus and breathing to guide you. No gurus. No mountains. Simple self-help steps to greater focus, concentration and peace of mind.
Duration.
More good news. There is no "perfect duration" for how long you should be in meditation. It will take some time to build up the patience and mental stamina to stay in a contemplative state for very long. Simply check your time when you begin your meditation session and then when you are done. If you only stay in meditation for two minutes, try to stay in for three minutes next time. By gradually increasing the duration of your meditation, are in charge of the growth of your exercises. That is real self-help.
The mind does not naturally stay still and focused without practice. Because the discipline to use meditation for longer and longer periods of time comes from within, all meditation is really self-help. This is not to say that some time in the future, you should not seek out a teacher, take a class, read a few books or articles like this one or explore other kinds of meditation. By continuing to learn more and more about meditation, you will never get bored. Meditation will go beyond a self-help project and become an important part of your emotional, mental and spiritual life. And all of those parts of life will benefit because you took the initiative to use your self-help zeal to learn the art of meditation.
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