“With every breath, the old moment is lost; a new moment arrives. We exhale and we let go of the old moment. It is lost to us. In doing so, we let go of the person we used to be. We inhale and breathe in the moment that is becoming. In doing so, we welcome the person we are becoming. We repeat the process. This is meditation. This is renewal. This is life.” — Lama Surya Das
Meditation is an approach to training the mind, similar to the way that fitness is an approach to training the body. But many meditation techniques exist — so how do you learn how to meditate?
“In Buddhist tradition, the word ‘meditation’ is equivalent to a word like ‘sports’. And different meditation practices require different mental skills.
It’s extremely difficult for a beginner to sit for hours and think of nothing or have an “empty mind.” In general, the easiest way to begin meditating is by focusing on the breath — an example of one of the most common approaches to meditation: concentration.
CONCENTRATION MEDITATION
Concentration meditation involves focusing on a single point. This could entail following the breath, repeating a single word or mantra, staring at a candle flame, listening to a repetitive gong, or counting beads on a mala. Since focusing the mind is challenging, a beginner might meditate for only a few minutes and then work up to longer durations.
In this form of meditation, you simply refocus your awareness on the chosen object of attention each time you notice your mind wandering. Rather than pursuing random thoughts, you simply let them go. Through this process, your ability to concentrate improves.
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
Mindfulness meditation encourages the practitioner to observe wandering thoughts as they drift through the mind. The intention is not to get involved with the thoughts or to judge them, but simply to be aware of each mental note as it arises.
Through mindfulness meditation, you can see how your thoughts and feelings tend to move in particular patterns. Over time, you can become more aware of the human tendency to quickly judge an experience as good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant. With practice, an inner balance develops.
In some schools of meditation, students practice a combination of concentration and mindfulness. Many disciplines call for stillness — to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the teacher.
BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
If relaxation is not the goal of meditation, it is often a result. In the 1970s, Herbert Benson, MD, a researcher at Harvard University Medical School, coined the term “relaxation response” after conducting research on people who practiced transcendental meditation. The relaxation response, in Benson’s words, is “an opposite, involuntary response that causes a reduction in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.”
Since then, studies on the relaxation response have documented the following short-term benefits to the nervous system:
Lower blood pressure
Improved blood circulation
Lower heart rate
Less perspiration
Slower respiratory rate
Less anxiety
Lower blood cortisol levels
More feelings of well-being
Less stress
Deeper relaxation
In Buddhist philosophy, the ultimate benefit of meditation is liberation of the mind from attachment to things it cannot control, such as external circumstances or strong internal emotions. The liberated or “enlightened” practitioner no longer needlessly follows desires or clings to experiences, but instead maintains a calm mind and sense of inner harmony.
MEDITATION AND VISUALIZATION
Meditation and visualization are empowering tools to enhance consciousness and self-awareness and to focus the mind. Visualization is a healthy way of bringing positive energy into your mind, body and spirit, expanding your capacity for creativity. Meditation and visualization experiences will vary; it is best to let go of the expectations and surrender to your own inner wisdom.
VISUALIZATION IN MEDITATION
In meditation, the mind concentrates while the body relaxes; an effective position in which to begin visualization. You may find it helpful to consult visualization scripts or relaxation scripts before you try on your own. When the mind is clear and the body is relaxed, you can engage the imagination to visualize images and ideas. Meditation and visualization have the power to teach and heal. Visualization is one method of using the mind to influence the body. Here is an example of an easy relaxation script for meditation: “Breathing in, I relax. Breathing out, I smile.” Repeat this as long as you like, visualizing your body relaxing as you continue. Notice the physical changes.
VISUALIZATION BENEFITS
Holistic online cites many university studies showing that visualization has remarkable physical health benefits, including boosting immunity, easing depression, relieving insomnia, decreasing stress, and alleviating headaches and chronic pain. Often, seeing yourself healthy in your mind — or visualizing the image of a healthy body — is enough for your body to understand it as truth. If you are practicing visualization and meditation for health benefits, you should develop a daily practice to strengthen the communication between mind and body. There are numerous visual and audio visualization scripts available to guide your experience. Do not be attached to the results, but rather observe your personal journey.
In the beginning, visualization may be repeating a mantra or concentrating on one positive image, but you can get creative with practice.
It can be used in daily life to relieve stress and performance anxiety, enhance preparation, and add more power to your physical and mental efforts. Visualization has been shown to impact motor control, attention, perception, planning, and memory, priming your brain for success in whatever you want to accomplish. Simply the act of visualizing, which requires mindfulness, focus, and creativity, frees the mind from mental chatter and negativity. By using visualization, you create strong neural pathways in your brain, just as if you had actually performed what you visualize. Because the brain tells the muscles how to move, these neural pathways result in more precise, stronger movements, enhancing your actual efforts.
The best way to describe the tangible benefits of visual meditation is to do it first and then allow yourself to feel the results.
As with any new habit, it will take practice before you become skilled at it. It can take several visualization sessions for your mind to accept the subconscious messages you are reinforcing.
When you set aside judgments and limiting beliefs while visually meditating, you go to a place within your mind that has no concept of time or physical restrictions.
CREATIVE VISUALIZATION
Creative visualization, or guided imagery, is using the focus of the mind to create intentional thoughts or goals in your reality. When you can visualize an experience before you act on it, you are better prepared for the outcome. You may use creative visualization to affect your reality with your imagination, or you may choose to ground, relax or heal yourself. Many visualization scripts invite you to imagine yourself in a safe, soothing natural environment like a sunny beach or wooded forest, where you can tune in to the sights, sounds and smells of that special place. You are free to roam around this space and see what arises in your mind. Be open to what you see, and know that this place always exists for you to visit.
“Meditation can calm your nervous system whereas visualization can reprogram it.”
4 OTHER SIMPLE MEDITATIONS
If you talk to 10 people who meditate, you’ll likely hear 10 different approaches to the practice. The truth is there is no right or wrong way to meditate; whatever works for you is the right way. But there are some common ways to get started. Here are five techniques for you to try, combine or adjust to your liking. Explore them all until you find the technique that speaks to you.
BREATH MEDITATION
Focusing on your breathing is the oldest and most basic meditation technique.
Start off by sitting comfortably (on a cushion, mat or chair).
Then, close your eyes, press your tongue to your palate, close your mouth and breathe through your nose.
Inhale deeply into your abdomen.
Exhale through a slightly open mouth until your lungs are empty. Focus on your breath as you inhale and exhale. Count breaths if that feels right.
The goal is not to think about your breath but to quiet your mind and simply become aware of it.
WALKING MEDITATION
Walking meditation invites you to bring your attention to the act of walking — the movement — the continual connection between you and the earth. Focus on your feet as they touch the ground; try not to let your mind or your eyes wander. Keep your attention on the feeling of each foot connecting with the ground, and keep your gaze in front of you.
HEART CHAKRA MEDITATION
I personally LOVE this!!
Because the heart is thought to be the center of life and love, it can be a wonderfully healing focus for your meditation.
To get in touch with your heart chakra, gently rub your palms together to warm and energize them.
Then, move your right palm to your chest over your heart and put your left hand on top of it. Imagine your heart, the center of your body, glowing with radiant energy.
Then imagine that energy radiating out to the rest of your body and mind.
When you’re ready, send that energy out through your palms to loved ones or to the world around you.
MANTRA MEDITATION
A mantra is a sound, a word or a phrase that you repeat slowly in a soft, easy rhythm while you meditate. Many find repeating a mantra further calms and quiets a busy mind. Your mantra can have personal meaning — something that reflects your spiritual beliefs, or it can simply be a series of words or sounds that are comforting to you.
There are many applications (i.e you tube, headspace, insight timer, clam etc) that we can get from our mobile to assist us in most of the above meditation.
“Quiet the mind and the soul will speak”
Incorporate your meditation in your daily life..you will see the change!
Happy meditating!
Peace and Love to all 💞
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