5-Minute Mindfulness (24 page)

CREATE YOUR OWN VISUALIZATION EXERCISE

Creative visualization is best done on your own, following a script that you may compose and then read or tape for playback in a meditation session. Have fun with it!

It is also important to reverse the visualization after you’ve gone through it, before you open your eyes and return to ordinary activity. Think of it as taking a journey. You go along a new path, but you want to return to your starting place.

“The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.”

—E
MILY
D
ICKINSON

CHAPTER 11

TUNE IN TO MINDFULNESS

“Any idiot can face a crisis—it’s day to day living that wears you out.”

—A
NTON
C
HEKHOV

Sooner or later, no matter how hard we have tried to keep our emotions on an even keel as we navigate the inevitable storms of life, something happens that pushes us over the edge—and we feel ourselves start to sink into monkey mind, into hysteria, into that dark night of the soul.

Sometimes it’s a major catastrophe that overwhelms us by virtue of its enormity alone. But more often it’s a small thing that sets us off—the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back.

During such doubly stressful times, our usual coping methods fail us. This is when we can call on the strategies that appeal directly to our senses, bypassing the conscious mind altogether, playing upon our subconscious:

• Music to the ears

• Art to the eyes

• Aromatherapy to the nose

• Massage to the skin, including the bottoms of the feet

• Sustenance to the mouth

These are powerful remedies that resonate deep within our bodies, minds, and spirits.

Most are designed to support the ones we have already explored in this book, but adding these elements supercharges their effects.

It’s like mindfulness on steroids. So, the next time you feel stressed to the breaking point, you will have at your disposal the most potent aids mindfulness can provide—and you won’t even have to think about it. All you’ll have to do is breathe.

Sound viscerally impacts our bodies: We can’t help moving to the rhythms that we hear. We harness the power of sound to help us live a more mindful life.

Repetitive sounds and words have been used in meditative and mystical practices throughout the ages. They help us maintain spiritual focus by enhancing a particular frame of mind or feeling. Words and sounds are also metaphors for the path to enlightenment. For example, “Abracadabra” is a legendary magical word that is reputed to change lead into gold. It is the same for “Open Sesame,” the magical phrase that revealed the cave of the robber chief in
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.
Such words are metaphors for opening ourselves to the hidden treasures within us.

THE SOUND OF CREATION

Nearly all traditions cite the creation of the world as an act of sound or exhalation of breath. The Latin
spiritus
and the Greek
pneuma
both indicate breath and spirit. The Hindus envision the god Shiva emoting
spanda
, the cosmic rhythm of the universe, as he dances an eternal dance of life. The ancient Egyptians believed that when the god Thoth spoke the word of creation, all things vibrated into being. In Genesis, creation is brought into being at God’s utterance. In all these cosmogonies, the world manifests through sound, or vibration, continuing to expand in the resonance produced by the initial creative utterance.

Modern science is looking at the effect of sound in new ways. Laboratory studies show that music and rhythm can affect cellular life in positive or negative ways, depending on the sounds. In therapeutic settings and learning environments, we are beginning to see how important sound is for clearing the mind.

SOUND OFF EXERCISE

There are as many approaches to using sound as there are meditative styles. You can create your own sound program by listening to what is traditionally used and incorporating what “sounds right” to you. Perhaps you feel drawn to a particular hymn or chant, perhaps an operatic aria or a samba beat interests you, or maybe you feel more at ease with the blues or spirituals.

THE RHYTHM OF THE BRAIN

Sound and rhythm are wired into the human body. Electrical impulses between nerve cells produce all activity in the brain, the control center of the body. These impulses are measured in hertz, or cycles per second. In modern times, researchers have correlated specific states of consciousness with the number of cycles brain waves produce. Brain waves are grouped into four categories: delta, theta, alpha, and beta. However, current research is refining these categories as scientists learn more about the mind, the body, and consciousness.

Delta State:
The delta state, which consists of waves of 0.5 to 4.0 cycles per second, is found in deep sleep. This is the lowest cycle observed. In this state, the mind is not attentive to anything in the outside world.

Theta State:
The theta state, which consists of waves of 4 to 8 cycles per second, is found in light sleep and deep meditation. This is a “bridge state” between tranquility and drifting off into unconsciousness. Daydreams occur here, as well as events in which the person is conscious but unable to recall details.

Alpha State:
The alpha state, in which the waves are 8 to 12 cycles per second, is a relaxed state of nonarousal. Thinking disturbs the alpha state, but attention is active. Reflection and contemplation are associated with this category; it is the target state in most meditation and biofeedback exercises. The normal resting heart rate is about 72 beats per minute. The same rhythm is believed to induce a state of relaxation in the alpha state, and if emulated in music, it can be very hypnotic.

Beta State:
The beta state, consisting of waves of 12 to 16 cycles per second, is associated with the engaged mind. Activities such as speaking, relating to others, and learning a new skill fall into the beta state.

Mindfulness moves the mind away from the highly active wavelengths and into the contemplative and reflective wavelengths. Just imagine trying to relax when a road crew is operating a jackhammer outside your window. In the same way, the meditative frame of mind is best reached when the external sounds are conducive to this state and the internal wavelengths in the brain are cooperating. Music and mantra can help facilitate the transition to the deeper, more reflective states.

MANTRA: THE SACRED FORMULA

In many traditions, sound is an integral part of meditative work, and for some, it is sacred language. Sound is a mystical science in yoga and a focusing device in all branches of Buddhism. In these practices, certain tones, spoken or intoned, assist in narrowing attention. In Sufism, Judaism, and Christianity, these tones take the form of recitation of sacred names and phrases to achieve a centered state and oneness with spirit. Chant is also an important part of both religious and secular life in all of the indigenous religions of Africa, Asia, the South Pacific, and the Americas. It unifies the mind of a tribe, while preserving some of the culture’s history and beliefs.

Sound and music evoke certain states of mind that reflect mythologic and universal themes. Here are some examples:

•
The Creator:
Sounds that evoke the creative nature, placing the person at the center of the environment. Chants, invocations, and holy names fortify the will and self-awareness.

•
The Peacemaker:
Sounds that promote harmony and tranquility, allowing everyone to meet in agreement. Hymns and ballads are often expressions of peace.

•
The Unifier:
Sounds that join people together in the same spirit of thinking or feeling. Prayers and songs that proclaim divine qualities unify people. Words of inspiration and courage, such as national anthems and military marches, also fall into this category.

In some traditions, mantras are regarded as being as powerful as other meditative activities, such as breathing, posture, and visualization. Just say the word, and you’re there!

HOW MANTRAS WORK

In the Middle East, you will hear the call to prayer five times a day. In Europe, the church bells sound daily. At Japanese shrines, wind chimes produce soothing sounds. In these cultures, sounds both awaken the listener and prepare him/her for quieter moments, reminding everyone that peaceful times are approaching.

5-Minute Sound Experiment

Try an experiment to observe how sound affects the environment. Cover the surface of a shallow dish with a small amount of water. Place the dish in front of a stereo speaker, turn on the music, and watch the patterns form on the surface. You’ll notice different patterns forming when the musical rhythms and tones change.

When entering into a meditation, we must first empty ourselves of thought. Reciting mantras and toning sounds facilitate this process. Repetitive auditory signals, especially if they are produced in a calming, consistent manner, relax thought. Then, launching into stillness requires less effort. It’s important to remember that the science of mantra is a mindfulness tool, but it is not mindfulness. Only when the mind is still is one in a state of mindfulness.

TUNING IN TO YOUR OWN VIBE

Mantras are often linked to vowels that resonate with you in a comfortable, familiar way. Some suggest that the first vowel in your name is the most effective to use in meditation. This is because you are so used to hearing it that it is incorporated in your “vibration.”

Many sounds can be used to achieve balance and calm. Toning is one technique that is widely used for meditative and healing work. Toning is really an ancient art form used to restore “harmonic balance” when illness or other crises occur. As with meditations practiced in many traditions, repetitiveness is important. Here’s how it works: You repetitively intone specific sounds, giving great care to quality and duration of the intonation. Think of it as mindful humming, though the mouth is not closed in this technique.

In this system, consonants have highlighting effects, in the same way punctuation gives meaning to the written word. For example, the
Om
mantra combines the focus of the
o
sound with the quality of extension provided by the
m
sound. In this way, words in prayer and meditation have become incorporated in the science of sacred language. While the Hindus resonate to
Om
, Christians and Jews use
amen
, and Muslims use
amin
.

MANTRAS TO USE IN MEDITATION

Sequences of words are also used in meditation to evoke particular states of awareness. Each tradition has its own powerful mantras, although some mantras may be used for specific circumstances. To use them, follow these guidelines:

1. Confine your use of mantras to one per meditation session.

2. Intone the mantra after you are physically settled; this sets the stage for evoking the particular state you are seeking.

3. Breathe in, then recite the mantra slowly while exhaling. Intone each vowel for as long as possible, and use the consonants as “punctuation.”

4. Recite the mantra three times, followed by two to three minutes of silence.

5. You may repeat this cycle as many times as you wish, but devote some time, at least ten to fifteen minutes, to conclude in silence and allow the mantra to vibrate within.

Here are some mantras with pronunciation keys:

• Yod He Vau He
(yahd-hey-vow-hey):
Hebrew for the holy name of God, written as
YHWH
or “Jehovah.”

• Sat Nam
(saaht-namm):
In yoga, meaning “I am truth.”

• Om Mani Padme Hum
(ah-um-ma-nee-pad-may-hum):
In Buddhism, “Behold, the jewel in the lotus.”

THE SOUND OF MEDITATION

In ancient Greek mythology, Orpheus possessed a magic lyre with seven strings, made from an ox skull. Each of the strings was tuned to the motion of the seven planets and could induce the listener to hear the “music of the spheres.” It is said that all who heard the sounds of this lyre—animals, planets, people, and even the elements—were transported to divine states of mind.

Throughout time, some instruments have been associated with prayer and meditation. These instruments can be used to expand your practice and experience something new. It’s a good idea to experiment with the sounds produced by these tools before you buy them, though. Most stores will not object to your listening for a time to the tones of an instrument you are considering for purchase. Before purchasing, you might also listen to recorded music produced with certain instruments. If they help settle you mentally or emotionally, they will probably be helpful in your meditation oasis as well. Some instruments may be distracting to you. For example, the drum is centering for bodywork but distracting in mental exercises. Meditation instruments should be used to “set the stage” for a meditative session. They can be used to open a sitting that will be followed by silence, or a session can alternate between sound exercises and silent meditation. Here, it is just as important to discern the effects of sound following the experience of it. Instruments to consider include: