By Carole Devereux and Adele Zimmerman
Excerpt from Spirit of the Horse
© 2005 Carole Devereux

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a natural method of healing that can be achieved through total absorption on the purest energy source in the universe. This is the mana of the Polynesians and Melanesians, the chi of the Chinese, the ki of the Japanese and Koreans, the prana of the Eastern Indians, the baraka of the Muslims, the num of the Kalahari bushmen, the manitou of the Algonkian Indians, and the force of Obi Wan Kenobi. This energy can be sensed by turning the mind inward and listening to the inner source of sound and energy, leading to a source of inner light, illumination or enlightenment. Trance inducing, repititve drumming, chanting or the repetition of a mantra often enhances meditation practice.

Exercises such as yoga, tai chi, breath work and visualization are all forms of concentration that can fill the body and mind with light. In contrast, meditation aims at slowing the mind in a natural way, by deeply relaxing the physical body while maintaining the mind in a completely blank or neutral state without any thought processes at all, called Emptiness in Tibetan practices. A practitioner can maintain this state of being for a short time or a few hours, depending on their skill level. Purity of mind is achieved during meditation and is essential for gaining access to the "Higher Self." The "Higher Self" does not admit any impurities, so meditation is necessary to achieve this state of perfect balance.

The "Higher Self" is the perfect spiritual form of "you."  It is the inner voice that gently guides you on your journey through life. It's guidance manifests in subtle ways through images and pictures, as the still small voice, or as flashes of insight, intuition and knowingness.

This spiritual energy flows throughout the universe as light, sound and color. It fills the body and mind during meditation. The many other not-so-absorbing activities of daily living, also allow for total absorption or meditative stillness. But these are often too monotonous for a Westerner to become fully absorbed in them. One must sustain a special and distinct awareness for total absorption to occur. This helps us do the things we have always dreamed of doing. It is often termed extended consciousness, expanded awareness, trance state, or an alternate state of consciousness. Shamans call this a “state of ecstasy.”

In the following visualization journeys, you will enter the gateway through which you can experience this meditative silence. By practicing silence, breathing and stillness you will achieve anything you set your mind to. You may glimpse this state of being when you have a quiet and concentrated focus, an open heart, detached emotions, and wholesome intentions. Inner stillness is a safe palace where the mind and soul meet in harmony and love.

Who is Seeing During Visualization?

When you perceive, through your mind's eye, also called the "third eye," the mind awakens to the symbolic language of the soul. Here, a deeper dialogue occurs. As this happens you discover the soul is more than willing to guide you through your own spiritual path. The following meditations take a beginner on a spiritual journey in total absorption to a place where all things are possible. In the King James Version of the Bible, there is a passage that explains, "The light of the body is in the eye: therefore if thine eye be single, the whole body shall be full with light" Matthew 6:22.

The main purpose that modern people seek to meditate is to see with this “single eye.” In the West, we meditate to dissolve the frenetic energies that constantly vie for our attention. We are neurotic without some silence and stillness in our lives. The West is a continuous, outwardly-focused culture with too many televisions, telephones, computers, radios, fax machines and cell phones. What's next, embedded devices in our brains so we are never separated from them?

These devices may bring the outside world "in" to us. But, there are no devices that bring the inner world "out" of us, except prayer and meditation. The best way to do this is to recognize and communicate with the soul through the spirit. That is to say, the spirit guides us through all our endeavors while connecting with the soul. We accomplish this through guidance in our dreams, meditations, prayers, sacred art, dance, music, yoga, and while reflecting on the Source of our inner strength.

In contemplation, the soul enters into communication with us, and allows us a glance at our full potential. As we discover this fullness, bit-by-bit, we realize there is only One True Soul, One True Purpose, and we are an integral part of that Truth.

There is no separation between your soul and the soul of another being. We are made of the same SOUL stuff, one entity, with individual personalities, all expressing the same Divine Soul, like a many-faceted jewel.

Before practicing the following meditations, please read through all of them first. Then practice each in the order in which it is presented. When you are finished with each one, write your thoughts in a personal journal dedicated to these practices alone.

As you practice, you will become more comfortable with the effects of meditation, and you will be able to derive more pleasure from the mundane activities of life. In the future, you may wish to dedicate a portion of each day to practice. Typically. 30 minutes day and night is sufficient to maintain a meditation practice.

At first, you will face personal resistances and imbalances, which until now have been central in your life. Yet, after practicing, you will be able to still your own mind and experience the grace and peace that contacting the stillness brings. Once an animal said to me, “I am in a state of perfect grace, and peace is all around me.” Wow, I love that affirmation.

Eventually, the ego, which causes the resistance, fades and the barriers come down. Work through them and walk in the middle. The effects of meditation are good for both body and mind. After a direct real experience with mediation you will understand how important it is to your life.

There are hundreds of books on the different techniques for meditation. But the principles are basically the same: Relax the body and mind, become aware of your breathing, concentrate your energy on one central theme or point within, center your awareness on the stillness between breaths, expand your energy and awareness beyond the confines of your ego and, slowly identify with a greater whole, family, community, country, nation and universe. After meditation, ground the energy and expand the experience into projects and activities in the outside world, putting into action what you have learned to be true with the intention of helping others. I recommend learning to meditate from a meditation teacher in your local area. Or, you may wish to register for one of my classes at Highland Retreat in Washington . I have been teaching meditation privately and in groups for over seven years.

Hundreds of sites on this subject exist on the Internet. Many are listed in the back of this book. In the following chapters, I will discuss how meditation, guided imagery and creative visualization can help and instruct horseback riders before they ever enter an arena, step foot on a trail, or fly over a fence. Most important, these meditations are fun.   

                                                         The Journey Continues >>

“I am in a state of perfect grace, and peace is all around me.”  (Spoken to me by a cat.)

The Bear

The bear embodies self-observation, because every winter, it retires to a cave to reflect on the events of the past year. It enters into the great silence, the big empty, to find the answers to all questions.