Presentation for club meeting on 11/14/2013 and 11/15/2013

1. Lifestyle and Meditation
Club
Overview and
Philosophy

2. Club Overview
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Philosophy of the mind and reality
Addressing the points raised by Philosophy
Improving lifestyle based on this knowledge
Encouraging general dialog concerning the
Philosophy and meditation
• Discussion about self-awareness, and its key role
in leading a more peaceful life
• Techniques for meditation
• Preparing for meditation

3. What this club isn’t about
(Disclaimer)
• Advocating any belief or belief system as final. Rather, we
encourage the individual to foster a healthy curiosity.
• Addressing problems an individual may face personally. The
goal is to present information which you might consider is
applicable to your life, and in what way.
• Providing advice for anything outside the scope of this club.
• Meditation will improve your ability to address the problems
you face, but will not automatically solve them for you.

4. Meeting Schedule and Process
• Club will meet every Thursday (SH 20, 12:30 – 1:45) and
Friday (NAC 1/201 5:00 – 6:30), except on holidays and stuff
• We will E-Mail everyone on the mailing list with any updates
or changes
• The schedule of events is posted on our website:
asingh34.wix.com/meditation-ccny
• Most meetings will follow the pattern of Philosophy and
Meditation
• Some meetings will focus exclusively on one

5. Preparing for Meditation
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You should not be under considerable mental, emotional, or physical stress
or imbalance. These should be addressed prior to meditation in compliance
with professional medical advice.
•
You should not have any appointments to keep or duties to fulfill during the
meditation practice or immediately after. Also, all artificial distractions
(technology) should be kept to a minimum.
•
You should not have engaged in non-negligible physical exercise shortly
prior to meditation. Also, you should try not to engage in non-negligible
physical exercise immediately after meditation (at least 30 minutes)

6. Preparing for Meditation
•
You should not have consumed a full meal shortly prior (less than 2 hours)
to meditation. This is to ensure that the you are less likely to fall asleep
during meditation.
•
You should not meditate on an empty stomach. This is to ensure that the
you are not distracted by hunger during meditation. If you have not eaten for
a considerable length of time prior to meditation, then some light snacks will
do (e.g. juice and a light sandwich), followed by a 15 to 30 minute gap
before beginning meditation.
•
You should not try to meditate after just having woken up or when
considerably tired. In either case, it will be difficult to bring the mind to a
calm focus as is needed during meditation.

7. Preparing for Meditation
• It is best to wear comfortable clothing.
• You should use the bathroom as needed prior to meditation.
You should also make sure your nostrils are clear to facilitate
better breathing. In addition to being a source of distraction, it
prevents the practitioner from a deeply fulfilling meditation
session.
• If possible, you should have some regular exercise routine, as
during meditation breathing slows down and oxygen
circulation should be optimum. This may be complimented or
replaced with yoga.

8. Preparing for Meditation
• You should meditate consistently at the same time and
place. This time and place should afford a calm, quiet,
and comfortable environment. This is important as
varying the time and place will become another source of
distraction.
• Meditation is best done in seclusion.

9. Why Do We Need to Meditate?
• We perceive and learn from the world around us through our
minds, level and quality of perception, and beliefs.
• Inaccuracies or distortions in these can make it difficult for us
to see things as they are, causing inconvenience down the
road. Examples include, sadness, anger, fear, optimism,
pessimism, etc.
• In and of themselves, there isn’t necessarily anything “wrong”
with them. They are expressions of your choices so far. It’s a
matter of what you want, and that too is up to you.
• Our beliefs and perception, determine how we see the world
and what we make of it. For example, a friendly person will
always (or mostly) be friendly with other people because that
is how they perceive them (or things) to be. Again, this isn’t
good or bad, it’s a matter of choice, which is perfectly ok.

10. Why Do We Need to Meditate?
• How you choose to view the world, however, will determine
what you notice and don’t. It will affect your interpretations of
events you observe and what you take from them.
• Although, every situation has so much more than what we
notice. We may arrive at conclusions from our limited or
biased perceptions, but we must consider how useful such
conclusions will be.
• Indeed, you will eventually see that it’s better to do without
beliefs, but that’s for later. Though, some basic beliefs will
always be helpful such as it’s dangerous to touch hot objects.
• Conclusions from a limited perception can become cause for
stress.
• Stress is a major source of distortion in our perception. It also
is the cause for many physiological conditions.

11. Why Do We Need to Meditate?
• How can we keep a distortion free
perception?
• Have you ever had those moments when
you’re “spaced out” and you suddenly have a
moment of deep insight?
• If you remember, that happened when you
were completely relaxed and in this “easygoing” state.
• Being relaxed (or stress-free) allows us “to
be” and observe without distortion.

12. Why Do We Need to Meditate?
• One of the primary benefits of meditation is
that it greatly reduces stress.
• It also helps bring about a state of calm or
stillness, which allows you to examine
yourself and the world around you with
clearer “eyes.”
• It will help you see things that were outside
your awareness before. In effect, it allows
you to identify distortions and inaccuracies in
your beliefs and perceptions.

13. How can we Meditate?
• Everything you do is meditation. It varies only in
degree and quality. Examples include drawing,
walking, studying, listening to music, and
meditating. Anything that focuses the mind.
• We can meditate better by consciously setting
time aside for meditation.
• The best form of meditation is the kind which is
commonly associated with the term “meditation.”
• There are many techniques for meditation. Some
of the simpler include, breath awareness, point
awareness, self-awareness, and chanting.

14. How can we Meditate?
• In this club we will only focus on the first
three.
• The easiest form for beginners is chanting
and point awareness. These two serve
mainly to help train the mind, although they
carry the full benefits of meditation.
• We will always begin with regulating the
breath to calm the mind and body and bring
them to a relaxed state.
• The meditation practice should proceed as
follows.

15. How can we Meditate?
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•
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You should begin all meditation practice assuming a relaxed, yet rectilinear,
seated position, and ensuring that there is no physical, mental, or emotional
tension present.
This is best accomplished by becoming consciously aware of the tension
and then slowly relaxing it.
You should then proceed to take a few deep breaths to help bring an overall
state of calm relaxedness and to ensure that your breathing is relaxed and
regular.
During meditation you may notice thoughts, sensations, emotions, or
tension you hadn’t noticed before. You should calmly bring your attention
back to the meditation (except if the technique used is self awareness),
letting whatever it was that came up to pass on its own.
The goal is never to resist these experiences but to let them happen while
choosing to keep to your meditation. If you feel an experience is
considerably intense, then you may wish to address that first.

16. Side note on the importance of Breath
• Breathing (well) is very important. It is the only
“regulator” you have that can address your mind,
body, and sense of well being simultaneously.
• Consciously breathing well will serve to ground
you and bring your awareness back to the here
and now.
• If you wanted to take just one thing from this club,
it should be the decision to always consciously
breath well (without losing awareness of your
surroundings).
• Breath will be a recurring theme throughout the
philosophy discussed at the club.

17. Meditation Techniques
• Breath Awareness: Bring awareness to your
breathing and keep it there.
• Self Awareness: You should start by becoming
aware of your body in a systematic manner,
beginning at the head, then the eyes, ears, nose,
neck, left arm, left hand, right arm, right hand,
chest, left leg, left foot, right leg, and right foot.
• Choose to become aware of any tension, pain, or
sensations present at that part. In the case of
tension, try to relax it; otherwise, observe and then
move on after some time.

18. Meditation Techniques
• Finally, when you have “cycled” awareness throughout
the body, bring your awareness to the mind. Endeavor
to simply notice what thoughts or emotions are present
in the spirit of only wanting to observe or become
aware. Let these thoughts or emotions pass of their
own accord, while keeping conscious awareness.
• Contact or Point Awareness: Place your index finger
on a small non-distracting object (such as an eraser)
and bring awareness to the contact that will then exist.
Alternatively, you may choose to “look” at a point
directly in front of you, slightly above horizontal level
with your eyes closed. This alternative should not be
practiced if you experience difficulty arranging you
gaze as such.

19. Meditation Techniques
• Chanting: Though we will not practice this
type of meditation, you may choose to try
it independently. You should chant a
simple word or phrase of your choice
audibly, in a whisper, or mentally. Some
suggestions for chanting words are Love,
Peace, I am, Om.

20. Next Week
• More about the mind
• Beliefs and how they affect our lives
• Things which can cause distortions in the
mind or perception
• Addressing these causes
• Meditation Practice