Meditation Techniques
That Unlock Happiness

These three meditation techniques are based on the natural tendencies of the mind rather than on controlling thoughts, concentration or mental coercion.

I'll discuss these on another page, but first a few comments about controlling the mind for meditation.

Controlling the mind is the difficult way to meditate

Meditation methods that involve concentration - like some yoga meditation techniques - are based on certain(erroneous) assumptions about how the mind works.

These assumptions are at variance with my own views and personal experience. They assume that the mind is a natural wanderer that needs to be tamed or controlled.

So those meditation methods that are based on this assumption seek to control the mind and coerce it into experiencing stillness. But, as the biblical saying goes: the kingdom of heaven cannot be taken by storm.

Concentration requires discipline and much practice

It is probably because concentration types of meditation techniques are difficult to master that some branches of the yoga tradition advocate discipline, years of strict practice and the like.

If one looks at nature, however, does the tree find it 'difficult' to grow? Does a human being find it 'difficult' to blink, to digest food, to sweat when hot, to get thirsty when drink is needed by the body? It makes one think, doesn't it?

Meditation can (and should) be without effort or control

I much prefer, and relate far more to, meditation techniques that are based on a different understanding of why one's attention displays an apparent tendency to 'wander'.

The explanation is simple: the mind is looking for something more satisfying, more comfortable, more appealing than that on which it currently has its attention. So it continues searching, giving us the impression that the mind is restless and needs to be controlled.

The reason the mind keeps hopping about like this is because we have conditioned our attention always to be focused outwards. That's because our senses are so effective at perceiving things in our outer world - through sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell.

This search of the mind is thus assumed to be a bad thing, a tendency that needs to be stilled during meditation, which requires discipline and effort.

However, the thrust of all life - the purpose of life itself - is towards the expansion of happiness. The mind is simply doing its job; it's looking for more happiness. And it is looking outwards, because that is how it has been trained by us.

Next: The Mental Skill of Allowing During Meditation

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Other pages in this theme:

Types of Meditation Described
Meditation Methods - Why Effortless Meditation Works So Well
An Effortless, Effective Meditation Method Requires The Skill of Allowing
Christian Meditation - Are Christians Missing Out?
- An Effective Meditation Method That's Ideal For Christians
Three Meditation Techniques That I Can Vouch For
Transcendental Meditation - A Meditator's First-hand Experience
- Transcendental Meditation as Explained to Me by a TM Teacher
- Transcendental Meditation - A Means to Transcend Thought
- Learning Transcendental Meditation - What I Experienced
- Transcendental Meditation and Yogic Flying - My Personal Experiences
- The Stated Purpose of the TM- Sidhis Including Yogic Flying
- Various Transcendental Meditation Courses I Have Experienced
- Transcendental Meditation - My Personal Opinion
- Free Lessons On Transcendental Meditation - Be Careful!

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