Morning is an ideal time to meditate, yet any convenient regular time will do. Meditation should be practiced daily, in a place that is completely private, free from undue noise, and free from interruptions of any kind. It should be practiced for a set number of minutes each day, as follows:

First month of practice: 18 minutes per daily session

Thereafter: 24 minutes per daily session

Sit upright, with your spine relatively straight—on a bed, on the floor on a cushion or in a chair, whichever is most comfortable to you. If crossing your legs result in discomfort or stoppage of energy flow in the legs, try uncrossing and extending them, or otherwise altering your position.

After becoming comfortable, close the eyes and relax, for a brief moment, seeking to calm your body and mind.

Continue to meditate for the allotted time. You may slightly open your eyes to periodically check a clock or watch, to gauge the time while learning. After you have meditated for the allotted time, stop the practice and rest, lying down or sitting, for 3 or 4 minutes before opening the eyes and rising into activity. It is important to have this transition time, and not “shock? the awareness by returning to daily activity suddenly, after meditating.

At first, it is possible that meditation will be tough for you, and you may also have a little difficulty in practicing it correctly. You will notice, however, that with a little practice it becomes easier and easier and you will naturally sink into a deep meditative state shortly after beginning your daily practice.

Disturbances may occur as you mediate, bodily sensations, particularly distracting or even disconcerting thoughts or emotions, leaving the body, visions of spirits, or similar experiences may manifest. This would pop up occasionally, these should not matter and are not to be desired nor undesired. The ultimate goal of the meditation is to go beyond the surface disturbances. Merely “let them go? and continue the practice without concern—just let whatever thoughts, emotions or experiences “come up? exist without either attempting to repress them or attach the awareness to them.

It is not uncommon, for example, for recurrent thoughts or emotions to “come up? which bear relation to the inner issues of the meditator.

As you advance in your practice and acquire the ability to quiet the mind and sink to deeper levels of awareness your concentration level would increase.
Suggestions

To reap the full benefits of Meditation, the following are highly recommended:

• Make it a habit, a daily practice that you follow regularly. For anyone wishing to enjoy maximal benefits from the practice of meditation—and for the healer, especially—regular daily practice of meditation is very important. A regular time and place are helpful for many. Approach it fresh each time, however. Make it a part of your routine, yet do not practice it routinely.
  
  
• Be careful to learn, and continue in, correct practice. Improper practice of meditation will not provide the benefits.
  
  
• Have faith that you will experience the benefits. Expect positive results. Do not let doubt prevent you from the benefits and personal growth that the practice of meditation can provide.
  
  
• Free yourself from preconceptions of what meditation is, or what you will experience. Just do it. Do not think about or expect experiences that you have perhaps heard others speak of, or that you have read about in books (or even in this manual). Although the process of expansion of awareness and personal growth has broad outlines applicable to all, realize that what you experience, in whatever form, is also an expression of your unique individual awareness and part of your unique spiritual path. Do not let ideas of “what should happen? or “what meditation is supposed to be? color your inner learning, your inner experiences or your unique path of spiritual unfoldment. You are a unique individual, and when your own experiences manifest, do not deny them.