Introduction
Mind Design
Mind Expansion - Techniques

"Learn to be silent
 Let your quiet mind listen and absorb."
Pythagoras (580 B.C.- 500 B.C.)

Meditation
The mind is like a pond.  The ripples on the surface are like the day-to-day thoughts that occupy the conscious mind.  Yet the surface is only a tiny part of the pond.  It is in the depths of the pond, where there is stillness, that you will come to know the true essence of the pond, as well as your own mind. Meditation affects both body and mind. Meditation is a self-directed practice for relaxing the body and calming the mind. The objective of meditation is to still the mind. By relieving stress, meditation lowers the level of harmful stress hormones and promotes our natural healing processes.

Meditation turns attention turns inward, and guides you into a deeply relaxed state. Traditionally, the meditator relaxes and focusses on a single thought or image, or a physical experience, such as breathing, or a sound, such as a mantra.  Your mind is better able to concentrate on positive thoughts and open you to levels of higher consciousness.

The following meditation methods, though simple, involve the development of complementary skills. Method One is probably the simplest form of developing a meditative focus and is useful for general relaxation. Method Two incorporates detailed visualisation which improves with practice. You can use this meditative method to create your own reality, such as good health, business success, sporting achievements, etc. Method Three incorporates an awareness of sensory messages which enter the mind from higher levels. This method can be used to gain insight into personal questions or problem solving.

Method One:
- Ensure you will not be disturbed for 10 minutes, relax the body in a comfortable chair and close your eyes.
- Note any physical sensations in the body, and feel them melt away...
- Focus your attention on your breathing... feel the breath as you breathe in, feel the breath as you breath out. Maintain a slow, comfortable, soothing rhythm and continue to focus on the breathing for 10 minutes.
- If conscious thoughts drift into your mind, just let them drift out of the mind and return the focus to the breath. Each time you return the focus to the breath, the strength of your focus will increase gradually(...like your muscles gain in strength from exercise).
- After 10 minutes, slowly return to conscious awareness.

Note: Meditative methods vary widely... as you experiment with other methods, you can settle on the one that you feel most comfortable with.

Method Two: (VISUALIZING... health, success, achievements, etc)
- Prepare the basis of an image in your mind which encompasses your desired outcome.
- Ensure you will not be disturbed for 10 minutes, relax the body in a comfortable chair and close your eyes.
- Note any physical sensations in the body, and feel them melt away...
- Focus your attention on your breathing... feel the breath as you breathe in, feel the breath as you breath out. Maintain a slow, comfortable, soothing rhythm and continue to focus on the breathing for 5 minutes.
- Now direct your focus to creating an image in the mind of your desired outcome. The more detail the better... colours, smells, tastes, feelings, emotions. Maintain that focus for 5 minutes or so.
- Slowly return to conscious awareness.

Method Three: (INSIGHT)
- Formulate the question you would like some clarification on... and ask the question.
- Ensure you will not be disturbed for 10 minutes or more, relax the body in a comfortable chair and close your eyes.
- Note any physical sensations in the body, and feel them melt away...
- Focus your attention on your breathing... feel the breath as you breathe in, feel the breath as you breath out. Maintain a slow, comfortable, soothing rhythm and continue to focus on the breathing for 5 minutes.
- In this state of expanded awareness... sensory messages(maybe images, sounds, feelings...) begin to filter into your awareness. Maintain that focussed awareness for 5 minutes or more.
- Slowly return to conscious awareness, noting down any information you have experienced. Some information may be symbolic, and may come as momentary "flashes"... note them all down, because they eventually crystallize into inspired guidance.