I find it difficult to let go of time and the world in general during meditation, how can I stop thinking about time but still be able to fit meditation into my schedule especially when it is a tight schedule? I really want to deepen my meditations so I hope that you will give me an answer so I can deepen my practice.
—Victor, Sweden
Dear Victor,
Perhaps this would be a good circumstance for experimenting with creative visualizations. Just as your mind is currently plagued with thoughts of time and the world around you, why not create a different, more elevated world to focus upon? A visualization, in this case, would be a bridge to going beyond the creative tendencies of the mind before practicing your meditation technique so that you can enter the silence and commune with peace.
While a written reply doesn’t lend itself to giving you a specific visualization, I can direct you to any number of excellent visualization sources through Ananda and Paramhansa Yogananda:
- Yogananda’s small booklet: Metaphysical Meditations
- A recorded album of the same name read by Swami Kriyananda to a background of music.
- Yogananda’s collection of poems and prayer demands: Whispers from Eternity
- Each chapter in the book Awaken to Superconsciousness by Swami Kriyananda contains a written visualization.
In general, sources for a creative visualization experience include those inspired by nature (mountains, ocean, river, forest, sky, etc); or a devotional visualization based on prayers to or images of saints or deities; or gazing meditatively at images of nature or space photos; yantras (sacred shapes). It is said in India that to remove a thorn, use a thorn. To still the mind, use the mind!
Other approaches, according to personal inclination include:
Chanting; yoga postures; Energization Exercises.
Lastly, I’ll tell you a secret: when the heart is at peace, the mind is at rest. Spend some time going deep into the recesses of your heart to find the still waters that run deep.
Blessings to you!
Nayaswami Hriman
