Meditation is extremely important to our daily lives
Meditation is extremely important to our daily lives
As individuals it often becomes necessary for us to take a moment when we are frustrated, angry, feeling lost, or otherwise at our wits end. During that moment we often close our eyes and take a deep breath to calm ourselves. This is a form of meditation that we do without thinking to bring ourselves to a calm place and refocus our attention on the task at hand.
Having a daily practice of meditation can go a long way to centering your mind and bringing awareness to the moment. Meditation is not about becoming a different person in any manner. It is a about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. It is about learning to observe your thoughts and feelings in the moment without judgement so that eventually you can better understand them.
Meditation is a simple technique that can help you control stress, decrease anxiety and improve your capacity for relaxation. The practice of meditation has been around for over 5,000 years but today it is almost a necessary way to unplug from the modern world. Meditation is both a spiritual and practical practice that allows your mind to relax while also allowing you to know yourself even better. We often say that our bodies are temples but not everyone fully understands what that saying means. When people think of meditation as a spiritual practice they often think of religion. However, the spiritual practice of meditation is not about religion but rather a way to know yourself more fully. So if "your body is your temple" then why not keep it in shape? Meditation can give you some significant and scientifically proven benefits too. Some of the proven benefits include:
- Reduces stress
- Helps with focus and concentration
- Promotes better sleep
- Improves circulation
- Increases self-awareness
- Promotes happiness
- Helps with anxiety
- Regulates mood
- Slows down aging
- Boosts immune health
- Helps with memory
- Promotes better decision-making stills
- Increases emotional strength
So with all these benefits why isn't everyone meditating? For many people when they hear the word meditation they think it is something that they just don't have time to do. But what if I told you that you can meditate for as little as 5 minutes and start getting the benefits? That is right - 5 to 10 minutes of meditation that can ultimately help you relieve stress and focus better. Staying on a strict daily schedule for a week will help you find better balance in your life too which is something we are all yearning for these days - balance.
So, how do you start? There are two main components of meditation that need to be focused on - breathing and relaxation. Focusing on these basic elements will also allow you to enjoy your meditation. Find a comfortable, quiet place to practice and dedicate 5 to 10 minutes of your time to allow yourself to get used to meditation.
Find your quiet meditation place. You need to find a place where you won’t be disturbed and where you can sit in silence without interruptions. As many busy people know, this is often more difficult than it seems. Once you find your place, you need to get in a comfortable position where you won’t be fidgeting or moving a lot to get comfortable. You don’t need to sit cross-legged on the floor, like many people think, but you can if you like. You can sit on a chair, you can lay down, you just need to be in a stable position and put your palms in a place where they are facing the sky.
Become present in the moment. Meditation is all about being mindful of where you are in the world and becoming present in the moment and in what is going on around you. You need to become totally aware of where you are and of your surroundings to be truly present in the moment. This can take some practice your first few times, but here’s how you can do it.
- Keep your eyes closed and take a deep breath in.
- Pay attention to what you hear around you. What do you hear? What do you smell? What are you touching as you are in your meditative pose?
- Think about how it feels to sit? Do you feel tension in your body? Where is this tension?
Breathing is the single most important part of meditation, and it is essential that you learn to focus on your breath if you want to make the most of your practice. Take in long, deep breaths. Follow your breath with your mind. Imagine it flowing through your body, out through your lungs and through your nostrils. The more focused you can stay on your breath, the better. Imagine your breaths as being deep, cleansing and restorative breaths that help you breathe in the good around you and breathe out the negative in your life.
As you continue to get used to your breath, you can try concentrating on a mantra or positive thought, word or affirmation. You can also try humming “Om” as you breathe out to keep with your practice.
From there you just need to repeat the process as much as you can. If you can't stay still and focused for a whole 10 minutes then start at 5 and work your way up. The more practice the easier it will be and the more benefits you will get from it.
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