The very essence of meditation involves the practice of stillness. The mind always behaves in the present. It never acted in the past nor future. Hence, it is necessary that we observe stillness and tranquility in all of our activities, even while in a social gathering, at work, and elsewhere. There are five elements - air, water, fire, earth, and space - which comprise the very essence of meditation.
We should remember that these five elements are always together. Therefore,
observing the conjunction of these elements - air, water, fire, earth, and
space - will always bring about a still and tranquil atmosphere. If we can
master this art of observing and balancing the elements of the breath, then we
would be able to harness the power of our mind and utilize it for positive
purposes. This will result in calmness in our minds and a calm and tranquil
state of being. It is actually said that when the mind is at rest, the body is
also at rest.
One way to practice meditation on elements would be to observe the breath as
it comes into and goes out from our bodies. Breathe deeply through your nose
and release all the air from your lungs. Now exhale gradually through your
lips, slowly taking in more air. Keep breathing in and out constantly like
this, and try to observe what is happening inside your body. The elements of
the breath combined with the elements of the surrounding environment, and by
practicing meditation on these elements, we can learn how to create an aura of serenity
that will envelop us completely.
Another way to practice meditation on elements is through zazen. Zen is a
state of consciousness that allows the individual to let go of all his/her
baggage and just let the flow of pure energy to enter and fill the entire
being. It is characterized by stillness and oneness. For a person to achieve
Zen, he/she should practice sitting alone in a quiet place for at least twenty
minutes without a phone or radio, and just observe the environment. In this
state of mind, you will start to see how the different colors of the world are
connected to each other, how they interact and which ones give birth to which
other colors.
By meditating on the elements, you will also learn how to release all your
tensions and hold onto nothing. If you think of a stressful issue or problem,
it will become clearer how it can disturb your mind. When you think of
something really annoying, it will become clearer how it is not worth
disturbing your mind. You can also find the root causes of many problems that
bother us and use these to release the tension from your body, mind, and soul.
Meditation on elements can help you do this easily.
One of the most important things about how to practice meditation on
elements is that you should make sure that you are not focusing on any one
element. This can lead to distraction and it may take a long time to
concentrate on just one thing. Once you have managed to get a few elements in
focus, you can move on and improve on this skill. It is best to remember to
relax your body, your mind and your soul before you start meditating on
anything.

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