Gibberish Meditation

Gibberish was first used hundreds of years ago by a Sufi mystic named Jabbar. In fact the very word 'gibberish' derives from his name. It is said that people would come to Jabbar with all kinds of questions about enlightenment and he would simply answer with nonsense sounds. At first people thought he was crazy and that no one would come to listen. But hundreds of people came and he ended up having more disciples than any other mystic of his time.

What was happening was really something great. Listening to Jabbar your mind had nothing to do. You couldn't agree or disagree with him because he was just talking nonsense, a constant stream of sounds and words with no commas or periods, no sentence structure.

Jabbar enjoyed himself very much and would laugh as if he were telling jokes and then he would start up again. By and by the disciples, who continually increased in number, realized that just by sitting near Jabbar, listening to his gibberish, their minds became more and more silent. And that was his whole purpose: to bring them into a state of meditation, to bring them in touch with their own inner silence. This great mystic answered their questions by taking them deep inside themselves, beyond the mind where their own answers lay.

The mind thinks in terms of words. Gibberish helps to break up this pattern of continuous verbalization. Without suppressing your thoughts, you can throw them out using the gibberish meditation. It is a wonderful way to release physical, mental and emotional stress.

The technique you'll learn here is based on a version I learned from my teacher, Osho. You can do it at any time of day. To start with you might want to try 5 minutes of gibberish followed by 5 minutes of silence. Then build up to 15, 20, 30 or even an hour of gibberish followed by the equivalent time of silent sitting. If you like you can use my Gibberish CD to accompany you. Ordering information HERE I would suggest that you eat lightly beforehand. You will be moving a lot of tensions out of the body/mind and having a full stomach might make you nauseous.

Instructions for Gibberish
Find someplace to do it where you won't feel at all self-conscious. I recommend that you wear a blindfold. Sometimes, with the more cathartic techniques, the eyes can fly open involuntarily and the blindfold can keep you from getting distracted by anything going on around you.

Stage One: Gibberish
Close your eyes and just start speaking in gibberish, nonsense sounds. Don't worry about what you sound like, just go totally mad. Make any sounds you like; just don't speak in a language or use words that you know. Allow yourself to express whatever needs to be expressed within you. Go consciously crazy.

Do it any way you like: sing, cry, shout, scream, mumble, talk. Let your body go free too. Allow it to express itself any way it wants, especially if you've been cooped up in an office all day. You may want to stamp, stomp, jump, skip, lie down, run in circles. Do whatever you feel like doing without harming anyone. Do not let up. You should be moving and talking in a steady stream. You don't want any empty spaces. If no other sounds come, say, 'blah blah blah,' but you don't want any silences during this one.

If you are doing this meditation with other people, try not to be distracted by what they're doing or to interfere with them in any way. Just stay with what is happening with you.

Stage Two: Witnessing
Set a timer for the time period you've chosen. When the ringer goes off, STOP and FREEZE for a moment. Listen to the silence after all the noise and babbling. Then find a place to sit comfortably, either the floor or a chair, it doesn't matter. Close your eyes and breathe naturally. Your head and back should be straight but not rigid. Just sit there in stillness and silence, gathering your energy inwards. Let thoughts just drift away and feel yourself falling into the deep silence and peacefulness that is at your center.

Try to be totally in the present moment, just witnessing whatever passes by without judgment. If you feel your thoughts racing ahead to your next activity or back to the past, just try to watch them from a distance - don't judge them, don't get caught up in them. Just stay in the present, watching. What you are watching is not important, it's the process of watching that is the meditation.

The gibberish technique isn't just for releasing stressful emotions, such as anger, frustration, or rage. You can also use it to express and enjoy positive emotions such as joy or excitement. You might find yourself playful and clowning around having a lot of fun, experimenting with different parts of yourself. You can try anything from growling like a jungle animal to speaking an imaginary foreign language. Be outrageous. This is not about making sense; it's about learning to lighten up. Even a few minutes of acting ridiculous can bring a surprising amount of relief.

I often suggest to people that they try postures and sounds that are new to them. This is helpful in accessing creativity and releasing us from 'in the box' thinking. This is one way we can break free from old conditionings and discover unlimited possibilities within ourselves. Enjoy.

Excerpted from Chapter One It's Easier Than You Think: Relaxing Lunchtime Enlightenment: Meditations to Transform Your Life NOW - at Work, at Home, at Play

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