There is no separation in Mind.

If there is no separation in Mind, why does it seem so? The fact is, a lot of work goes into the creation of that illusion: separation. But the busy outer mind has got such a momentum on its habitual thoughts of worry and care that lead to stress, that it’s easy to forget this simple truth: that the natural state of mind is like meditation. Follow these meditation tips to still your mind like a Zen Monk and begin letting go of emotional baggage with enlightenment.

Meditation tips are everywhere these days. Yet is meditation really just a word for the natural state of peaceful, relaxed consciousness? If it’s so natural, why do you have to purposely return to it from the almost incessant thought patterns about the past or future? And how do you break through this seemingly endless loop of planning ahead or worrying about events that have already passed? What is the easiest way of letting go of emotional baggage.

The fact is that human mental habits revolve on things other than the present moment and can be rather addictive. Even so, if you peer beneath this veneer you can glimpse the glorious light of who you really are beneath it all, even if you are working on other ways of letting go of emotional baggage.

The most important of all meditation tips to grasp is this: true meditation really can happen at any moment, whether you plan it or not. That’s because it’s about relaxing into your real self, and into Reality or life as it truly is and not as you suppose it to be.

Everyone has their own method for turning off the mental switch of worry, for easing into the moment, being in the now, and letting go of emotional baggage. Let’s talk about how you may do this yourself. Because when you acknowledge that you already are meditative, the next steps to developing your own natural meditation techniques are easy. And you can explore these meditation tips to find ways you might comfortably integrate some simple habits into a regular practice.

So let’s consider the ways you may already meditate.

Most people have many practices where they find a meditative consciousness in their every day lives. And these don’t involve sitting on a meditation cushion in silence. Are any of these familiar?

• Singing or humming a tune
• Working in the garden
• Taking a walk in nature
• Breathing deeply and fully at your own pace
• Sitting quietly with a child
• Soaking in a tub of warm water
• Taking a rest after a good workout at the gym
• Listening to your own body
• Loving your mate
• Viewing art exhibits
• Walking along the ocean
• Listening to music

There are endless ways to access your meditative awareness. And each of them are correct because they are your own.

But be realistic as you start to find ways to integrate these meditation tips more fully into your life. Have realistic goals. For example, one of the most popular ways to detach from your habitual thoughts and begin letting go of emotional baggage is to instead relax into your natural sense of presence. Do this at short intervals throughout your day.

This is much easier than starting off with a strict goal of one hour of seated meditation daily. Ease into a daily practice by simply allowing yourself to take mini breaks of dropping into your essence during any of the meditation tips listed above. Or take regular breaks to just breathe and relax. Always be kind to yourself, this is simple and not a production. Letting go of emotional baggage is a natural result of meditation.

There are other practices you can develop to assist you further with developing new habits that move you beyond thought and into the pure presence of the moment.

Meditation Tips: #1 – Simply waiting

Sit and wait whenever possible. In other words, rather than filling time and space with random action, or other distractions, just be there. Whether sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office or waiting at the gate to board your flight, do nothing. The usual pattern may be to read, text or watch TV. Instead, just be present. Sit there, ready. You’re available to the moment. There’s no need to go into meditation posture or act spiritual. Just be. Become the space and time you are in.

Meditation Tips: #2 – Breathe Fully

How are you breathing right now? I want you to notice: are you holding your abdomen tightly and taking shallow breaths? Or even holding your breath unintentionally?Sometimes the way we prevent ourselves from breathing more naturally indicates a need for more letting go of emotional baggage. Do so with enlightenment. Begin by taking one or two minutes to just observe the way you are breathing. Right now.

Okay, now begin to bring some focus to your breath. With the next inhalation, allow your belly to softly expand. Start filling your lower belly, and when full, allow the breath to fill your diaphragm. Then gently progress to your chest and lungs, filling them completely with the breath.

Now, only for as long as you are comfortable, hold the in-breath for a few moments. That’s right, then gently exhale, first from your lungs and chest, then your diaphragm, and finally deeper from your belly and even lower. Even if you think you’re done, I want you to give one more gentle exhale; you’ll find that even more air can be pushed out. Then, gently hold for a few moments. And inhale again.

Continue gently breathing in this focused way for a few minutes. It might not sound like a long time, but you may find that’s all you can comfortably do for now. That’s fine. You can always extend the time with daily practice, a few breaths at a time.

Meditation Tips: #3 – Increase Your Peripheral Vision

Take a moment from your busy day to just stop and site quietly. Keep your eyes open and gaze at an object in front of you. It can be anything already there. And then just inhale while expanding your vision to take in whatever is just to the left and the right of the object you’re focused on. Now relax with your exhalation and just sink into your body, eyes still open but not as focused.

Okay, focus on the object in front of you again. And inhale while you expand your vision even more this time. Include everything before you in a ninety degree sweep, without moving your eyes. Just notice what you can see in this wider scope. Then exhale and again sink even more deeply inside yourself. Eyes still open but relaxed.

Take another in-breath and include your entire field of vision. Your attention is equally distributed between what is in front of you and all of your peripheral vision. Expand it even more to include things not just to the left and the right, but even things over your shoulders. Expand beyond what your eyes can see. With the out-breath, relax completely into being that which sees all.

Stay with this inner relaxation for several minutes, breathing gently on your own. And just explore the sensation of your essence, the mystery of your being. All of this aids in naturally letting go of emotional baggage with enlightenment.

Meditation Tips: #4 – Standing on Line

The next time you wait in line for something — whether for the next checker at the supermarket, or for a table at a restaurant, or at the boarding gate for your flight — use the opportunity to drop as deeply as you can into yourself.

Start by keeping your heels about hip width apart with your toes slightly angled inwards. And balance your weight evenly on both both feet, simply feeling as though your feet are rooted into the ground deep beneath the floor. Allow your knees to stay relaxed; don’t lock them. And expand your chest, breathing gently and naturally.

Listen to the sounds around you, taking it all in. And just absorb the environment through the pores of your skin. Feel yourself becoming sensitized to the ambiance of the place where you’re waiting. Breathe a little deeper and notice the scents. Try to taste the tang of the air on your tongue.

Expand your vision further now, become even more aware of all that is around you. And relax fully as you open even deeper now, feeling all of this registering not just on your awareness but within your presence, into that being which is doing the seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting. Let that core being expand and permeate all around you. Become the living essence of you are, letting go of emotional baggage through enlightenment.

More meditation tips

Now that you have experienced yourself as a natural being — an experienced meditator — consider taking your practice even deeper:

• Seek out the expertise of a meditation teacher whose methods resonate with you
• Accept whatever feels organic about your practice and discard anything that doesn’t work
• Enjoy a community of others who practice meditation as a group
• Explore more ways to be meditative
• Expand your daily practice time in comfortable increments

As more people become conscious, they recognize that life’s challenges are solved from within. Becoming meditative is one means of facing your life from a place of strength and balance. What if your challenges are so intense and you seek an immediate solution to augment the meditation tips I’ve suggested here for letting go of emotional baggage with enlightenment? You can condense years of practice into a fraction of the time and learn to meditate like a Zen Monk with this program. Highly recommended.

Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results, because there follows immediate peace.
~Bhagavad Gita