Alternatives To Meditation

Meditation is often suggested as a good way to spiritually advance. However what if you're just not that into it? I'm not keen on it myself and I know that some others aren't either. Some people have the viewpoint that meditation is the only way to grow spiritually. I'm more inclined to take the viewpoint that there are many ways to grow and learn, especially if you follow the Law of Attraction, which is all about feeling good.

Sometimes I have found meditation helpful, like when I did the May Cause Miracles program last year. That was one of the times when I first felt it "working". If you'd like more info about meditation and how to meditate, visit this post: http://personalexcellence.co/blog/how-to-meditate-in-5-simple-steps/

But if you'd like to try something different, here are some alternatives. :)


Music

If you're into music (like I am) then you may find it helpful to listen to relaxing music. It could be different types like instrumental, chanting, gentle lyrics etc. Or just anything you like. I find some pop and R'n'B songs relaxing.

A piece of music I really like is Dance of Autumn Lights by Ivo Sedlacek. He is a Czech violinist and his pieces of music are quite long, around 15 minutes, so you can just relax while listening to them.  Dance of Autumn Lights sometimes puts me in a kind of meditative state. You can listen to it here: Ivo Sedlack- Dance of Autumn Lights

Here's another nice piece by Ivo called Colour of the Leaves:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG6biHA91TU

Update 25/11/18: Video is now unavailable.

Note: I just saw on Ivo's website that his music is listed under meditation. :)


Another piece of music that I like is Raga Shivranjani played by Prasad Bhandarker on the Bansuri (Indian bamboo flute). It's really beautiful. :) Listen here: Raga Shivranjani on Bansuri




Also Ocean Depth from Dolphina's The Goddess Workout album is good. Dolphina is a belly dancer and I've used her music to dance to. I find it good for a cool down and also just to chill out to. Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyWZcLOEpfA&index=9&list=PLk3lnoIwfUF51WoQkbqQ4xxYuzhq7glPT


Note 25/11/18: I had to update the video because the original was gone. This one links directly to Dolphina's official playlist.


You may want to make yourself a chill out CD. I have one and a couple of songs on there are
Water Down The Ganges by Prem Joshua and Manish Vyas, and Desert Road by Justin Adams.


Creative activity

If you like to do something creative like write, paint, draw, sculpt, make jewellery etc, that can be a good way to chill out. Doing something physical that keeps your hands busy can be relaxing and you can just let your thoughts drift. Doing activities that you really enjoy can help you get in the ""flow".


Doodling

Just doodling can be a good way to relax. All you need is a piece of paper and a pen or pencil then you can just draw what you like! I like to doodle to music sometimes. I like drawing spirals. I just draw them because I like to but a spiral is also a spiritual symbol. Which brings me to the next suggestion...


Mandalas

A mandala is a circular symbol that represents the universe in Hinduism and Buddhism. "Mandala" translates as "circle". It is used for various things, including meditation and putting yourself into a trance.

Note: Please be careful if attempting trance work. There's a lot of information out there that tells you how to do certain spiritual practices but some don't seem to come with warnings. If you're unsure what you're doing you may end up in over your head. For example in The Real Witches' Handbook by Kate West, Kate advises that you have someone else there with you if you're new to pathworking.

People mediate on mandalas and drawing one is supposed to help relax you. I had a go at drawing them years ago. I put them away but can't remember where I put them! lol.

For more on mandalas visit these links:

www.mandalaproject.org

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/meaning-of-mandala.html


Walking

Walking meditation is another alternative. The idea is that you concentrate on walking and how it feels. You keep your awareness on what you're doing right now. It's a way of being present.

You can read more on walking meditation on these sites:

http://www.wildmind.org/walking/overview

http://www.meditationoasis.com/how-to-meditate/simple-meditations/walking-meditation/


Just after I had the idea to do this post (I thought about it the other week) I got an email from Tenderlogic with some alternative ideas to meditation, so I thought I'd share it here: http://www.tenderlogic.com/4-ways-reach-enlightenment-without-meditation/

And here's a Deliberate Receiving post about alternatives to visualisation and meditation: http://www.deliberateblog.com/2013/09/26/5-alternatives-to-visualization-and-meditation/



Hope you enjoyed the post and have found some new ideas to try if you're not that into meditation.  Even if you are, you might still like to read about other things you can try. :)


Photo: Copyright Moonsparkle 2013.