How to Meditate and why it’s good for you!
There are several different styles of meditation. Each style involves choosing postures, phrases or exercises to achieve your meditation goals. Learning a few of these meditation techniques can provide you with a tool to manage the stress in your life. Meditation is an excellent way to decrease stressful reactions within the body. Achieving a meditative state can actually lower your blood pressure, heart rate and breathing. Controlling your body is an essential part of reaching goals using meditation.
The easiest way to begin meditation is by choosing a simple style of meditation. Breathing meditations are the first form chosen by instructors for new students of the practice. To begin a breathing meditation, first find an empty room. Choose a room that does not have distractions, such as a bedroom or den. Close the door of the room to prevent family members or friends from interrupting your meditation. Dim the lights slightly or close the window blinds to further reduce distractions.
Choose a comfortable chair or sit cross-legged on the floor to begin meditating. Make sure that you are able to keep your spine straight. This is crucial because slouching can cause you to become sleepy or sluggish. Close your eyes without pressing the lids together too tightly. Inhale through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. Part your lips just slightly, so that air passes easily from your mouth. Concentrate fully on your breathing. Hear the air moving from outside of your body into your nose. Feel the air moving down your trachea and into your lungs. Sense the temperature difference as the external air enters your body. Feel your lungs fill and expand. Feel the air begin to warm within your body. Concentrate on the warmth of the air as it passes out of your mouth. Focus entirely on the movement of your breath and do not allow your mind to wander. Resist any thoughts of anything other than your own breath.
Once you have calmed your mind with this breathing meditation, remain in the calm state for several minutes. A deep contentment and happiness will begin to well up from your body. This happiness is a benefit of the breathing meditation. The same happiness and contentment will allow you to begin to focus your mind on one single thought. Choose a stress or question that has been bothering you. Use the same focus that allowed you to concentrate on your breathing to pinpoint your question. Feel the question in your mind. See the words and treat them as you treated your breath. Follow the question as it enters your mind and heart. Repeat the question or object of stress over and over in your mind. You might say the words softly while you meditate. You may also use a prayer or mantra for this part of your meditation. Allow your body and mind to focus completely on your question.
The ability to properly meditate will take practice. Give yourself plenty of time to learn meditative techniques and to enjoy the results.
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