GENERAL INFORMATION
What is meditation?
There are many types of meditation. The one definition that fits almost all types is..."Consciously directing your attention to alter your state of consciousness."
There's no limit to the things you can direct your attention toward... symbols, sounds, colors, breath, uplifting thoughts, spiritual realms, etc. Meditation is simply about attention... where you direct it, and how it alters your consciousness.
What is the purpose of meditation?
Traditionally meditation was (and still is) used for spiritual growth...i.e. becoming more conscious; unfolding our inner Light, Love, & Wisdom; becoming more aware of the guiding Presence in our lives; accelerating our journey home to our True Self... our Spirit.
More recently, meditation has become a valuable tool for finding a peaceful oasis of relaxation and stress relief in a demanding, fast-paced world.
Other uses include:
- Healing
- Emotional cleansing & balancing
- Deepening concentration & insight
- Manifesting change
- Developing intuition
- Unlocking creativity
- Exploring higher realities
- Finding inner guidance
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General Guidelines for Meditation
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Put your expectations aside, and don't worry about doing it right. There are infinite possibilities and no fixed criterion for determining right meditation. There are, however, a few things to avoid.
They are... 
- Trying to force something to happen.
- Over-analyzing the meditation.
- Trying to make your mind blank or chase thoughts away.
- Putting too much emphasis on doing it right.
- It's not necessary - or advisable - to meditate on a completely empty stomach. If you're hungry, have a little something to eat before meditating.
- Find a quiet, comfortable place to meditate. You can sit in a comfortable chair, on the bed, on the floor... anywhere that's comfortable. It's not necessary to sit cross-legged. Your legs can be in any position that is comfortable.
- Eliminate as much noise and as many potential distractions as possible. Don't worry about those things that you can not control.
- When you sit to meditate, sit comfortably, with your spine reasonably straight. This allows the spiritual energy to flow freely up the spine, which is an important aspect of meditation. Leaning against a chair back, a wall, headboard, etc. is perfectly all right. If, for physical reasons, you can't sit up, lay flat on your back.
- Place your hands in any position that is comfortable.
- If it does not go against your beliefs, call on a "higher source" for assistance in your meditation. Any form is all right. This can be quite helpful, but is not absolutely necessary.
Some Misconceptions about Meditation
Misconception #1. Meditation is turning off your thoughts or making your mind a blank.
- Not True ...Inner quietness is experienced in meditation, but not by willfully turning off thoughts. Quieting the mind results naturally from:
- the effectiveness of the method used... and
- an uplifting spiritual energy that is beyond our own efforts.
Misconception #2. Meditation is difficult and requires great concentration.
Not True ...Meditation can be easily learned and practiced. Meditation is only difficult if we become too concerned with doing it correctly or incorrectly. Although staying focussed in meditation does become easier with time and practice, it is definitely not a requirement for beginning to meditate. Thinking that we should be good at focussing when first starting out, is essentially putting the cart before the horse.
Misconception #3. Meditation is not successful unless we see interesting things in our mind.
Not True...Although some meditations are specifically for visualizing, many are not. In those meditations, seeing things may be entertaining, but is not essential. Even visualization does not necessarily require seeing. Some people sense or feel things inwardly, and that's all right.
Getting Started
If you wish to begin an ongoing meditation practice, here's what I suggest you do to get started...
First, read the General Guidelines and Misconceptions in this room. Next read the material in the FAQs Room. And then read the 8 Important Meditation Points. This will provide you with all the necessary tips and info for getting started.
Then try one of these three "core meditations"...
The Inner Light Meditation, Mindfulness Meditation or The Universal Mantra Meditation. (Or you can try all three, and then continue with whichever one you like best.)
These are all very easy and effective and produce a broad range of results.
When beginning your meditation practice, the most important thing to remember, is to approach meditation with "relaxed effort," and not to be concerned about getting it right, or about what is "supposed to" happen when you meditate.
Just follow the simple steps, and accept whatever you experience. If you follow these guidelines, you will find meditation to be easy and enjoyable, and you will start noticing positive results in your life.
About the Instructor
 Jim Malloy is a meditation teacher currently living in Gainesville, Florida. Trained in 1973 by the International Meditation Society, Jim has been teaching meditation for 35 years. He has taught meditation classes throughout the western and south-western U.S. and in the U.K., and now teaches in north-central Florida and via the World Wide Online Meditation Center.
He has been practicing daily meditation for 42 years. To deepen his practice and further his teaching skills, he has studied with some of the world's foremost experts on meditation from India, Japan and Tibet... including Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Swami Muktananda, Zen Masters Joshu Sasaki Roshi and Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, and the 16th Karmapa.
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