"Be patient. Wait until the mud settles and the water is clear. It remains motionless until the correct action arises by itself. - Lao Tzu.
Meditation is the practice of concentration and attention, it consists of focusing on something.
Meditation is knowing the mind by focusing on a thought. The basis of meditation is non-distraction, it is being present, observing tranquility and inner peace. Learning to be calm and away from all kinds of mental, sensory and emotional turmoil in which we normally live.
The practice allows us to get away from the images, sensations and all kinds of situations that surround us and disperse our minds, leading us to a loop of thoughts, many of which are harmful to our balance and well-being.
Meditating is not always an easy task, especially at the beginning, as it requires discipline and practice for perfection. It takes effort. However, if you know everything that meditation can bring to your life, it is quite likely that you feel the need to begin to familiarize yourself with its techniques.
This millenary practice is experiencing great popularity in the last decade, since there are many benefits it brings to mental and physical well-being, it is also very useful in these times. Whether it is to calm the mind, to find oneself or to reduce anxiety or stress, more and more people are interested in introducing this practice in their daily lives, improving their quality of life.
One of the most important keys in meditation is to be aware of the present, of the here and now moment, of what it is and to be aware of distractions. This is the true meaning of meditation, to be able to enjoy peace, rest, and tranquility of mind. It is a process that leads us to know our mind and know who we really are.
In this way we can affirm that meditation is a technique but it is also an experience, a direct experience of the present moment, of what arises in every second in your lives, more to the idea of a philosophical concept or idea.
31 reasons to start meditating today
In recent years, research on this practice has shown that meditation is effective in improving people's mental health.
What are these benefits? What is the use of meditating? The practice of meditation produces great results for those who seek to improve their health, vitality, increase intellectual awareness, improve memory or ward off stress ...
Meditating on thousands of recognized benefits, and among them it helps make your day to day much more productive, joyful and pleasant. Meditation benefits us for different reasons:
- It creates a more positive outlook on life and helps you take control of your thoughts. Change your perception of life.
- Raise your current level of consciousness, allowing yourself to live in the present moment.
- Deeply relax your body and mind, improving your attention span and concentration.
- It makes it easier for you to consciously control your brain wave patterns. Improves memory and cognitive functions.
- Increase your overall energy levels along with your concentration levels.
- Increase your levels of internal motivation. It helps you get more information about yourself.
- It helps build a stronger immune system and influences self-mastery purposes.
- Mitigates the effects of stress and increases pain tolerance.
- Consciously control unconscious bodily functions.
- Wake up 'your mind. It will make you consciously control your reality. Helps develop a greater mind-body connection.
- It induces a good mood and drives away negativity. Strengthens the heart.
- Positively impact your self-esteem. Develop intuition.
- It improves blood flow to the brain and builds new neural connections in the brain. Improves memory. Develop a more creative mind.
- Help solve problems. Softens the mind and body.
- Heal traumas from the past.
- Improve relationships and your social life. It makes you develop greater empathy. It serves to know and guide your ego.
- It is essential for personal growth. Help to unfold the full potential of your soul.
- Increase a more balanced and stable personality. It is ideal if you want to change an attitude. Provide coherence and modify your attitude towards life. Improves the quality of thought and clarity.
- Helps to let go of limiting beliefs. You improve your negative behavior patterns. Helps to get rid of a negative habit.
- Reduces and even helps to overcome insomnia.
- Curb anger (and other negative emotions) and avoid fighting.
- Improve your sex life and libido. Increases the production of healthy hormones.
- Helps prevent brain aging. It slows down physical deterioration and the aging process.
- It is a motivation towards your goals. Program the brain to direct you to situations that will increase your success.
- Replace suffering with understanding. Invites you to replace aggressiveness with assertiveness.
- Helps in the production of vital neurotransmitters like serotonin.
- Increase work and productivity.
- Develop a more open mind, setting a healthy example for others to follow.
- Minimize acute and chronic pain.
- It also serves to cleanse the chakras.
- It helps you improve any area of your life.
Seeing this, there is no doubt that meditation is an inexhaustible source of benefits, so it is natural that you are now interested in how to meditate correctly.
Learn to meditate in 7 easy steps
We all wonder how we can do to learn to meditate, but in reality, there is no method to meditate correctly.
At present we can find infinite ways to meditate, since there are different schools, philosophies and techniques that come from different teachers, cultures and religions.
However, the interesting thing is to choose the practice that best suits our style or choose a few meditation techniques to our liking that provide us with greater health, peace of mind and give more meaning to our lives.
Step 1. Find a quiet place
Meditation should be practiced in a calm and quiet place.
This will allow you to focus exclusively on this task and will prevent external stimuli from distracting your mind. It is not necessary for the place to be that big, the dressing room of your room or even your office can serve, as long as it is a private place. Find a place where you will not be interrupted during meditation, be it for 5 minutes or half an hour. Any place is good if it allows you to be comfortable and focused, totally immersed in the activity you are going to start.
For those who start in the world of meditation, it is very important to avoid any external noise or distraction, since it is at this time when the most difficulty is in the practice. If you play music, choose songs that are calm, repetitive and soft harmonies, so that you do not lose focus.
Many people prefer to meditate outdoors, since the environment has a direct effect on meditation, unless it is at a more advanced level.
Step 2. Choose the appropriate outfits
One of the main goals of meditation is to calm the mind and block out external factors, which can be difficult if you are not comfortable because you are wearing tight or uncomfortable clothing.
The first thing you must do to meditate and be in the here and now is to wear comfortable clothes. Put on loose clothing and take off your shoes when you meditate. Taking off your shoes and choosing a loose garment is the best alternative to feel ready to meditate. Forget about tight clothes and take off your watch or other accessories that may be annoying. Choose what allows you to spend a few minutes in the same position without making you feel uncomfortable.
Wear warm clothing if you meditate in a cold place, as the cold can distract your thoughts and you may prefer to stop your practice quickly.
If you are in a place where you cannot change your clothes easily, try to be as comfortable as possible. Take off your shoes, socks and jacket, try to accommodate as much as you can.
Step 3. Get into a comfortable posture
As we have mentioned above, it is very important that you are comfortable while you meditate, so it is essential that you find the best position.
Generally, meditation is practiced by sitting on a cushion on the floor, in the lotus position. This should not be strictly adhered to, unless your legs, hips, and lower back are very flexible. Keep in mind that the lotus pose tends to bend the lower back and prevents a balance in the torso on the part of the spine.
Choose a posture that allows you to have the necessary balance so that you remain upright. Try to sit correctly, that is, on the floor with your back straight, but without tension, taking deep breaths and keeping your shoulders and arms relaxed. Some people prefer to sit in a chair or on their knees instead of the classic posture, and there is also lying meditation.
Whatever position you adopt, the back should always be straight and the body, especially the shoulders and arms, relaxed. The most important thing is that you are comfortable, relaxed and that your torso is balanced so that your spine supports all your weight from the waist.
The traditional hand position is to place your hands on your lap, palms up, with your left hand on top of your right. However, you can also rest your hands on your knees or leave them loosely on both sides. Choose the position you prefer.
Step 4. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing
The most basic and universal of all meditation techniques is breathing.
Breathing meditation is a great starting point for your practice. Pick a point above your belly button and focus on that point with your mind. Feel your abdomen grow and shrink as you inhale and exhale. Don't make a conscious effort to change your breathing pattern, just breathe normally.
Step 5. Connect with your mind
It is common that, during meditation, different thoughts arise: our fears, personal problems, the discomfort of the moment or the insecurity of being doing the meditation well or not. But this is normal and therefore we must accept it.
Meditation focuses on the idea that psychological well-being is a state that emerges from the acceptance of thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations without trying to eliminate or modify them, it simply consists of observing them in a non-judgmental way. Therefore, when these thoughts appear, simply accept them and then refocus the mind's attention.
Step 6. Visualize
Practice visualization. This is another well-known meditation technique, which consists of creating a quiet place in your mind and exploring it until you reach a state of complete calm.
It can be anywhere you like, but it doesn't have to be totally real, it can be unique and personalized.
Give your image sounds, colors and aromas of your environment, feel the refreshing breeze on your face or the heat of the flames warming your body. Enjoy the space for as long as you want, allowing it to expand naturally and become more real. Focus on what you can see, what you can feel.
Step 7. Create your own routine
Following the steps above, you are now ready to make meditation a daily habit.
With practice you will become a great meditator, which will help you achieve the benefits of this ancient practice.
Meditation is a practice that has been used for many years to improve the human being in many facets. It influences your physical, psychological and spiritual well-being, so now that you know this excellent way to meditate, what if you start putting it into practice as soon as possible?
