How, and why should you meditate.
Published by Hypno on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 17:27:32 - Filed under
Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, discourse a clear man. - Benjamin Franklin
First of all let’s clarify a few things about meditation. Meditation is a form of mental concentration in which the mind is focused on an object of thought or awareness. Different forms of it can be found in almost all religions, but it can be done independently of which religion you follow (or not-follow). There are different kinds of meditations, but I won’t go into all of them. This post was meant to be a simple introduction into meditation.
Lets see what the benefits of meditation are:
-Reduced stress levels
-Health benefits and an improved immune system
-Power over your thoughts
-Happiness
-Peace of mind
-Better concentration
-Spontaneity
-Increases creativity
-Can help you discover your life purpose
-Reduced fear and anxiety
-More energy throughout the day
-Builds self confidence
-Decreased depression
-Improved learning ability and memory
-Increased productivity
-Better self-discipline
-Longer lifespan
After seeing the above list who wouldn’t want to regularly practice meditation? If you don’t believe in the above list then ask anyone who regularly practices meditation about the benefits they got from it, and you will see how valuable meditation is.
So, how do you meditate?
I’ll explain a few simple methods, if you are interested in other methods then the internet is filled with them just do a search.
You can just sit down in a comfortable position and focus your entire attention on your breathing. Do not let your thoughts drift away, while you do this. If your thoughts accidentally drift away then don’t worry about it, just shift your attention back to your breathing. As you practice it every day you will become better at it.
Another way to meditate would be to feel your “inner body”. You mind and body are connected and both influence each other, but in today’s world people forget that fact. Your body is a part of you, taking care of it and keeping it in shape, has an influence on you, that’s why it is important to pay attention to it and to the things that go on inside of it. At first it may be hard to pay attention on the full body, in that case just try to focus on one part of it. As you get better you can feel more parts of it.
You can do an open eyed version of meditation. Simply pay close attention to the shapes, the colors, the textures, the light, the sounds, etc. Or choose an object that you will focus on and pay attention on it. BTW you can do the earlier mentioned examples either with eyes open or with eyes closed, it doesn’t matter.
Whatever forms of meditation you practice, the most important point is to apply mindfulness continuously, and make a sustained effort. It is unrealistic to expect results from meditation within a short period of time. What is required is continuous sustained effort. – Dalai Lama
That’s meditation in a nutshell. Practice it daily and you will reap the benefits. It’s recommended to practice it twice a day (in the morning and in the evening) for 20 minutes each time, but feel free to vary it according to your schedule however you may like it. Meditation may be very simple technically, but it takes a lifetime to master. Good luck with it.