What does meditation mean to you? I posed this question to a few people who don't meditate and received this basic idea:

Sit in a motionless position with your legs crossed. Relax your body and close your eyes. Hopefully, you think about Nothing, but if you do think about Something it should be positive, not about paying bills or problems with the kids. Sometimes you can use candles and incense, but it's not necessary. Sometimes you chant to put yourself into a trance. Try not to fall asleep.

Those that do meditate answered the question differently. Here are some of their reasons for meditating:

Deep calmness, serenity, and to experience true peace. Personal insights, answers and spiritual bliss. Becoming aware of my body and what it tells me. Exploring the sensations and manipulation of energy flow. Being centered.

The following meditation is designed for the purpose of centering yourself. By daily practicing such a ritual, centering becomes a natural response to the external environment of everyday life. Being centered is being aware of the things going on around you and experiencing them without being consumed by them, without letting them affect your calmness. The importance of a meditation method is the feeling you get when you're doing it and the sense you carry with you when you're finished.

In this meditation, there are three Centers, similar to chakras, which are both a physical and imagined space within the body. They represent the body, spirit, and mind. Here is the Three Centered Meditation, a beautiful way to spend 15 to 20 minutes in a spiritual bliss that you deserve each day!

• Begin by sitting quietly and undisturbed. Sit in a chair or on the floor, however you are most comfortable.
• Become aware of your breathing. Listen to the sound and feel of breathing. Be aware of the movement of breath in your body.
• Become aware of your body. Do you feel any tension or discomfort? If so, release it by gently directing the breath to that area. Imagine the tension soften and melt away down into the earth.
• Close your eyes and breathe slowly, softly, fully and evenly through the nose.

Prepare to bring energy to each Center (listed below). Filling each center with energy, allowing it to become open and flowing. Imagine energy riding with the breath: breathing in strong, pure, healing energy light; breathing out, softly releasing energy light to cleanse the Centers. Do this for 8 to 12 slow, even breaths for each Center.

First, imagine breathing deeply to the Center of Personal Power and Inner Strength: the Body. This center is located just beneath the navel and fills the lower abdomen.

Second, imagine breathing to the Center of Love and Compassion: the Spirit or Soul. This center is located at the middle of the chest.

Third, imagine breathing to the Center of Higher Knowledge and Spirituality: the Mind. This center is located at the third eye, the point on the forehead between the eyebrows.

Prepare to connect the Three Centers to realize the oneness, the non-separateness of our body-spirit-mind, our Being. Do this for 8 to 12 slow, even breaths.

As you breathe, imagine a line, or channel, of energy moving upwards from the lower center, passing into and through the heart center, and continuing up to meet the third eye center, connecting the three centers. Feel this channel of energy going up through the middle of your body.

Prepare to harmonize the Three Centers, letting the energy you've accumulated in them flow through every inch of your body, even into the energetic field surrounding us. Do this for 32 slow, even breaths.

Breathe deeply to the lower center. Inhale, feeling warm energy accumulate into a sphere of light, completely filling the lower abdomen. Exhale and imagine the energy emanating and expanding from this center, filling your entire body from the head to the toes, even going through the pores of your skin to mingle in the energetic field extending about 12 inches outside your body in all directions: front, back, top, bottom, and sides.

To close the meditation, quietly bring yourself back to external awareness by rubbing your palms together, creating energy heat. Place your hands over your eyes and absorb the energy into yourself through your eyes. Gently massage your face and head. Take a moment to notice how you feel. Remember this; it is the feeling you will be able to recall during the day whenever you need it.

Cynthia McMullen is a licensed massage therapist and owner of Touch of Tao, Ancient Arts of Serenity & Healing. She teaches Tai Chi through the Alaska Club, East. For more information, call 279-0135.