When you start to train yourself to meditate, teachers will often advise you to set up a routine so the process will more easily become a habit. The expert advice is usually

• to meditate at a certain time each day,
• for a certain amount of time (such as 15 minutes),
• in a consistent environment (such as in certain chair, with or without a candle, with or without incense, etc.)
• wear loose fitting clothes

Some teachers will also recommend you use the same meditation process each time you meditate, such as closing your eyes, taking a certain number of breaths in and out, visualize your chakras, or maybe even using certain hand positions (called mudras). All of these are techniques to help train your mind and body to more easily get you into the "meditation zone". The meditation zone is  where your sensations change and your "monkey mind" turns off. This is where you feel what some call  "inner bliss", or "peace of mind", or "the connection with the vortex and source energy", or "stepping out of your physical self". The more you practice your daily meditation and use the same techniques each time, the  more quickly your mind and body will bring you to that "meditation zone".

These meditation techniques provide you with a tried and true method get you to that space where true wonder and awe begins. But it doesn't mean it is the ONLY way to get there. In fact, once you have that process under your belt, you may also want to explore using other methods or adding to your meditation tool kit. Why? Because different meditation procedures can open different doors and take you to new paths.

For example, you can try meditating during a different time of day, or add more meditation slots into your day, or even meditate for longer periods, for example, Or you can try different positions, such as a standing meditation, or a walking meditation, or meditate with your eyes open. You can try meditating when you are in the air (such as on an airplane) or meditating as you float in water (or on a boat). You can also use various tools to stimulate your different senses (sound, smells, tastes, touch, etc.) in your meditation as well.

There are many wonders and a vast array of experiences awaiting you once you learn how to get into the "meditation zone". But there are also new pathways and doors that you can explore when you try going broader or deeper in your meditations. 

I have noticed that sensations I have during my meditations have changed and deepened over the years. It is as if the journey of cultivating Qi keeps changing and growing over time.  

In the early years of meditating, my focus was mostly on visualizing my chakras. But then one day, I could sense myself expanding out of my body, and I had a new sensation - being lifted! It was rather startling and a rather pleasant feeling.The sensation and expanding out of my body continued and happened in almost every meditation from then on. This lasted for several years, and I soon was able to exert more control over this, almost as if I could choose when and how to open the door to leaving my body. 

The whole meditation sensation process reminded me of a spiral - starting off small, and learning how, but then with continued practice, expanding skills and abilities, then looping in another direction when something changed.  you start off small, and then with more practice, your skills and abilities grow and improve with each loop. 

Then, this sensation of expanding in my meditations, just stopped. Soon, a new sensation emerged. I was now aware I could solicit input ANYTIME - not just during a meditation. It was almost as if I could get meditation results anytime or anywhere. It was almost as if I was now in a "constant meditation". I no longer had to "step out and expand" to get the information I sought in a meditation - it was now always "there". 

My point is, the meditative process and cultivating Qi will change. It is not a stagnant process. It grows and develops. The process can change, the sensation can change, and how you get results can change, too.  It is like a spiral of energy that changes, and as it moves and grows, so do we. 

Part of the Qi cultivation process includes meditation. Meditation is a very effective tool to improve ones ability to learn how to refocus and redirect ones thoughts.Being able to focus one's thoughts is important because thoughts have energy, and because of this energy, it moves Qi. 

As a Medical Qigong Therapist, I can sometimes observe thoughts in action within the body, as it moves and directs Qi. In fact, there are times when I ask the client direct their thoughts and attention to a specific part of their body that needs healing, and then join me in the healing process. When their thoughts arrive, I can feel a type of "handshake" join my thoughts, and then together, we both direct our thoughts and attention towards healing that that specific location in their body.  

In addition to thoughts impacting the flow of Qi in our body and conducting healing activities, our thoughts construct our life experience. Have you heard the term, "we create our own reality"?  This means that it is our thoughts that help create the circumstances and experiences we have in our life. What we experience, and how we perceive it, all starts with our thoughts. If we want to have a different life experience, we need to first start with new thoughts. It is our thoughts that are the catalyst to move and change where and how Qi is flowing.  

So, why is learning to train your mind to focus, so important? Because

• thoughts have energy
• thoughts guide Qi
• thoughts will guide our decisions and actions, creating the life experience and framework we live in
• focused thoughts and intention change the current flow of Qi (calm the flow, change the direction, even change the quality and volume of Qi)
• thoughts guide Qi, and then Qi guides blood, which then guides our actions
• the flow of blood determines our overall health and wellness
• and, our thoughts create the type of life we live and the experiences we have

Learning how to focus your thoughts is part of the Qi cultivation process, and the easiest way to develop the skill or focused thoughts and intention, is through the act of meditation. It is the exercise that helps us learn how to change our thoughts.