How to
Meditate
Introduction
Meditation
is a great way to relax, relieve stress and improve your concentration. It can
be done anywhere and at any time, so it's easy to fit into your day. You can
even use guided imagery and visualization techniques that will help you focus
on your breathing while practicing meditation. The benefits of meditating
include better focus, improved mood and decreased anxiety.
Sit in a comfortable position
The
next step is to sit in a comfortable position for meditation. This might be on
the floor or with a chair, but you should try to find one that allows for both
comfort and ease of movement.
You
can sit with your legs crossed (which will keep them elevated) or straight out
in front of you, or if they're long enough, cross them at the ankles while
sitting on an elevated surface like a mat or pillow. The goal here is not so
much how tall your legs are--it's more about making sure they're comfortable
and able to move freely without causing back pain or discomfort when shifting
around during meditation practice sessions.
Take a few deep breaths
Take a
few deep breaths. Breathing is important for our body's health and well-being,
but it can also be a bit of an issue when we're stressed out or anxious. When
you're feeling overwhelmed by anxiety or stress, try taking some time to
breathe deeply--in through your nose and out through your mouth--for about four
minutes at a time. This will help calm down your mind and relax muscles
throughout your body that have been tense with fear or stress.
Don't
hold your breath! It's tempting to try and control how much air passes through
our lungs as we inhale (and exhale), but this will only lead to more tension in
the body rather than relaxation.* If possible, let yourself breathe naturally
without forcing anything into place; just relax into whatever happens naturally
during each inhalation/exhalation cycle.*
Close your eyes
Now
for next step close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Don't worry about
distractions or what other people are doing; don't worry about the world around
you or what you're going to do next. Just breathe--and breathe deeply into the
belly. Feel it expanding as it fills with warm air, then relax into it as it
expands again and releases all that tension from within your body.
Now
imagine that space between each breath is filled with light: bright white light
coming from above, radiating outward and filling every inch of space until
there isn't any room left for anything else inside those sensations except
peace and love (or whatever emotion resonates most strongly).
When
we feel our minds become still enough for us to be able to hear ourselves think
without getting distracted by thoughts about doing something different next
time instead of being present right now when we're living life moment-to-moment
rather than planning ahead like someone who has everything planned out already
but doesn't know how things will turn out yet so they just keep making plans
anyway because then there's less chance anything bad will happen!
Start with an incredibly simple meditation, like counting your breaths
Start
with an incredibly simple meditation, like counting your breaths. It's not a
race to do something complicated or complicated enough, but rather just to get
started. Start with the basics and build on them as you go.
It's
important not to worry about how you will feel or if it will work for you--just
do it! You can always stop after a few minutes if needed (and don't be
surprised if some days are better than others). And remember: there is no right
way or wrong way; whatever works for YOU is fine!
You can do a guided meditation, or use guided imagery to help you relax and practice concentration
Guided
meditation is a great way to begin your practice of concentration. It's also
helpful for those who want to relax and get centered before they begin their
day, or even just before bedtime.
Guided
imagery is an excellent way to help you relax into the experience of
concentration, but it can be difficult at first. If you're new to guided
imagery, try taking some time out of your day and setting aside a few minutes
where you won't be disturbed--maybe in your car on the way home from work? Or
maybe after dinner? Just make sure that nothing else is happening around you
that could distract from what's happening inside your mind/body (like text
messages).
Once
there are no external distractions available (or if they're too distracting),
sit comfortably with both feet on the ground; close eyes; take several deep
breaths; then focus solely on one thing: breathing slowly and deeply into each
nostril until there are no thoughts left behind other than just being breathed
over by all four corners of space itself while feeling completely connected
with everything else around us as well!
Breathe deeply while visualizing yourself breathing in the same way that you did earlier when you were exercising
Breathe
deeply while visualizing yourself breathing in the same way that you did
earlier when you were exercising.
Breathe
in through your nose, hold for a moment and breathe out through your mouth.
Visualize
yourself breathing in this way.
Visualize
yourself breathing in the same way that you did earlier when you were
exercising (this can be done anywhere).
When you feel ready, focus on your breathing and repeat after me, "I am”
When
you feel ready, focus on your breathing and repeat after me, "I am."
You
can use any phrase that helps you focus. For example:
I am
__________ (your favorite color)
I am
__________ (a new animal)
You can meditate anywhere at any time
You
don't need to go to a comfortable, quiet place or sit cross-legged on the floor
in order to get a good meditation session in. You can meditate sitting on the
couch at home, or standing up against a wall with your hands on your hips.
You
can also meditate for any length of time--but again, you don't have to do so
for hours every day! If you're just starting out and want to see how long it
takes before you feel relaxed enough for sleep (or even better yet: falling
asleep), try starting with 10 minutes per day then increasing as needed after
that. It's not necessary (or even desirable) for everyone who wants more peace
in their life; however if this is something that appeals then by all means give
it a try
Conclusion
Meditation
is a great way to relax and clear your mind, but it can be hard to start.
Meditation is like any other skill: the more you practice, the better you get!
So if this feels foreign to you, don’t worry—you don’t have to go out and buy
expensive equipment or anything like that; just sit down for five minutes every
day, and keep going until it becomes easy.
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