You must have heard people talk about the amazing powers of meditation. You might have met people raving about how meditation transformed their life. You might have even read blogs teaching you how to meditate, but when you tried it you found it incredibly frustrating and not peaceful at all.
If that sounds like you, then don't worry because you are not alone--most people feel this way. Meditation is not an easy skill to master. It takes years, if not a lifetime to master this skill. The good news is that you don't have to master it in order to enjoy its benefits.
If you can develop the habit of meditating daily, even for a few minutes, you can achieve wonderful results in your life. Meditation will improve both your physical and mental health, reduce stress, improve your brain power and teach you how to focus your attention on the task at hand, thereby increasing your productivity.
I'm sure not all successful people meditate but you'd be surprised how many of them do some form of meditation. It's an important skill to have for achieving success in life. If you can develop the meditation habit, it will certainly improve your chance of finding success.
An increasing number of scientific studies have been carried out on meditation and almost all of them have shown that meditation can be used to alter brain waves and brain chemistry. But if you are still skeptical, just give meditation a try for a few months. If you meditate daily for just a few months, you'll experience the benefits firsthand and lose your skepticism.
The only problem is that even those who do believe in the powers of meditation find it hard to turn it into a habit. Meditation can be frustrating if you set unrealistic goals for yourself. Most beginners do it the wrong way. They end up thinking that they just can't control their mind enough to meditate and give up. But this doesn't have to be you!
- WHAT IS MEDITATION
- CHOOSING THE RIGHT TYPE OF MEDITATION
Out of the different types of meditation, you can choose to begin with the one that resonates the most with you. Maybe you already do some form of meditation but just never thought about it as meditation. The best choice is to start as a beginner and move up to more difficult forms of meditation with time. Before you pick which meditation is best for you, let's talk about the basic types of meditation in a little more detail.
1)Breath Control
This is a simple form of meditation in which you just focus on your breathing. You concentrate on each breath going in and coming out. You slow down the breathing rate and take longer and deeper breaths.
According to the Hindu concept of Pranayama, by controlling your breath you can also control your life force or Prana. This leads to immense physical, mental and spiritual health benefits.
But even if you are skeptical about this spiritual concept, scientific studies have shown that breathing deeply and rhythmically can have an immediate effect on both brain and body functions. By breathing slowly you also slow the heart rate and become relaxed. In this state, stress is relieved and the body releases chemicals that help in healing and recovery. Taking deep breaths also oxygenates the body because of the extra air. Highly oxygenated blood circulates through your body and helps in detoxification and healing of all parts of the body.
A lot of the ailments in our body can be healed simply by breathing deeply throughout the day. It isn't that easy to do because we lose awareness and end up breathing short shallow breaths most of the time. Try this the next time you are feeling anxious or nervous, like before an important meeting; take long deep breaths in a rhythmical fashion just before the meeting. You'll find that your anxiety will decrease and you'll perform much better during the meeting.
Breath control meditation utilizes this fact to relieve stress and improve mental abilities. It can also heal the body of physical ailments.
Whichever way you look at it, breath control has a lot of benefits and is relatively easy to do as a beginner.
2) Thought Control
A higher level of meditation involves slowing and then eliminating all thoughts. This is what most people think all meditation to be but this is just one form of it. It is much harder to do, as you can easily find by trying it once or twice yourself. Our brain is always chatting to us and the thoughts keep flying all the time. When you try to eliminate your thoughts, you start thinking about whether or not your thoughts have reduced and that is a thought in itself, so you are back to square one.
When you try to slow down your thoughts, they start wandering in every which way. To a beginner it can seem impossible that anyone can control, let alone stop all thoughts. Many people try this meditation a few times, fail miserably and feel completely dejected and give up forever. This is a mistake you shouldn't make so avoid this form of meditation in the beginning.
If you can achieve relative control over your thoughts, this is a very powerful form of meditation and can result in tremendous benefits. Scientists have seen a change in brain wave function during such meditation and they are still studying the exact effects of these changes. According to Buddhism, and other spiritual traditions that practice such meditation, you can achieve a blissful state of peace and eventually reach enlightenment or nirvana, by doing this form of meditation.
It also helps in relieving stress and improving brain function. It can help in healing the body as well. All the benefits of breath control are multiplied in thought control along with the extra benefit of eventual enlightenment. Having said that, enlightenment is a hard thing to achieve and most monks spend their lifetime meditating without reaching it.
It's best to avoid this form of meditation in the beginning. Once you get a little better with breath control, you can slowly move up to thought control.
3) Devotional Meditation
If you are a religious person, then chances are that you already pray. Wise men have always said that there is a lot of power in prayer and there's a good reason for that. Prayer, when done right, is just another form of meditation. There are many forms to prayer itself and all of them are powerful. Just taking a few minutes to say thanks can heal the heart if you feel genuine gratitude.
Wishing someone well in your prayers can help you feel compassion which has its own benefits. The trick is to feel the prayer from within and not just to recite the words. Using prayer beads to repeat a mantra or the name of God for a few minutes is very similar to meditation. It will help you focus your mind and since you'll be concentrating on God you won't have any other thoughts. Reading sacred texts with full concentration is also a form of devotional meditation.
The benefits of this are similar to other forms of meditation and depend on how sincerely you pray. This is a good way to initiate yourself into meditation if you have faith in one or another religion. Since religion is involved, it will also be easier for you to stick to the habit because everyone can make time for God. But if you are an agnostic or a complete atheist then this obviously won't work for you. But don't worry because when it comes to meditation, there's something for everyone.
4) Mindfulness
Another form of meditation is known as mindfulness. This simply means to bring your attention to the present moment. Instead of thinking about the past or the future, you bring your mind to the present moment. You don't think about what your spouse said or what your boss wants you to do, instead you focus on the task at hand. By doing this you control your thoughts from rushing in random directions. You still have thoughts but they are related only to the present moment.
You are allowed to think about how you feel right now, how your body feels, what each of your sense organs observes etc. You can think about the sights, the smells and the sounds. You can think about whatever it is that you are doing but you can't think about the past or the future.
This is a simple and incredibly powerful way of meditating and controlling your thoughts. It is also harder to do than it sounds. The good thing about mindfulness is that you can practice it while doing anything. You can start by practicing it while taking a walk or just sitting quietly in a peaceful spot. But later on you can begin to stay mindful throughout the day no matter what you are doing.
It is easy to become lost in your work when you love what you are doing. Sportsmen and musicians talk about being in the zone, where they forget about everything else and only focus on the present moment. They'll tell you that this experience doesn't just help them perform better but also fills them up with a kind of peace that is hard to achieve in daily life. It's blissful and nothing short of a spiritual experience. But you can practice mindfulness and have the same experience even while doing something boring or dull. You can experience it even while washing dishes, if you only pay complete attention to the present moment and don't think about anything else.
This type of meditation will help you release stress and become positive and happy. It will also increase your productivity and the ability to focus and concentrate. You can try it simultaneously while forming a more formal meditation habit. To do this you just have to remind yourself repeatedly through the day to pay attention to the present moment and not to think about the past or the future.
- PREPARING FOR THE MEDITATION
# Habit
Good preparation guarantees success in any endeavor. Before you begin to incorporate the habit of meditation into your life, you should prepare yourself for the change. This will improve your chances of sticking with the habit till you start seeing positive results.
=>Decide to Stick With It
First of all, you need to make the decision to give meditation a serious try. Many people hear about meditation and think halfheartedly about trying it out. They sit for a few minutes to try and silence their mind but it doesn't work. They try it for a few days and then either get busy or just give up, thinking that it's all just hokum. If you approach meditation with such an attitude, you are guaranteed to fail.
If you truly want to receive the benefits of meditation then you need to give it enough time to work. You need to make a strong decision that you are going to try out mediation for the next 3-6 months. Be determined from the start to not quit even if you don't see any results at all.
=> Visualise Results
It can help to visualize the benefits you'll receive from meditation. As mentioned earlier in this book, you'll be less stressed and have a calm and collected mind, once you form the meditation habit. Imagine yourself at work; you can focus completely on the task at hand and don't get distracted. Your work impresses your boss. Or imagine your body cleansing itself of all toxins and negativity with each breath during mediation. When you'll keep these benefits in mind, you'll be able to stick to meditation for a longer time.
=> Reduce Negativity
It will also help if you decrease negative stimuli in your life even before you begin meditating. Alcohol and tobacco don't go well with meditation. I hope I don't have to mention that neither do drugs. If you can reduce these stimulants from your life before you begin meditating, it will improve your chances of seeing fast results.
TV and internet are both a source of another form of stimulant that hinders meditation. That stimulant is excessive information. We live in the age of information overload which can lead to a chaotic mind. Try to reduce the amount of information you take in before you start meditating. In the beginning you want to do everything you can to make your mind calm for meditation. Once you get good at meditating, it will help you keep your mind calm even in the most chaotic situations.
=> Choose A Time
You need to choose a fixed time for meditation that you can easily stick to everyday. The best time is early morning but if you aren't a morning person, you can choose any other time of the day. The earlier it is in the day, the easier it will be to calm your mind. After a long hard day's work, it is much harder to meditate but it doesn't mean that you can't meditate at night. If that's the best time for you, then go ahead and choose it. Whatever suits your routine so that you are confident of not missing it too often is good.
When you'll start meditating, try to stick to this fixed time as often as you can. If you miss the set time for some reason, it's okay to meditate at a different time as well. But don't make it a habit to meditate at a different time everyday. Instead set a fixed time early in the day and a back up time in the evening so that in case you miss the first appointment, you still have a chance to put in the day's meditation session.
=> Choose A Place
Along with a set time, if you can set a fixed place to meditate, it would help in sticking to the habit. Create a small space in one corner of your bedroom, or maybe out in the yard, or even in a park; whatever works for you. Choose a place where you can sit in peace without being disturbed. There's no need to build a soundproof room for meditation. Any sound is okay as long as it is not too distracting. So if you can hear traffic in the distance, that's okay but you might not want to meditate right on the sidewalk of a busy intersection.
=> Choose Duration
Before starting meditation, you also need to decide how long you are going to meditate for. I recommend anywhere between 3 to 5 minutes for beginners. It seems like a very short amount of time, but you'll be surprised how hard it is to meditate even for such a short time without your mind running off several times. Even 3 minutes of good meditation can show tremendous results. Slowly, as you increase your level, you can start meditating for longer periods.
By choosing a set amount of time, you remove the uncertainty of how long you are supposed to meditate. Use a timer to track your time and don't keep looking at the watch to see if your 3 minutes have passed.
=> Tell Others
Once you decide to begin meditation, let your family members know about your intentions. Make them understand that it is important to you and if possible, ask them to join you. Having a family member be part of this journey will make it special and fun for both of you. But even if they don't want to be a part of this journey, at least help them understand that you don't want to be disturbed during your meditation time. Let them know your time and place of meditation so they can stay clear.
It can help if you also declare your intentions to your friends and even to the rest of the world. This can help you stay accountable for your decision and motivate you to stick with it. The same internet that overloads us with information can come in handy here as you can share your journey through social media.
- THE MEDITATION HABIT
You are now ready to begin your meditation practice on a regular basis. At the set time, go to your chosen place and get ready to meditate. It helps to stretch a little before meditation, as loosening the body will help you to sit comfortably. It is important to be comfortable because only then can you calm your mind. Wear comfortable clothes and turn off all distractions such as the phone or any other device. Only the timer should be used to keep track of time. Keep it out of reach so that you don't compulsively check it to see how much time is left. Take off your shoes and keep them aside. Try to calm the mind and avoid thinking about anything else except the present moment.
# Posture
The position you sit in is important but it is not necessary to sit cross legged if you can't do it easily. Sitting on a chair can also work but you have to remember that you must keep your spine fairly straight. Assume a confident and rigid yet relaxed position. If you are sitting on a chair, keep your feet side by side on the floor. Do not cross your feet or raise the heels. You can keep your hands on your lap in a relaxed position.
If you choose to sit cross legged, make sure you are comfortable. The spine should again be straight. You should be looking straight ahead so that your neck is in line with the spine. Keep your hands rested on your knees, facing downwards. If you want, you can turn them upwards with the forefinger touching the thumb to form the traditional lotus position. These little postures are supposed to increase the benefits of meditation but it is not necessary to do them. The most important thing is to be comfortable.
# Practice
To begin meditation, close your eyes and slowly turn your attention inwards. In the beginning, just observe yourself. Start by observing your body; go over each body part starting from the toes and finishing at the head and observe how each part feels. If any muscles feel tense, try to relax them. If you need to, change the position in which you are sitting.
Observe how your chest feels. If it feels constricted, like a weight is placed on it, take a deep breath and expand your chest as much as possible. Feel the weight lift off of your chest. If your thoughts are rushing, don't get frustrated. Instead try to be calm and slowly bring your focus back to the task at hand.
The task at hand is to concentrate on the breath. Just observe the breath in the beginning. Feel it enter your lungs and see how deep you normally breathe. If you observe a newborn baby breathing, you'll see that it breathes from its stomach, but as we grow up, we start breathing from our chests. Our breathing is very restricted and we only take shallow breaths in which our chest expands only slightly.
During meditation, you need to ensure that you are breathing deep and long. Breathe in as much as you can and then hold for as long as you can. While breathing out make sure that you do it slowly and in a controlled way. Don't rush it. Breathe out till your stomach contracts inwards and then hold for a while.
Focus on this cycle of breathing in, holding, breathing out, and holding. This will automatically reduce your breathing rate while increasing the amount of oxygen that is going in your body. As your breathing slows down, your heart beat will also slow and your mind will stop rushing. You can experience this peaceful state even on the first day.
In the beginning, it will be hard to hold on to this state. You'll find that soon your mind gets distracted and your breathing returns to normal shallow bursts. To stay focused, count each breathing cycle every time you inhale. Count up to 5 and then restart from 1. This will help you stay focused for longer but still you can be sure that you will get distracted.
Don't try to force this state of concentration. The more you try to hold on to it, the harder it will be. Most importantly, don't beat yourself up for not being able to stay focused. It is completely normal to have a rushing mind. This is how everybody feels. But with practice you can train your mind to slow down and stay focused on one task at a time. You just need to be patient and treat yourself as a child learning a new skill. You don't shout at kids for drawing outside the lines. In the same way you must be gentle, kind and encouraging to yourself when you are learning to control your mind.
# Finishing Meditation
Once the set time is over, slowly open your eyes. Don't be in a rush to get up and enter normal life again. Take some time to just be there. Observe your surroundings and let your thoughts run free. Before getting up, you should try to say thanks and feel compassion and gratitude for being alive. This is also a good time to say any positive affirmations about your goals and life.
This is the simple practice that you need to do daily. Still many people find it hard to turn it into a habit. In the next chapter we'll talk about how to stick to this habit so that it is ingrained into your daily routine.
- MOVING FORWARD
3 Comments
great article ..👌🏻👌🏻 very informative ✌🏻
ReplyDeleteThank You Jagmeet! :-D
Deletebook mai se copy krke likha hai :( mai bhi likh rha tha ab plaigiarism arha :)
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