Summary
What is meditation ?
Meditation can be defined as an exercise in focusing the mind on a thought, image, feeling or concept. In concentration-oriented meditation methods, the mind focuses on a word, a prayer, a visual image, a spiritual concept, or the breath. With mindfulness meditation, it is possible to simply put your mind in “observation” mode. Meditation has one and the same purpose: to quiet the mind.
A lot of seers practice meditation before their consultations in order to empty their minds and be able to be fully concentrated. It is also recommended to meditate for consultants, which allows to be relaxed and open.
The relationship between meditation and life
Does practicing meditation by sitting daily for five to thirty minutes improve your life? Or does the simplicity of your life make you able to meditate? In other words: which enables the other (the chicken or the egg question) – meditation or a healthy lifestyle?
Let’s start from the point of view of meditation. If you need to be disciplined enough to sit for an average of twenty minutes a day, that means making sure you’ve eaten well, because you can’t focus on meditation if you’re hungry. You must be rested, or you will end up falling asleep five minutes after your meditation. If you haven’t exercised, you will feel anxious during meditation practice. And, if you haven’t freed up some free time with your family members, it will be very frustrating to meditate at home. At work, it is best to decrease stress-based reactions to keep the mind steady during evening meditation. Meditating therefore leads you to balance every aspect of your life.
Now let’s see how meditation affects your life. You meditate and realize that even though your body is still, the mind is racing. Some days more than others. But with each meditation session, you learn something new about yourself and feel more relaxed, more focused, and more at peace. Because of this peace of mind, you tend to make better food choices and appear more optimistic. You are even tempered and avoid discussing small details. At work, you are more objective, so your stress levels drop significantly. You sleep better because your nervous system is more stable. It looks like practicing meditation has changed your approach to life!
Meditation therefore brings better health and a better lifestyle.
Some tips for your meditation practice:
- Find a relatively quiet place, but learn not to react to unexpected sounds.
- If sitting is possible, sit up straight to avoid falling asleep.
- If you experience pain from your sitting posture, please reposition your body so that it does not cause any harm.
- Generally speaking, the eyes should remain closed during the exercise and the body in a still, seated posture.
- Be sure to note if you have an increase in negative or anxiety-related thoughts, especially if you are prone to depression or anxiety disorders.
The six types of meditation
There are 6 meditation methods that summarize one way the mind can be focused. The best method is the one that works for you!
Breathing meditation: Just focus on your breathing. Don’t focus on the air itself as it moves in and out of your lungs. Focus on the whole process of the breath in terms of life force.
Mantra Meditation : Repeat a word or syllable in your mind that means something to you. Keep repeating the same word over and over; you can use the same word for years.
Visualization meditation: focus on one image, not a series of images. For example, if you choose the sky, then imagine the blue sky or a cloud. Focus on just one image because otherwise it would look like a movie clip that might distract your mind.
Intentionality Meditation (Prayer / Nature): use a prayer in any form and remain quiet in a listening mode after saying your prayer. If you are in nature, feel its universality while contemplating it.
Contemplative meditation: take an unanswered question and think about that question. Exhaust the theories of your active mind and only then sit down thinking about this question. A popular practice is to repeat the question « Who am I? » »
mindfulness meditation: Observe your thoughts and feelings and note your reactions. Continue in witness mode, observing with the aim of reducing critical judgments.
Also discover:
=> 10 tips to eliminate stress
=> Find inner peace
=> 13 tips for more calm and peace in everyday life
