Some Step 11 Ideas On Meditation

Essay December 2018

Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Many groups, religious and non-religious, have long experience practicing meditation. Here are some of the practices that they have found helpful.

Get a meditation book like SA’s The Real Connection or any book used for this purpose

Have a place to meditate, quiet with few or no distractions

Have a picture, religious icon, or something else you can focus on – a beach or trees for instance

Do the meditation at the same time and same place each day

Read a short passage and then reflect on what strikes you

The goal is to be open to/contact God and your inner self

When you make contact, stay there

Start slow: first 10 minutes and over time increase the time

Use an alarm timer so you don’t keep looking at the time

Some techniques for getting inner silence:

Focus on your breathing

Use a short saying that helps you focus, like help me find peace, keep me sober

Focus on a picture or object or view that helps you focus

Focus on being in the now/the present moment

Position for prayer:

Physically relax: the position should be comfortable so you focus on the prayer and not on your physical discomfort

Stand or sit, kneel or walk, as long as your position doesn’t distract you because it is uncomfortable

Other suggestions:

Prayerful reading using a good book [like SA or AA literature]. The aim is not to finish a section but to reflect on the reading. Stop when you find something that moves you.

Use a memorized phrase or prayer to start and end.

Some find music helps them focus and relax.

Some find journaling helpful as a part of the meditation or after.

Slowly saying a prayer or passage that has meaning for you focusing on what moves you

When you find yourself wandering, do not panic, but gently return to your mediation

Go to a spiritual center or a place that you find inspiring like a church, a meditation garden, or a temple

Join a meditation group

Light a candle and/or incense

Use guided meditations on a CD  or DVD

The most basic rule is to do what works for you and be willing to try new ways.

Please share your meditation experience and practice with Essay at essay@sa.org Tell us how you work Step Eleven.

Jerry L., California, USA