No one makes the mistake of starting a marathon without training. For spiritual development, you must work every day to develop your Ideal, your serenity and your grace. You are on a lifelong journey back to the Creator of All that Is (COATI). Contemplation and Meditation are two of the basics of spiritual conditioning.
Contemplation requires a mindful focus on your personal Ideals. Sitting in a quiet area or Nature with a focus on what you see and hear around can provide a contemplation state of mind. Some cultures use intricate patterns of shapes and colors called mandalas. Singing bowls provide a deep contemplate state, especially when using specific tonal frequencies.
Meditation involves silencing the mind and reducing focus on the external world in order to hear the “wee still voices” within you and from the Spirit World. Like the Spirit Path itself, there are many ways to achieve the required contemplative and meditative states.
Here are a few ideas to consider as you develop your own meditation methods. Later, we will discuss a Purification Ritual that was given to me by a Spirit Guide. This guide was a Mexican medicine woman (Bruja) when she was on the physical plane. This ritual helps me to contemplate my purpose and direct my spiritual path. You can use this Purification Ritual as it is, or develop your own Purification Ritual as you establish Spirit connections.
I first learned Transcendental Meditation many years ago. My meditation word was I-Ma, which I interpret as “I am the God within me”. I am going to suggest a couple of techniques for meditation. Try these or others until you find one that works.
Only one thing counts for success in meditation. Does what you are doing stop your normal thinking? If your process is stopping the “monkey chatter” in your mind, you are meditating. If not, keep looking for what works for you to still your mind..
Walking/Breathing Mediation:
One simple and highly effective meditation is Walking/Breathing meditation. One thing that works well with children is to use the movement of our arms to indicate where we are in the process. Raise both arms about your head for inhale. Put your arms out parallel to your shoulders for hold. Lower your arms by your side for exhale. Put your arms out parallel to your shoulders for hold. Adults can just count the steps as discussed below.
We can start our meditation by taking three deep breaths by inhaling through the nose to fill you lungs, and exhaling through your mouth. We do this before we start walking, and the inhale and exhale are slow, smooth transitions.
When you are prepared to start, begin walking while you inhale deeply for four steps through your nose. Hold your full lungs for four steps. Exhale this breath for four steps through your mouth. Hold your empty lungs for four steps. Inhale deeply through your nose for four steps, etc.
Keep this rhythm: Inhale 4 steps; hold 4 steps; exhale 4 steps, hold 4 steps. Once you get into the cycle you just pay attention to when you have taken 4 steps for each cycle. Do about seven cycles. If you are stuck at a desk, just count and breathe on your way to lunch or the bathroom and back.
Repeating Mantra. Pick a sound you like to repeat (your mantra). Some common mantras are OM (pronounced AUM); Shalom (peace), Rama, or Allah (God), whatever. Repeat the word in a cycle, with changes in tone if you like. With each cycle, say it more softly. When it is only a thought, think it more softly. If you think of anything else, go back to the original sound and start over. There will be some sample mantras in the back of the book. You will find that different mantras have different effects and you can use them to to calm you, wake up, etc.
It is important to do a meditation process that stops your normal thinking. Whatever you use for you meditation process to achieve “quietness of mind” is up to you. When you are proficient in doing your meditation, you will be be ready to learn how to receive Spiritual information, and trust this information from Spirits with confidence. We’ll get into that as we go along.
Once you are proficient in your mediation approach, you will find that one slow/deep breathe in through your nose and gently out through your mouth will change your thinking state. Depending upon the external stimulus, you may want to do a few more, but meditation will positively change your life.
Walking the Spirit Path 