There are three ways to meditate:
1. Meditating on a drawing or a sound (mantra, mandala, symbol, etc.)
In this case, we should start with an intense visualization of the draw that we want to use in our meditation. In the place where we see a light in our mind when we meditate, we should fixate the image or the sound as if it were photography or a song that we are seeing or hearing. The most important thing is to reach the better clarity as possible, so fixate on the image or sound all the details you can. Once you do this, start feeling and observing whatever comes to your mind when you see or hear this image or sound. Try to ask yourself all the questions you can about the visualization you are doing. Here are a few ideas you can use:
- The Cross: The cross as a symbol is usually an ideal image to meditate about divine power, sacrifice, protection, beauty and harmony.
- The Yin-Yang Symbol: This Chinese icon can be very useful to inspire nature’s equilibrium, to understand opposites and complements, polarity, light and darkness, perfection.
- The Star yantra: The start with the point in the middle is a Hindu yantra very well known. If you take a better look, you will see two triangles, one facing up and the facing down. This icon can inspire you with deep spirituality, universal power, inner light.
- The OM: Although it is used as a mantra, you can also use it symbol to meditate with or without sound. It can inspire you with eternal knowledge, spiritual deepness, and inner power.
- The peace dove: You can meditate on the peace dove and watch what it suggests you and how you are to her.
- Planet Earth: You can also meditate on the image of the Earth or the Moon and watch what they suggest to you.
Of course, you can meditate on images or pictures of angels, masters, saints, teachers, etc.
2. Meditating on a Deep Thought
In this case, the thing is to put a quote or thought in our mind and meditate on it. We will try to ask every kind of questions about this thought. Here there are some quotes and thoughts:
- Our friends teach us what we can do; our enemies teach us what we should. (Jung)
- I am God, and so do you. The problem is that you do not believe it. (Krisnamurti)
- By the fruit I can recognize the tree (Erasmus of Rotterdam)
3. Meditating on whatever comes into the meditation
Maybe is the hardest way, but it is usually the most constructive. In this kind of meditation, we let our mind in blank and pay attention to whatever shows up in that moment. Anyway, to avoid getting distracted, you can add a calmed observation of our inner self. We can go deep inside ourselves and see what it is that we find. This way, images, sounds, sensations come to light. So, we have to start analyzing them with many questions about what shows up and then get our own conclusions. Meditation is, before all, an exercise that requires practice and the most you do it, the deeper it will go. Some strong meditations show us perfectly our past and our future. Meditating will help us deal with our ego, clean our soul weaknesses and help us get closer to God.