In this article I will talk about what meditation is, the benefits of meditation and how to meditate, among other things.
Meditation is the art of concentrating all of your focus of attention on an internal or external “object”. This “object” can be a candle, a sound, your breathing, an imaginary picture, etc.
Scientific studies show that the benefits of meditation include greater capacity of concentration, anxiety reduction and a feeling of inner peace and happiness. Keep in mind that these benefits do not come overnight. They result from persistent practice.
Mantra meditation is one of the most popular meditation techniques. In this type of meditation you mentally repeat a mantra while you exhale. A mantra is a sound, word or group of words, such as bliss, happiness, contentment, peace, etc.
You can choose a mantra based on something that has spiritual meaning to you. Your meditation experience will be probably better if your mantra is something that you believe in.
You can also choose a mantra that reflects something that you would like your mind to focus on more often, such as spirituality, kindness, and others.
Besides repeating a mantra, you can meditate by focusing your attention on:
1- Your breathing;
2- Counting numbers, every time you exhale.
Try different methods and choose one you feel the most comfortable with. You can also alternate the methods that you use. For example: do mantra meditation today, counting meditation tomorrow, etc. There is no fixed rule – the most important thing is to keep the focus of your attention on something.
In order to get the most out of your meditation sessions:
1- Do meditation in the sitting position (pick a comfortable chair)
2- Practice it at about the same time every day (for, at least, 30 minutes)
3- Ensure that your surroundings will be quiet (for example: turn off the phone)
4- After your meditation session ends, instead of getting up right away, slowly open you eyes and stay sit for a couple of minutes before proceeding to you next activity.
Accept the fact that your mind wanders around as you meditate. Don’t get worried or angry if you are not able to focus your attention, or if thoughts come to your mind during meditation. When this happens, let it be OK and just bring your focus of attention back to whatever you are focusing on. With time and consistent practice your mind will become quieter and it will be easier to keep your attention on something. As with many good things in life, this will come with time and persistence. But when it comes, you will be glad it did. It will be worth every effort and every second that you put into your meditation practice.
Do not try to evaluate all the time if meditation is giving the results that you want. Just focus on the process of meditating, knowing that the benefits will come. If you feel discouraged or willing to give up, read books and articles that talk about all the benefits that meditation can bring to your life. This will help you to keep on track with your meditation practice.
In this article I will talk about what meditation is, the benefits of meditation and how to meditate, among other things.
Meditation is the art of concentrating all of your focus of attention on an internal or external “object”. This “object” can be a candle, a sound, your breathing, an imaginary picture, etc.
Scientific studies show that the benefits of meditation include greater capacity of concentration, anxiety reduction and a feeling of inner peace and happiness. Keep in mind that these benefits do not come overnight. They result from persistent practice.
Mantra meditation is one of the most popular meditation techniques. In this type of meditation you mentally repeat a mantra while you exhale. A mantra is a sound, word or group of words, such as bliss, happiness, contentment, peace, etc.
You can choose a mantra based on something that has spiritual meaning to you. Your meditation experience will be probably better if your mantra is something that you believe in.
You can also choose a mantra that reflects something that you would like your mind to focus on more often, such as spirituality, kindness, and others.
Besides repeating a mantra, you can meditate by focusing your attention on:
1- Your breathing;
2- Counting numbers, every time you exhale.
Try different methods and choose one you feel the most comfortable with. You can also alternate the methods that you use. For example: do mantra meditation today, counting meditation tomorrow, etc. There is no fixed rule – the most important thing is to keep the focus of your attention on something.
In order to get the most out of your meditation sessions:
1- Do meditation in the sitting position (pick a comfortable chair)
2- Practice it at about the same time every day (for, at least, 30 minutes)
3- Ensure that your surroundings will be quiet (for example: turn off the phone)
4- After your meditation session ends, instead of getting up right away, slowly open you eyes and stay sit for a couple of minutes before proceeding to you next activity.
Accept the fact that your mind wanders around as you meditate. Don’t get worried or angry if you are not able to focus your attention, or if thoughts come to your mind during meditation. When this happens, let it be OK and just bring your focus of attention back to whatever you are focusing on. With time and consistent practice your mind will become quieter and it will be easier to keep your attention on something. As with many good things in life, this will come with time and persistence. But when it comes, you will be glad it did. It will be worth every effort and every second that you put into your meditation practice.
Do not try to evaluate all the time if meditation is giving the results that you want. Just focus on the process of meditating, knowing that the benefits will come. If you feel discouraged or willing to give up, read books and articles that talk about all the benefits that meditation can bring to your life. This will help you to keep on track with your meditation practice.