basic purpose of turning oneself over to the Creator is the heart of genuine meditation. Such a foundation comes before any technique or method. That fundamental sense of what you do as you meditate is beyond a clever maneuver in consciousness. It is simply a heartfelt offering of oneself to something Bigger. It is a gift of yourself to whatever you hold as your spiritual ideal.
And then, remarkably, what comes as a byproduct is the relief of stress and the experience of real peace of mind. What a strange paradox. It’s only when you’re willing to give up the goal of acquiring peace that the gift of peace is presented to you. That is the basic spiritual mystery of meditation.
THE ELEMENTS OF A THREE-MINUTE MEDITATION
Minute #1. These brief periods for spiritual attunement can best be accomplished by dedicating about one minute to each of three distinct phases. The first element is attention to your breathing. Cayce was certainly not the first to recommend the usefulness of the breath for evoking a shift in consciousness. It is an ancient tradition worldwide. Some meditation techniques, for example, use attentiveness to the breath as the central method for focusing the mind.
Probably more than any other bodily function, the breath represents life itself. As you draw each breath into your lungs, you are revitalized. As you exhale the air, you are cleansed. This great rhythm is a symbol in your body of all the cycles of nature. No wonder that so many meditation teachers suggest that by silently focusing on your own breathing you can begin to connect to higher states of consciousness.
One way to get started with this powerful meditation tool is to simply observe your own breath for a minute. You might even count silently each breath for about sixty seconds. For most people this means about ten breath cycles. If you use this approach, don’t worry about manipulating your rate or depth of inhalation. Simply relax and let your body find its own pace. Your goal is to experience the process of breathing as consciously as possible.
A slightly different approach was recommended in the Cayce readings. It was a specific breathing exercise adapted from Yoga technique. It, too, takes about a minute to complete. Cover the left nostril. Inhale through the right and exhale through the mouth. Do this three times. Next, cover the right nostril and breathe in through the left, followed by an exhale through the right nostril only. Repeat this a second and a third time. As you do this one-minute breath exercise, try to let all your thoughts be identifying with your breathing.
Minute #2. The second element of the three-minute meditation is the core of the practice—silent focus upon an affirmation. In meditations of more traditional length, this part would take fifteen, twenty, or more minutes. But in these mini-meditation sessions it will be shortened to just sixty seconds.
An affirmation, which plays a key role in the meditation technique, is a short verbal expression of a spiritual ideal. It could be as brief as one word or as long as a full sentence. Some meditators like to compose their own spiritual phrases, others pick a phrase out of the Bible or a favorite prayer. Pick an affirmation that has personal appeal and meaning in your life. Is there a quality that you especially strive for now in your life, such as patience, joy, or faith? Write down a prayerful phrase or sentence that affirms that quality.
An affirmation is a tool that helps you, the meditator, get in touch with or “attune yourself to” your real spiritual identity. Focusing attention on your affirmation is a method for becoming sensitive to what the Cayce readings call your “individuality self” or “higher self.” An affirmation that is deeply personal to you is one that will evoke positive emotions, insights, and experiences. Say the affirmation silently or aloud once or twice. Then, be receptive. Remember that it’s said that prayer is “talking to God,” while “meditation is listening to the Divine within.” You won’t necessarily hear an audible voice. More likely you’ll receive a feeling or inspiration that reminds you of the truth contained in the words of your affirmation.
Don’t be discouraged if your attention drifts after just ten or fifteen seconds, especially if meditation is new for you. Simply restate your affirmation in your mind and focus your thoughts again. Don’t force your attention on your affirmation; rather, gently guide it.
Minute #3. The Cayce readings recommend that any meditation session, however long or short, should end with prayer for healing. That’s the third phase of the meditation—in this case, just another one-minute period to send blessings to those for whom you have concern and for yourself. Remember that healing prayer doesn’t limit itself to prayer for those who are physically ill. It encompasses emotional, attitudinal, and spiritual issues as well. Send a positive thought or blessing to just a few individuals for whom you may have some concern. If a person hasn’t directly asked you for prayer, it’s best not to visualize some specific changes happening in his or her life. It works best to surround the person mentally with the loving energy that has been awakened from this meditation session.
A STORY FROM THE CAYCE ARCHIVES
Marcus lived in New Bern, North Carolina, with his wife and two-year-old son. He had been to Virginia Beach a few times, and he had visited the Cayce family at their home near the oceanfront. Marcus was interested in having a life reading from Mr. Cayce, but the waiting list was lengthy and he had a considerable delay. In February 1931, as the time for his reading drew nearer, he wrote to Cayce about his expectations.
“I am anxiously looking forward to the time when you will be able to get to my life reading, as it is a matter of vital interest to me. My affairs have reached the point where it is time for me to make some sort of change but I will hold off until I hear from you as I feel that this reading is to be the turning point in my life.”
Marcus was a healthy man overall; but the inevitable stress of his career combined with approaching middle age wore at his health in subtle ways. He wanted to find out how to live a more balanced life, giving his body the attention it needed in order to remain healthy for the long run.
In April of 1931, the appointment date for his reading arrived. Gertrude Cayce presided over the session, as Edgar Cayce offered his wisdom from a deep, unconscious state. First Cayce addressed the minor health concerns that Marcus had expressed. With his clairvoyant insight, Cayce indicated that Marcus’ left eye would improve over time, and that his poor digestion would be improved by drinking a glass of warm water upon waking up each morning.
When he had been preparing questions for this reading months earlier, Marcus knew the tremendous amount of stress he felt each day was his most immediate health problem. He had worded one of his questions for the reading, “How can I overcome the nerve strain I’m under at times?”
The answer from Cayce on this day in April was direct and simple. “By closing the eyes and meditating from within, so that there arises—through that of the nerve system—that necessary elements … that will quiet the whole nerve forces, making for that—as has been given—as the true bread, the true strength of life itself. Quiet, meditation, for a half to a minute, will bring strength—will the body see physically this flowing out to quiet self, whether walking, standing still, or resting. Well, too, that oft when alone meditate in the silence—as the body has done.” (311-4)
This extraordinary recommendation—for quiet meditation lasting perhaps only half a minute or one minute—contained a powerful promise. By developing the positive habit of recentering himself each day with mini-meditation sessions, he could heal this nervous tension disorder.
The reading helped Marcus get his health back on track and gave him personal insights into the mind-body connection. Profoundly impressed with the information Cayce gave him, Marcus wrote to Cayce a few months later:
“As time goes on the original life reading gets clearer and the meaning more apparent
