Spiritual Meditation (A Guide to Strengthen Your Spirit)

“To understand the immeasurable, the mind must be extraordinarily quiet, still.” 

Jiddu Krishnamurti from Parade

We have to strip off slivers of ourselves to survive in this world. The more you forsake parts of yourself, the more you lose your truth.

When you lose your truth, you become lost in the waves of life— unable to move forward as you get stuck in the past and what will be.

It’s time to reconnect with yourself again and pick up the pieces you have lost. Realize the essence of life and your eternal truth through spiritual meditation.

What Is Spiritual Meditation? (Getting to Know Yourself More)

According to Mindworks, at its heart, spiritual meditation is the conscious practice of connecting to something deeper, wider, and greater than the self.

You can strengthen your spiritual awareness through honest self-evaluation and self-reflection. You must also ponder upon yourself and your view of the world with integrity and authenticity.

Once you successfully connect with your true essence, you’ll be able to break free from the personal, social, and physical restraints hindering you from achieving your true purpose.

Sejal Shah from the Art of Living explained that spiritual meditation links you to your soul and takes you to the depths of your true self by transcending the limitations and labels you have associated yourself with.

She said that our need for spiritual meditation originates from our intrinsic desire to perceive and see beyond the imaginary world. Once you delve deeper into this spiritual experience, you’ll be able to feel bliss, grace, and a deep sense of wholeness.

Note: When diving into this spiritual practice, it’s important to note that the journey will take time. Forget the desire to finish overnight, as it won’t benefit you. 

If you want to harvest the best results from spiritual meditation, you must give your whole dedication and discipline to reach spiritual realization. It will be challenging, but the long-term benefits are all worth it.

The Types of Spiritual Meditation

Throughout history, many types of spiritual meditation have been practiced by many. These include Vipassana, Trataka, mantra, Daoist, Zazen, Metta, and forgiveness meditation.

Vipassana meditation.

According to Kirsten Nunez from Healthline, Vipassana is the oldest meditation practice in Buddhism which is used to enhance mindfulness. It means to see things as they are or special seeing, according to the ancient language of Buddhism, Pali.

Vipassana is often associated with mindfulness meditation, but the former is more distinct as it involves the observation of your thoughts and emotions while letting go of judgment and not dwelling on them.

Trataka meditation (Gazing Meditation).

Most forms of meditation are practiced with the eyes closed, but in Trataka, the eyes hold a significant role.

Felipe Bastos from MindOwl explained that Trataka meditation is a ritual-like practice of candle meditation where the practitioner gazes into the flame for some time to produce tears and reach a state of improved clarity.

Mantra meditation.

Roma Kunde from WebMD shared that mantra meditation focuses the practitioner’s attention on a repeated word or phrase called a mantra.

One can use mantras that have a personal meaning to them or something that motivates them to live life positively and meaningfully.

The writer added that if one chooses a mantra that has a deep connection to them, it will serve as a spiritual anchor that will assist them in their meditation practice.

Daoist meditation.

Daoist meditation involves different techniques. According to Aletheia from LonerWolf, Daoist meditation came from the Chinese religion and philosophy of Daoism.

Its aim is to establish harmony between the mind and body by balancing the life force energy entering our soul. It also involves techniques like visualization, mindfulness awareness, and contemplation.

Zen meditation.

Emily Cronkleton from Healthline explained that Zazen or Zen meditation refers to sitting meditation. It’s a meditation technique meant to help you gain insight into your nature of existence.

It’s derived from the teachings of Buddha, who founded Buddhism 2,500 years ago. His teachings were spread throughout schools of Chinese Buddhism and then to Japan.

Zazen aims to help practitioners let go of all judgment and desires by setting their attention on the present. The practitioner is conscious of all the thoughts and sensations happening to them, and they become aware that everything is temporary.

Forgiveness meditation.

Gemma Clarke from The Yoga Nomads expounds that forgiveness meditation helps practitioners mend broken relationships and let go of past traumas. It also helps them focus on the present and anticipate a better future by forgiving themselves.

Metta meditation.

According to the Lion’s Roar, Metta meditation (or loving-kindness meditation) is a Buddhist practice that nurtures compassion for yourself and others by directing loving, friendly phrases and kind-heartedness.

Metta came from the ancient Pali word mitra, which means loving-kindness but also referred to universal goodwill and amity. It came from Buddha’s teaching Metta Sutta, or immeasurable friendliness.

This meditation practice helps practitioners become more connected to themselves by directing love and compassion to themselves and the world. Unlike other meditational practices, you can practice metta meditation anywhere and anytime.

The Benefits of Spiritual Meditation

Sejal Shah explained that correct and consistent spiritual practice over a period of time would help you obtain personal benefits and achieve spiritual growth. 

You will also experience the following benefits through continuous spiritual meditation.

• You’ll have a deep sense of inner peace, contentment, and stillness.
• You’ll experience an increased sense of spiritual freedom or enlightenment.
• You’ll develop trust in yourself and have a personality that radiates love, tranquility, and compassion.
• You’ll be more proactive rather than reactive.
• You’ll have enhanced awareness and mindfulness.
• You’ll feel a strong sense of belonging and connection to your community and the world.
• You’ll develop a sense of authenticity and will be able to stay natural wherever you go.
• You’ll be able to form deeper and more meaningful relationships.
• You’ll be resilient when facing life challenges.
• You’ll develop a broader perspective of the purpose of your experience and life.
• You’ll be able to soothe your nervous system and help your body relax.
• You’ll see the importance of staying in the now and letting go of past experiences and memories that don’t help you grow.

How to Practice Spiritual Meditation

Spiritual Meditation is a simple practice, yet you must observe complete attention and discipline. Before beginning, you must first embody your clear intentions for your meditation.

You must also be open to new learnings and mistakes you might commit during your spiritual journey.

Always remember you can exert great discipline in your practice while still maintaining a tender heart toward yourself and the people around you.

1. Decide on the best location and position for you.

According to the University of Houston A.D. Bruce Religion Center, before your meditation, the most important thing to consider is finding a place and position in which you will be comfortable in.

It could be a place far from the frenetic noises of the city. Or a place surrounded by rich greenery and blessed with the gentle sound of water, wind, and birds. But if you don’t have any options but your home, think of ways to minimize external noises that might distract you.

Once you’ve decided on the perfect place, determine the best meditative position to help you enjoy your spiritual experience. You can lie, sit, or stand up with your back flat on the wall. Any position will do as long as it won’t make you fall asleep.

After settling down, close your eyes and feel your surroundings.

2. Experience and savor the whole process.

Meditating might seem like an easy task to accomplish, but it actually requires great focus, which makes it hard to do completely.

When you’re spiritually meditating, the first obstacles you’ll encounter are the intrusive thoughts that will creep their way into your mind. 

You might hear your self-critics telling you you’re doing your meditation incorrectly. Or have thoughts about the things you’ve long been suppressing at the back of your head.

When you let them overwhelm you, you’ll lose your focus. So, what you have to do is let everything go.

Make mistakes, and don’t bother correcting anything during the process. Let your mind and body naturally go into the zone.

3. Recognize and accept the thoughts.

You encounter new information every day and consciously and unconsciously store it in your mind. As we’ve mentioned earlier, thoughts will bombard you the moment you start meditating.

And it might be difficult to quiet your mind, especially when you don’t acknowledge the voices in your head.

Yes, you don’t want your thoughts to distract you from your practice, but the key here is to stop resisting. Let your thoughts come to you, listen to them, and accept them.

Become a free-flowing stream that will just let its water flow. Accept your thoughts but never react to them so they won’t affect and control you.

Slowly, you’ll find your thoughts dissipating, and you’ll be able to focus on your meditation again.

4. Utter a mantra or a prayer.

While maintaining your calm and relaxed state, utter a mantra or prayer in your mind. They don’t necessarily have to be related to religion, as they could be something that refers to your goals and wishes for yourself.

Repeat them in your mind and slowly envision the positive things you want to manifest.

Deeply breathe in and out, and observe your body tense and relax as you inhale and release the air.

5. Reflect on yourself.

Once you have completely immersed yourself in the process, turn your consciousness to your body, and acknowledge your presence in space.

Slowly open your eyes and observe your surroundings. Notice how your body feels after meditation. Does it feel lighter and more relaxed compared to when you started?

Acknowledge your efforts and accomplishments for this session. Stretch out and continue your day with a fresh perspective.

6. Open your heart and mind to new possibilities.

Your spiritual meditation won’t end in a single or a couple of sessions. It will continue even beyond the premise of your meditation seat and place.

Spiritual meditation, like the Metta meditation, can be practiced anywhere and anytime. So be open to new opportunities and situations that will come to you. Observe how you can stay true to your intentions while slowly moving towards progress.

The spiritual journey is not always a path of flowers, for it can also be a muddy road full of thorns. Meaning your spiritual experience will not always be peaceful.

You’ll surely encounter situations that will test your resolve and drag you away from your principles, but hold still. Do not lose yourself, and learn from the challenges you’ll encounter.

Always remember that you can only achieve true enlightenment by completely letting go of mental and physical restraints that stop you from accepting the ultimate truth.

7. Don’t lose your authenticity.

You might find the phrase, stay true to yourself, cliche because it’s overused, but it’s overused for a reason.

In our superficial world today, authenticity is rare. Hiding some parts of yourself and being someone you’re not so you can be accepted by society is necessary.

But the more you sacrifice yourself, the more you become disconnected from your true essence. The multiple identities you have attached to yourself make you prone to spiritual materialism and spiritual bypassing. 

It might be difficult, but stay true to yourself. Live your life with integrity and with complete freedom. Express who you truly are and embrace each of your beings.

When Is The Perfect Time to Meditate?

Though you can meditate at any time of the day, most practitioners believe that meditating in the morning and evening is the most effective.

Our body is more open to receiving and connecting during these times of the day. However, if you feel like you meditate most effectively at your preferred time, then you are more than free to set your routine.

You delve into meditation to know yourself deeply, so being completely aware of your body and deciding for yourself should be one of the things you’ll be comfortable with within your journey.

Wrapping It Up!

“Meditation is a process of lightening up, trusting the basic goodness of what we have and who we are, and of realizing that any wisdom that exists in what we already have.”

Pema Chodron from Keep Inspiring

When you feel lost, reconnecting to yourself again is possible through spiritual meditation.  

Spiritual meditation is the conscious practice of linking to something deeper, wider, and greater than yourself. You can strengthen your spiritual awareness through honest self-evaluation and self-reflection.

It links you to your soul and takes you to the profoundness of your true self by surpassing the boundaries and labels you have associated yourself with.

Once you successfully connect with your true essence, you’ll be able to break free from the personal, social, and physical restraints hindering you from achieving your true purpose.

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