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Most spiritual traditions teach meditation in one form or another, but you don't have to belong to any particular faith in order to reap the benefits of regular meditation, or the creative and emotional release of visualisation. Typically, meditation involves sitting still in a quiet atmosphere, stilling the mind, and focusing on an object of meditation - perhaps a candle, a mantra or simply one's own breath. The first time you try to meditate, you will be astonished at how difficult is actually is to still the mind and stop your thoughts chattering away. There are hundreds of exercises you can use to practise this, but my favourite is what I call the Everyday Object test. Pick an everyday object - a cup, a pillow, a pair of scissors, whatever. Sitting comfortably, still and quiet, focus on the object. Hold the image of it still in your mind. Recognise the detail of it, the fabric, the metal, the texture, the pattern. You will find your thoughts continually wandering away from the object - bring them back and focus again on the object. With practice, it becomes easier, and is an excellent exercise to master before attempting meditation proper. A mantra is a word or phrase used as an object of meditation. By constantly repeating a mantra, either out loud or to themselves, practitioners distract themselves from their restless thoughts and enter a meditative state of awareness. Traditionally, a spiritual teacher gives a student a mantra tailored to his or he specific needs, but in reality any word or phrase which holds spiritual significance for the practitioner can be used as a mantra. Some religious paths use the names of God as a mantra. Muslims repeat Allah or one of the other "Ninety nine most beautiful names of God", and Christian and Jewish mystics also used names or name paths of God in their work. "OM", pronounced A-U-M is a Hindu mantra used by millions worldwide. In Hinduism, this is regarded as the primal sound of the universe, and therefore repeating it connects you to the underlying life vibration. Koans are profound riddles, used as a form of meditation by some schools of Zen. More information on Zen koans can be found on our Zen page. Visualisation is a form of meditation which uses the power of the imagination to encourage particular states of spiritual being, or to heal, or grow. Visualisation is a way of communicating with your unconscious mind. Visualisation can range from the extremely complicated Buddhist Tantric traditions to the straightforward imagining of a calm ocean or other beautiful environment. For more information, visit our Meditation and Guided Visualisation section in the new age shop.
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