Quiet the Mind: The Stairway

In the last installment of the Quiet the Mind series, the Rainbow Visualization was presented. At the end of the visualization, the colors of the rainbow had come to create a white light surrounding me, and I promised I would discuss next what I see on my way to a longer meditation. What follows is a description of what I normally view upon stepping out of that white light, and an explanation of why what you may see could be very different.

As was previously described, visualizing the colors of the rainbow can begin quieting the mind and is an effective tool to help one fall to sleep. When I utilize that visualization, and I am still awake when I have gone through all of the steps, it does continue for me. If I am purposely using it for an aid to sleep, the next part of the visualization normally completes the job. If I am using the visualization to help me to a deeper or more meaningful meditation, the next part varies wildly as it follows the same basic theme.
To follow, I will describe continuing the visualization for trying to sleep, and then give some examples of how it can vary if it is to lead to a deeper meditation.

Stepping out of the White Light

Once I have enjoyed the feeling of love and peace found in the white light, I take two or three deep breaths, and continue.

Upon stepping out of the light, you will see a path of marbled stones at your feet. There is a hazy and fragrant garden just beyond the outsides of the path and you feel drawn to follow the path and find where it leads. You move slowly, enjoying the fragrance and the feeling of peace that stays with you after you have left the light. You feel comfortable knowing it is a place you can come back to at any time.

The path leads to a set of stairs. They are wide and you see the garden of fragrant flowers continues along the sides of them. The stairs are made of the same lovely marble as was the path and they lead down. There are twenty-one stairs and you realize you will become more relaxed with each one you descend. You still feel the peace and love that stayed with you as you started the path, and after two or three deep breaths, you are ready to continue.

You take each stair, one at a time, feeling both feet resting on each in turn. Stepping down from 21 to 20. You feel both feet on the twentieth step, and you feel more relaxed and calmer. You allow yourself to take a nice breath while there, and then step down again to step 19. Both feet on the step, and you feel comfortable and warm and very much at peace.

You continue this process, seeing each stair before you descend to it. You make the count down to each stair and you give yourself a moment to feel both feet at that stair and remind yourself you are more relaxed, comfortable, warm, or at peace. You make your way slowly down to the last step and once there, you feel deeply relaxed and peaceful. You take a deep breath and you are ready to continue.

What happens next?

When I am using this method to help me sleep, I have rarely made it to the last step. I normally drift off while still in the teens somewhere. You may liken it to counting sheep, and I suppose that is a valid thought. (Of course, stairs rarely start bleating, which would mess up the count for me.) The way the process works, you are bringing yourself toward the brain waves you will encounter during sleep, and your focus is drawn away from events you might normally mull over or fret about while trying to sleep.

It does seem important to note at this point, should your mind drift away from the visualization, and you find yourself wondering if you mailed out the car insurance or if you took the laundry out of the dryer, it is ok. It happens very often when trying to quiet the mind, these random thoughts which seem to derail what you are trying to do pop into your head. Once you realize your visualization has been disturbed, simply take a few deep breaths and pick up where you left off before the interruption. If you have difficulty remembering what stair you were on before your mind took you off on the tangent, simply pick one from a point that was most likely higher. If you are too anxious or upset from where your thoughts led you, it is perfectly all right to start the process over from the beginning. The rainbow of colors will always be there for you. It is all right if you feel the need to start over several times, because each time you try, you will get better at it and you should feel good about yourself for trying to get back to this very natural method of relaxation.

What happens next in active meditation?

That is a loaded question, and I will do my best to explain. When I am using that visualization to begin an active meditation the rainbow is consistent and the path after stepping out of the white light is consistent. What comes next varies greatly. I nearly always see stairs or a slope of some kind that will lead me deeper into the meditation. How these appear to me, vary as widely as all the stairs and paths I have seen over the course of my life. It is very likely you will see different things too as you begin your active meditation.

I have seen as many as twenty-one stairs, and as few as three. Sometimes they lead up, other times they lead down. They have consisted of different materials as well. The slopes I have seen are different too, some leading down toward a valley and others leading up along a mountain. I have even encountered stairs that come to a landing and require walking across and turning another direction to continue. I must admit, the stairs or slope ties in well with what I will see after it, and for some reason it seems a place I can get back to easily and follow to the white light.

That said, there are those who may only see stairs or slopes leading up, and others who only see them go down. Whatever you may see, you must remember, will be right for you. It is important to mention this, for I have been in discussion circles after group meditations in which people actually argued as to whether stairs should lead up or down in meditation. For that reason, I will add an article to this Quiet the Mind series to discuss group meditation. For some, group meditation is exciting and nearly addictive, while others seem to wish to avoid it entirely. For you, what you see next will be what you need to see and will be as comforting and relaxing as the colors of the rainbow.

What follows in active meditation after the rainbow visualization is an infinite number of possibilities. In coming installments, I will gladly share some of those I have found and enjoyed. If following the visualization simply brings you to sleep, that is wonderful and I would wish you sweet dreams.