Technique Meditation - Intermediate - Module 2

The body is the base for the mind. And in particular the Nervous system is the physical basis for the mind. It can affect the way we think profoundly so it is very helpful to know some basics about how it works.

Did you know your body has at least 3 brains? Its is true! And further to our discussion on the nervous system we also want to talk about the 3 brains of your body.

This TV documentary was just another great story on the latest science regarding the benefits of meditation to the brain. It explains a little more about how meditation might we working at a neurological level and give clear evidence on how it can improve this such as memory, focus and other brain functions.

Meditation on feelings is the second foundation of mindfulness. By being aware of the feelings that lie within the body we will begin to understand the mind at a deeper level and therefore progress in our meditation practice. 
Being aware of feelings is also one of the best "red flags" to tell us when our mind is becoming distracted. 

Now it is time to dive back into the technique of mediation where we discuss the key to developing strong powers of mindfulness, clarity and intensity. We gradually increase the workload of the mind to be come ever more concentrated on the breath. * select a point to concentrate at
* Visualise the 3 colours of the breath
* Become aware of the 9 parts of a single breath
* Start counting the breath
* Be aware of where you are up to in your counting whilst doing all of the above
* And finally take a mini break to let the mind relax and re-freash. 

Because the understanding of proper technique is so important I have once again summarised these instructions in this video and in a handy table you can print out - In the resources section.

It would not surprise me if you might be feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. That is why is is critical to stay highly motivated as you work through this part of the course. Are there are lots of ways you can stay motivated.

Link to more videos 

* 4 ways to motivate yourself 
* Procrastination to motivation
* Stickk to your practice

Another important way to keep motivated is to maintain a set of positive emotions. So it is important to mix in meditations on positive emotions whenever you notice the negative feeling dominating too much. 

In this video we discuss the 6 obstacles that you will come across in your meditation practice. 

As you begin to advance in your meditation practice you will eventually get to a stage where you can remain on the meditation object for long periods of time - and therefore calm the mind. The next step is to pacify the mind - so in this lecture we discuss the two. (Note that Pacification of the mind is the main subject of Module 3 of this course).

Now that we have talked about what the Obstacles are, lets talk about all the things you can do both during and before your mediation practice to overcome these hinderances.

Congratulations on getting to the end of module 2. Here we summarise what we learned in module 2 and discuss a little bit about module 3 and find out if you are interested in running your own community meditation group.

Run Your Own Meditation Group: https://skillfulmind.net/leader

Link to Module 3 on Udemy:  

Download all Guided Meditations:

Please find all the guided modules of this module attached here in the resources section of this page. 

Download them to your phone or mp3 player to take into your meditation sessions.

Technique meditations:

• 01 Nine Parts of the breath
• 02 Counting the breath

Wisdom Meditations

• 01 Thinking and Not Thinking
• 02  Active Dreaming

Heart Meditation

• 01  Meditation on Love
• 02  Gratitude with Mantra
• 03  Giving and Receiving
• 04  Finding your Passion