There are many, many ways to practice meditation, but the methods of practice are frequently confused with the larger goals of meditation. It certainly isn't necessary to meditate on or with minerals to be doing meditation. Nevertheless, we have found minerals to be especially helpful in focusing one's concentration.

One of the challenges we encounter in starting meditation is an inadequate concept of what we're trying to do. Another common challenge with beginning meditation practice is not yet having the strength of concentration to enter into a meditative experience or to release it. Careful thinking, a desire to learn, and attentive practice can overcome both of these obstacles.

While not necessarily for everyone, we have found that meditating with minerals can be a very effective aid to maintaining and building up concentration for many beginners. Minerals and crystals are natural focalizers of various energies and forces at large in the universe. For example, they are used as tuners for electronics which can pick up seemingly invisible transmissions. Human perception can also be trained to function with minerals in similar ways.

Working with minerals by holding them in one's hands or even placing them in one's immediate area can help to focus the beginner's attention. Besides conveying other information or experiences, minerals can convey their own qualities to the meditator. They are themselves worthy subjects for discovery.

Finally, the very act of holding onto something can give the beginning meditator a tactile focus to anchor themselves in either selecting or in releasing various meditative experiences. Thoughtful experimentation and practice are the keys.