The Meditation
Sit or lie down comfortably. Your eyes can be open or closed.
Keep your eyes straight ahead. Don’t roll your eyes up into your head, and don’t strain in any way. Also, keep your shoulders down.
Use your mind to silently move a subtle energy from above your head into your head, then downward through your entire body until the energy reaches a place between your feet and approximately 30 inches (2.5 feet or 75 centimetres) below your feet. After the energy has moved to your feet and below, keep it there. Toe breathing (imagine breathing in and out through your toes) is a simple way to keep your attention focused on the area around your feet.
The Four Stages
- The start. This lasts about 5–10 minutes. The mind is usually quite active and chaotic.
- Beginning. This lasts 20–40 minutes. The mind relaxes during this stage.
- Deeper. This stage lasts from about 40 up to 90 minutes. The mind gets quiet at this time.
- Final. This stage usually begins around 90 minutes. It is a time of coherence or a passive mind. Some people can identify as the energy moving through, instead of identifying as the body.
Visualizations
These creative visualizations help you do the meditation more effectively, and have fun while doing it.
To imagine energy moving from head to feet:
- The waterfall. You are in the path of the water coming over a waterfall.
- The wind tunnel. An enormous fan is blowing air from above you.
To keep the focus on your feet and below:
- The magnet. A huge magnet is below your feet, pulling on you with great force.
- The vacuum cleaner. An industrial strength vacuum is below each of your feet, sucking everything out of you and downward.
Things to Consider
Body position.
Sitting. Options include sitting against a wall or cushion (put your legs straight out in front of you) or on a straight-backed chair.
Lying down. Options include lying on a bed, a recliner chair, or a soft carpet on the floor. Do not use a pillow under your head. Feel free to cover up with a sheet or blanket.
Walking slowly.
Where. You’ll need a quiet, safe, and comfortable location.
When. Anytime except bedtime (because you’ll likely fall asleep). Some clients do the meditation at night specifically because it can help them fall asleep. It is fine for this purpose, but it doesn’t count as time doing the meditation. If you wake up at night and can’t fall asleep, do it then.
For how long. Longer sessions (minimum 90 minutes) are ideal for moving through the four stages, but you’ll benefit from any time you spend doing the meditation.
How often. At least once a day, and more when possible.
Tips
- Schedule the meditation into your day.
- Make the effort to do the meditation, but once you’re doing it don’t try to force any type of results or changes.
- Don’t think or say commands or affirmations (e.g. “I command the energy to go downward.”).
- Don’t get caught up in thoughts or feelings that will arise. Just observe them and let them go, as if watching clouds in the sky pass by and disappear.
- Do your best to ignore phenomena and/or sensations that might occur, such as perceptions of sound, light, or a tingling feeling.
- If you fall asleep, don’t be discouraged. You must have needed the sleep. Just continue when you wake up.
adapted from meditations by Larry Wilson, M.D. and Roy Masters
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