Do real men meditate?

For some strange reason I've never really got into meditation.  No-one has to convince me of the benefits it's just that it's never been my 'thing'.  I guess we all have our own way of touching base. Give me a freshly waxed pair of skies and a mountain full of freshly fallen snow and I'll be as focused as a lion about to claim lunch, or catch me on my Harley with open roads and sunshine ahead and I'm as relaxed as a baby at her mother's breast. But try to get me to sit still and do nothing for half an hour!  Nahhh, got far better things to do.  Anyway, isn't that stuff for girls?

Well more fool me.

If, as I believe, the name of game is to be able to give more of ourselves to all that we do and to all those we meet, don't we first need to know and have access to more of who we Really Are? I think that what follows can help us enormously. It's a form of meditation I was given by a friend that can have amazing results. When I have done this I've come away feeling nourished, renewed and more Self aware. Much more than that though, it helps us to connect with people at a deeper level and communicate more naturally.

The process is simple.  If you do not find it easy at first, don't worry. You can't help but benefit, even the first time you try it. We find it difficult enough to break old thought patterns and replace them with new ones.  What we are attempting to do here is to break old thought patterns and allow no new patterns to replace them. The more frequently you attempt this, the more completely you will find you are able to become immersed in it.

I use words here that attempt to point to Universal Truths (capitalised) that some may think of as 'hokie', religious (I'm not. Prefer to deal direct ;-)) or just plain irritating.  That's definitely not what's intended so just substitute with words you feel more comfortable with.

If, like me, you're one of those people who says they haven't got time for this sort of thing then, ironically, you'll probably benefit the most. There are no rules - just find yourself a comfortable, quiet place and let's begin -

Envision an hour glass, sand in the upper half, floating in a clear, cool pond which is nestled in a beautiful meadow lush with wild flowers. The rim of the glass and sand is just level with the surface of the pond. The hourglass is a metaphor of your mind, completely filled as the sand symbolically illustrates. It is so full that the water of the pond, representing the Universal Consciousness, the stream of your fully conscious Self, can only ripple across the top.

As you watch the sand slowly drain away, allow your mind to open up space as you see the sand slowly going down and more space being created until the sand is all gone.  As the sand has been draining away, the water from the pool of Consciousness just naturally fills the space.  Its flow has a very gentle, peaceful, loving feeling. It is this feeling that reassures you that simply because the sand thoughts have drained out doesn't mean there is nothing left except a void.  But more appropriately, this space is filled with this flow of feeling that is totally cohesive and not fragmented and into which you can just allow yourself to become totally immersed in it, you know that what is happening is that you are allowing your Divine Mind to embrace you.

Allow the feeling that being in this fluid is like being in the womb of your Divine Mind. This feeling, if you hold it and allow it to give you a sense of nurturing, will encourage you to see yourself as being born into the Divinity of your natural Self.  While you are engaged in this process, you won't be receiving answers to any specific questions but the very act of experiencing yourself being in this womb of Divinity will open up the feelings that will allow you to recognise those problems that you are working on for what they really are, and they will no longer seem fearful to you.

Hold no expectations. Allow the process itself to unfold for you and allow yourself to be open to the experience of that unfoldment.  Enter this process in total trust, absolutely total trust, that what your Divine Mind represents for you will be known to you in ways that require no questioning. It will become a process of Knowing.

Please let me know how you get on.  If you want me to, I could make this into a podcast, once I've learn how and have a little spare time.  Maybe you'd like to spread the love and pass this on; this is the most powerful de-stresser I know of, - perhaps you can think of someone who would benefit ;-)

A confession
It's not common knowledge but I go to a yoga class twice a week. Me and about 15 women. They have a 20 minute 'relaxation' period at the end so I guess I was not completely truthful - I actually do do a regular form of meditation. Although I'd rather this information not be publicised if you don't mind - the village I come from is full of hairy a*sed miners who don't take kindly to men doing that sort of thing.  ;-)

Thank you Tom Carpenter for all your gifts.

Tags: Meditation, Career , Stress, Creativity, Life, Success, Personal Growth, Personal Development, Yoga, Philosophy

Comments

[Jack Yan]

There are different techniques but I used to meditate regularly—something I fully intend to get back in to. It’s those new ideas that surface during those times that are interesting. In addition, being near water when you do it seems to help me.

[Rabbit]

Hmm...

The rim of the glass and sand is just level with the surface of the pond.

Given that description I see the hourglass as floating just above the pond.

But, if that's the case, how does water flow into the top area?

As the sand has been draining away, the water from the pool of Consciousness just naturally fills the space.

Sorry if it seems like I'm picking at the details, but it's hard for me to imagine that without knowing how the water is entering the hourglass.

Can anyone help me visualize this?

[Nick]

Jack -
I'm with you on the water thing. You've just got to go with whatever setting works for you. For some its a long, soaky bath. For others a walk on the wild side. And for some, sat in comfy chair in their den. Rivers and waterfalls do it for me - 'river of life' and all that!

Rabbit -
.....the rim of the glass and sand.........just level with the surface of the pond
.....the water of the pond.........can only ripple across the top
Get the picture?

Its useful to see that our 'everyday thinking mind' has a resistance to this sort of stuff - it hates being ignored or sidelined. And that's OK. It's just the way it is. As I said, if resistance arises and you find yourself getting stuck on semantics or technicalities just substitute for words you feel more comfortable with. It's the feeling and the recognition that this exercise leads to that is important, not the words themselves.

I wish you both much more than luck.

[Daldianus]

I agree. Meditating can be extremely refreshing and rewarding.

Though of course most men will probably be afraid of being sissies if they'd do stuff like them. But poor them if they've such a low self-esteem that they're so dependent on other people's views :)

[Mischa]

This is an example of creative visualization with a bit of creative prose mixed in. But frankly this has little to do with meditation. In my opinion (and practice) meditation should not be fixed visually or conceptually, but rather unfold freely within oneself.One can use a mantra or a focusing technique as an aid to cheat the "chattering monkey" of our brain, but other than that, let it flow where it may. Being Here and Now, requires no pretty words and images.

[Nick]

Hi Mischa.
You're quite right, 'meditation' may not be an appropriate term.... this little exercise simply is what it is.

The intention is not so much to get us to 'be here and now' (which as you say, requires nothing) but as an aid to being more Self aware.... to help give us a fuller, more realistic and more loving awareness of our own true nature.

Thank you for the feedback Mischa, and best wishes.

[MysticSaint]

hmm...

[Ryan]

Fwiw, there are many kinds of meditation, with different goals and different methods. The goal is not always to simply relax or focus.

For example, Buddhist meditations have different goals depending on the school. Hinayana/Theravada Buddhists meditate to become free of the disturbing feelings that result from ego habits. Mahayana Buddhists meditate to develop wisdom and compassion in order to benefit all other beings.

These goals are quite different from wishing to relax or experience a pleasant feeling.

[Nick]

You are quite right Ryan, people come to meditation with many and varied goals.

I suppose mediation is the same as many other things - in itself it has no meaning apart from that which we give it.... and so in this respect everyone is right. In other words, we tend to find whatever we are looking for.

Personally I find the most benefit in attaching no meaning at all... approaching it with the goal of having no goals or preconceptions of what might happen... coming to it empty handed, so to speak. It seems that the more we allow ourselves to be emptied the greater the opportunity to be filled up.

[Peach]

I'm with Rabbit...the description of the hourglass's position was unclear. Your reiteration didn't make it any more clear.

The problem is this: the hourglass has 2 "rims" - an upper and a lower (yes, you said "of glass and sand" and that the sand is in the top, but it's still not very clearly stated).

If the hourglass is immersed up to its UPPER rim, then it's completely submerged...so unless you visualize yourself snorkeling, you're not really gonna be seeing it very clearly.