Creating the Foundation for an Effective Meditation Practice

By George A. Boyd © 2014

Beginning meditators often struggle with having clear and meaningful meditation experiences. Instead of experiencing insight, they experience an inner fog. Instead of experiencing movement and a sense of progression, they process sensations, feelings, or thoughts, and they feel stuck. Instead of activating the essences of consciousness and doing inner work, they drift off into reveries.

Effective meditation occurs when seven factors are in place. These factors are listed below.

  1. Objective – You do each meditation to achieve a specific purpose or objective. You know why you are doing it, and practice the technique until you have completed your objective.
  2. Effect of the Technique – You recognize what the technique does: how it directs your attention, on which inner vehicle or spiritual essence the technique focuses your attention, and you notice a distinct response in your awareness and in the operation of your inner vehicles when you practice the technique.
  3. Accuracy of Practice – You know how to practice the technique so it produces its intended results, and when at what frequency to practice the technique to bring about optimal growth and integration of your meditational experience.
  4. Presence of Internal Obstacles or Blockages – You are able to identify the obstacles that stand in the way of you making the next step in your spiritual and personal growth. You have developed a plan to address this; you are getting guidance or coaching to help you overcome this obstacle.
  5. Inner Spiritual Assistance – You are invoking your Soul, the Masters of your lineage, and the Divine to assist you make spiritual progress and overcome your identified obstacles. As you advance on the Path, you are able to establish communion with the Inner Guide form of your Spiritual Master, and are able to commune with God directly.
  6. Energetic Assistance (Grace) – You are actively receiving the Light and Grace Waves of your lineage, and allowing this omnific force to unfold your spiritual potentials (initiation), to awaken your Higher Mind (illumination), to activate your spiritual heart (Divine Love suffusion), and empower your Soul’s gifts and abilities (spiritual empowerment).
  7. Regular Spiritual Practice – You are spending the time you need on a regular basis to actively unfold your Soul and clear the channels of the Nada. You are taking the time to contemplate from the Soul’s perspective and learn about its multi-dimensional consciousness. You are using methods to work on the issues that hold you back from making personal progress and achieving success. [If you are not practicing the Mudrashram® methods of Integral meditation, then you would focus on performing the practices of your Path.]

We recommend that you evaluate which of these areas you need to improve. As you make these changes, you will see the quality of your meditations improve, and the time you spend with your inner life will be more productive and rewarding.

If you are not clear about what your meditation technique is doing and where it is taking you, you may wish to consider getting a Meditation Technique Analysis Reading, which will clarify what use of your current techniques will yield.