MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS

Now that we have introduced Chios Mediation and carefully described its correct practice, it is time to learn this powerful meditation method. You should first select the ideal time of day that you will learn and practice this meditation. Morning is an ideal time to meditate, yet any convenient regular time of day will do. You should also select a place that you will learn and practice meditation, one that will be completely private, free from undue noise, and free from interruptions of any kind. You should plan on each meditation session having an approximate length of time, as follows:

  First month of practice: 18 minutes per daily session

  Thereafter: 24 minutes per daily session

  And now, at a convenient time and in a comfortable and secure place, begin your practice of meditation, as follows:

   Sit upright, with your spine relatively straight—on a bed, on the floor, on a cushion, or in a chair, whichever is most comfortable to you. If crossing your legs result in discomfort or stoppage of energy flow in the legs, try uncrossing and extending them, or otherwise altering your position.

   After becoming comfortable, close the eyes and relax, for a brief moment, seeking to calm your body and mind. Now allow the symbol of the round orange-red ball to come into your awareness. Do not try to re-create the round orange-red ball as if it were in front of you or near your forehead—do not "pretend to see" the round orange-red ball. Visualization is not the same as pretending to see. Feel that you are the symbol. Do not "think about" the round orange-red ball. Visualization is not the same as thinking. Sense and become the round orange-red ball with your entire awareness. This is a very simple thing.

   To begin to get a sense of the symbol, ask yourself: how does it feel to be that shape—to be the round surface of a ball? Then ask yourself: how does that color feel— how does it feel to be the color of orange-red? After getting a sense of each of these, individually, sense the color and shape together. Become, with your consciousness, just this object. Be the ball—visualize, sense and become it with your whole being. If you sense and become in this way, you will begin to achieve a perfect completeness with the round orange-red ball. It will be as if it were there with you and in you, whole.

  Do not force it, simply allow yourself to become aware of the round orange-red ball and effortlessly maintain your awareness upon it. Thoughts of other things will probably arise in your mind, and when you realize that your awareness has perhaps strayed to some mundane matter instead of remaining on the round orange-red ball, simply notice that a thought or emotion has appeared, without placing any bias or judgment upon it. Do not pay any further attention to the thought or emotion, just allow it to drop away, and allow your sense of the round orange-red ball to re-emerge.It is important that you do not struggle to keep the mind on the round orange-red ball, but simply notice when a stray thought has appeared, drop the thought, and then allow your mind to come back gently and effortlessly to the round orange-red ball. Simply allow it to re-emerge effortlessly in your awareness. Always remember that the round orange-red ball is you—it is not something “out there.” Have the entire sense of the round orange-red ball within your being. Be the round orange-red ball, and your practice will be perfect and effortless. Do not struggle in any way. Again, this is a very, very simple thing.

  Continue to meditate, according to the steps above, for the allotted time. You may slightly open your eyes to periodically check a clock or watch, to gauge the time while learning. After you have meditated for the allotted time, stop the practice and rest, lying down or sitting, for three or four minutes before opening your eyes and rising into activity. It is important to have this transition time, and not “shock” your awareness by returning to daily activity suddenly, after meditating.

  As you begin your practice of daily meditation, you should know that it is normal to have a period of days or weeks in which you will “get comfortable” with the practice, and perfect the technique of this method. It is very important not to struggle with the technique. This is a very simple technique and you should just practice it correctly, according to the above instructions, and just take things as they come. As with learning any new skill, it is possible that at first this form of meditation will be unfamiliar to you. You may have a little difficulty in practicing it correctly. You will notice, however, that with just a little practice it becomes easier and easier. After just a few weeks or a month, you will find it start to become second nature to you; you will notice that you start to naturally sink into a deep meditative state shortly after beginning your daily practice.

  As you continue your meditation practice, you will eventually probably occasionally experience disturbances during your meditation sessions. It is likely that you will at some point have recurrent thoughts or emotions “come up,” for example, that emanate from your inner core issues. These can be powerful negative emotions or disturbing negative thoughts. You may even have strong bodily sensations as these negative thoughts and emotions are released into your awareness. It may be difficult for you to consciously recognize these things as distractions and prevent yourself from becoming “wrapped up” in them, but you must. Don’t allow yourself to become reactive, and lapse into feelings of judgment, blame or negative self-esteem. Instead just once again notice the thoughts and emotions as distractions and “let them go.” Do not identify with them nor repress them, but again just come back to an effortless visualization of the round orange-red ball. If you do this, you will not become identified in these thoughts, emotions and issues, and they will eventually lose their influence upon you. This is instrumental not merely for correct practice of the meditation but also to allow it to properly contribute to your healing and personal growth process. Meditation is a cleansing of body, emotions, mind and spirit.

  You may also occasionally experience spiritual disturbances, during your meditation sessions. You may experience leaving your body, for example. Leaving your body is a common side effect during meditation, yet is similarly not to be desired nor undesired. You should simply notice that this has happened and then allow a grounded, in-the-body experience of effortless visualization of the round orange-red ball to re-emerge. You may have visions of beings and spirits (who may even try to communicate with you), or other visions of an unusual nature and which may be very distracting or even a little disturbing. You should know that at least some of these types of spiritual experiences will probably occur, at some point. And yet, also know that these experiences do not matter, ultimately—they are not the result you seek—and they are therefore not to be desired nor undesired yet simply allowed to drop away like any other thought, emotion or phenomenon. The ultimate goal of your meditation is to go beyond all these surface disturbances. Merely “let them go,” and continue the practice without concern—just come back to an effortless visualization of the round orange-red ball. Whenever any such experiences arise, it is desirable to return to a grounded and in-the-body state. This form of meditation is intended to be a grounded practice. As you become more familiar with meditation, you will naturally remain in the body, and it is desirable to do so.

  As you advance in your practice and acquire the ability to quiet your mind and sink to deeper levels of awareness, your awareness of the symbol during meditation will become more subtle. There is not an overpowering awareness of, for example, the shape or color of the symbol. There is simply the very gentle, subtle awareness of the symbol, in its wholeness, from the finest level of awareness. As you work towards this finer level of meditation practice, you should just barely be able to tell that you are meditating on this particular symbol. As you practice, and begin to experience this finer awareness, you are penetrating nearer and nearer to the state of pure consciousness, and are progressing successfully towards the point where the highest benefits will accrue from your practice.

Suggestions For Successful Practice:

   To reap the full benefits of Chios Meditation, the following are highly recommended:

• Make it a habit, a daily practice that you follow regularly. For anyone wishing to enjoy maximal benefits from the practice of meditation—and for the healer, especially—regular daily practice of meditation is very important. A regular time and place are helpful for many. Approach it fresh each time, however. Make it a part of your routine, yet do not practice it routinely.
   
• Be careful to learn, and continue in, correct practice. Improper practice of meditation will not provide the benefits that might otherwise accrue, and may actually work against you.
   
• Have faith that you will experience the benefits. Expect positive results. Do not let doubt prevent you from the benefits and personal growth that the practice of meditation can provide.
   
• Free yourself from preconceptions of what meditation is, or what you will experience. Just do it. Do not think about or expect experiences that you have perhaps heard others speak of, or that you have read about in books (or even in this manual).  Although the process of expansion of awareness and personal growth has broad outlines applicable to all, realize that what you experience, in whatever form, is also an expression of your unique individual awareness and part of your unique spiritual path. Do not let ideas of "what should happen," or "what meditation is supposed to be" color your inner learning, your inner experiences or your unique path of spiritual unfoldment.You are a unique individual, and when your own experiences manifest, do not deny them.

• Potential Benefits of Chios Meditation:

  Chios Meditation, when practiced correctly, may give the following benefits:

  • A deeper sense of the true self beyond the ego, and deeper intuitive knowings. This may include a deeper knowledge of the nature of the individual self, in the form of a fundamental connection to pure consciousness within the individual self of the meditator, beneath the emotions, perceptions, mental ideas and preconceptions of self that exist at the surface level of the mind. Other knowledge pertaining to self may also be gained, such as insight into the life experience. The practice of meditation places the practitioner in closer touch with his or her inner conscious resources, and the regular meditator frequently enjoys an overall acceleration and refinement of spiritual growth.
     
  • Enhanced sensitivity to all things, from which communication may result—such as the reception of impressions, guidance or thought communication ("telepathy"). All these various forms of communication are related, for all take place through the field of pure consciousness. The "thinking mind," in its activity, serves as an obstruction and a filtering process, preventing the conscious awareness from effectively receiving such communication. Acquiring the ability to quiet the "thinking mind" and come into greater contact with the state of pure consciousness enhances the receptivity of the awareness to these various forms of communication.
     
  • The ability to visualize, to "see" psychically, which has also been called "psychic sight," "high sense perception," "second sight," and other names. This may include intuitive forms of "seeing," in the mind's eye, as well as experiences involving physical sight. These abilities come from a development of the abilities of the sixth chakra, as a result of the proper practice of visualization, and visions, various forms of "remote viewing," precognition, and the ability to see the human aura are some examples of the receptive aspect of the visualization ability that results. Greater overall intuitive awareness, in whatever form it manifests, is commonly present.
     
  • Later, after some practice, the ability to use your visualization ability in the sense of sending or directing energy (rather than receiving it, as with psychic sight). Various kinds of energy, color, light or qualities may be sent. This active visualization ability is also the result of regular practice of meditation. It  is particularly useful in healing work, where the ability to visualize in this way is a necessary prerequisite to proper performance of the many advanced healing techniques which require that energy, color and light be directed to certain locations in certain particular ways.
     
  • Various other "supernormal" abilities, which will vary from person to person. These abilities are developed over a period of months and years, and will vary from student to student. They may manifest not only while meditating, but in daily life as well.  It is a great advantage to develop the habit of engaging in the regular practice of meditation, at a daily time and place of one's choosing, and persevering in the practice. This is the way that the maximum benefits will be gained.

  ©1994 - 2011 Stephen H. Barrett