Learning Meditation - Why the Role of a Meditation Instructor is Key

Meditation teachers are special people who have been chosen to teach meditation because they are masters in the practice of meditation. Teachers need to be gifted and sensitive to the needs of their students. They must know how to properly engage their students in the form of therapy that brings them into a spiritual state of awareness. A good teacher also understands the tension of "trying to catch the student at the right time" to allow them to tap into their inner light. Meditation teachers should have an innate understanding of the nature of self-awareness and use that to connect to the students with a loving tone. It is best for a teacher to be kind and quiet, but not for this to come across as an imposition of their will. There must be an acceptance of the student's presence, but the teacher can help to encourage or stimulate the process. The teacher has many duties. She may teach one class or a few classes a week. Some teachers may only work on one subject, while others have years of experience. All teachers must have necessary facilities such as bathroom breaks, and time to converse with the students and make appropriate adjustments to the lesson plan. Teachers should understand the true nature of the student. The mind has a strong reaction to any form of pressure. A good teacher will approach the students with an openness that is appropriate to the student. If the student is shy or reluctant to participate in a teaching situation, the teacher can gently guide the student into meditation by using an open, non-judgmental style. The teacher should try to strike a balance between exposing the student to the elements of the subject and providing the student with the tools to understand and let go of these experiences. The primary teaching role of a meditation teacher is to establish an atmosphere of openness that allows for a powerful practice. All other forms of interaction between teacher and student are secondary. The teacher can have the students bring objects or ask questions from them. However, it is the role of the teacher to provide the environment to allow students to work at their own pace. The meditation instructor can be in any form of meditation. This does not have to be the case. An adept can use one type of meditation without having to meditate. Of course, as the practitioner of meditation, the instructor is ultimately the one who can recognize what is happening inside the mind and guide the student through a challenging but gratifying process. Some people who have never meditated may be intimidated when faced with the quiet, still setting of meditation. This does not mean that they cannot teach students how to meditate. Just the opposite - the more time and experience a teacher has in meditation, the more ability they will have to lead students through the process of meditation. The teacher can train the students to work on different levels of attention skills. When taught correctly, the student can focus on objects at various levels of awareness. The teacher can offer gentle distractions, such as clicking sounds, to add to the atmosphere. When a student is allowed to teach himself, a discussion can take place, and some analyses can be carried out on the matter. Some students will view the teacher as an extension of themselves and will be content to listen to what the teacher has to say. Others will be more vocal and offer suggestions and critique of the teacher's method. The students should feel comfortable during the meditation lesson. Good teachers make sure that all senses are being stimulated. Students should be encouraged to sit in the proper posture for the type of meditation they are learning. Also, they should take part in some form of physical exercise while sitting quietly. When students receive guidance, they will develop skills that will serve them for years to come. There are many levels of meditation that a meditation instructor can teach. Whether the person is experienced in quieting the mind, stimulating the brain, or leading the student into deep meditative states, the teacher can do these things. But the one thing that holds is that every situation is unique, personal, and any teaching needs to be an expression of a persons' state of mind, feelings, temperament, or needs.