Class 2: Quiet Your Mind

Introduction

In class one you learned how to quickly and effortlessly turn your mind's attention toward the sensation of the air flowing in and out of your nose. Say the focus phrase "I am breathing freely..." and let those words work their focusing magic - that's how to generates the first expansion of consciousness.

• We're now ready to explore the second expansion of consciousness that almost always emerges next in the universal meditation experience - truly quieting the mind.

In traditional meditation methods people often spend year after year struggling to quiet their thinking minds so that they can attain peace and clarity. As a psychologist, I finally had to ask - must it take so long to accomplish this 'quiet mind' state of consciousness?

The answer is no - you don't have to struggle for years to silence the inner dialog of your busy mind. All you need to do is mastder a very simple cognitive-shifting process that is purely psychological rather than mystical in nature - and viola - your mind becomes quiet.

When I was much younger I wsas doing mind-management research for the National Institute of Health, studying meditation through an analysis of the perceptual changes often employed in traditional meditation.

• We discovered experimentally what the ancient yogi masters knew so long ago - that if you focus your mind's full attention toward two or more sensory perceptions at once ... all thoughts naturally stop.

You cannot listen for instance to two or more melody lines in a Bach fugue or a Beatles harmony, and think at the same time - I challenge you!

That's of course the magic of such music - it immediately generates a shift in consciousness the quiets thoughts about the past and future, and focuses your full attention upon the unfolding of the present moment - that's meditation.

Likewise if you gaze at all the various colors of a sunset, or focus on two or more sensations as you make love, or enoy the taste of a good meal while you enjoy the flickering of the candle on the table ...

• ... any situation that encourages you to focus on two or more different sensations at the same time, expands your consciousness and quiets your mind.

Rather than trying to use karate to force your thoughts to be quiet, you use mental judo and effortlessly quiet your mind ...

When you say to yourself, "I am breathing freely," and focus on the sensation of the air flowing inand out of your nose, that's one sensation - and you'll proboably continue thinking.

When you expand your awareness to also include the movements in your chest and belly as you breathe (the second expansion) suddenly your attention has to let go of being fixated on a point (your nose) - and be aware of the whole at once.

• Again - first feel the air flowing in and out your nose ... say to yourself, "I am breathing freely," ... and expand your awareness to notice how you're breathing down in your chest and belly ...

And as you observe this sensation symphony, and hear the whole at once, say to yourself, "My mind is quiet," and experience this quality of mental peace and quiet as you enjoy the sensation symphony.

That's what class two is all about!