What is meditation?
Meditation techniques aren't new. They've been around for thousands of
years. Originally the goal of meditation was to help people deepen
their understanding and awareness of the sacred and mystical forces of
life. But you don't have to be religious to benefit from meditation.
Anyone can meditate, regardless of religious or cultural background.
Meditation is one of several types of mind-body techniques. Other
therapies use creative outlets such as art, music or dance.
Meditation isn't a medical treatment in the usual sense. But your
doctor may recommend you try it because meditation has proven
benefits. Meditating each day can help you relax and decrease muscle
tension. It can reduce your risk of heart disease by reducing your
body's response to the chemicals it produces when you're stressed,
such as adrenaline. Adrenaline can raise your blood pressure and make
your blood more likely to clot. With continued practice you may reach
a point where meditation also reduces your blood pressure.
Meditation continues to be a spiritual and religious practice. In
fact, you'll find variations of meditative practice in all of the
world's religions. Here's a look at some of the more popular forms of
meditation.
Concentration meditation: Calming your mind
Concentration meditation involves focusing your attention on a single
object. Objects of meditation can include your breathing, an image you
visualize in your mind or a real image you look at, such as a candle
flame or sacred icon. One purpose of concentration meditation is to
help you focus your attention and concentrate. If you have a lot on
your mind and find you're having trouble concentrating in your
everyday life, take a break to meditate and return to your project
refreshed. Here are some examples.
Breathe deeply. If you're a beginner, consider starting with this
technique. Breathing is a natural function that you won't have to
consciously learn. You simply pay attention to your breathing — how it
feels when air enters or leaves your nostrils. Don't follow it down to
your lungs. When you feel your attention wander, gently return your
focus to your breathing.
Scan your body. When using this technique, you'll focus your attention
on sensations, such as pain, tension, warmth or relaxation in
different parts of your body. Combine body scanning with breathing
exercises and imagine breathing heat or relaxation into and out of
different parts of your body.
Repeat a sacred name or phrase. A mantra is the name of a sacred deity
or a sacred phrase that you repeat silently or aloud. You can create
your own mantra, if you'd like. Mantras are the building blocks of
transcendental meditation. Examples of religious mantras include the
Jesus prayer in the Christian tradition, the holy name of God in
Judaism, or the om mantra of Tibetan Buddhism.
Exercise your imagination. A related practice is guided imagery, in
which someone's voice, whether taped or live, directs you through a
visualization exercise. Once you reach a state of deep relaxation,
most likely through meditation, you create a visual image of whatever
the person directing the exercise suggests. Perhaps it's a peaceful
place, such as a garden, where you feel calm and safe.
Meditaiton in motion: A conscious blend of body and mind
Meditation that includes movement can be spontaneous and free-form or
involve highly structured, choreographed, repetitive patterns. This
type of meditation may be particularly helpful if you find it hard to
sit still. The following are examples:
Yoga. A 5,000-year-old practice, yoga incorporates breathing, movement
and posture to achieve a union of mind, body and spirit. It involves
completing a series of postures, during which you pay special
attention to your breathing — exhaling during certain movements and
inhaling with others. You can approach yoga as a way to promote
physical flexibility, strength and endurance or as a way to enhance
your spirituality. In either case, you may find that yoga helps you to
relax and manage stress.
Tai chi. This form of meditation is an ancient Chinese exercise
practiced at a slow, even speed. Tai chi involves gentle, deliberate
circular movements combined with deep breathing. As you concentrate on
the motions of your body, you develop a feeling of peace and
tranquility.
Qi gong. This technique also arises from ancient China. Similar to
yoga and tai chi, it integrates physical postures, breathing
techniques and focused attention. Adherents of traditional Chinese
medicine recommend daily practice to maintain overall health and
prevent illness.
Walking meditation. Combining a walk with meditation is an efficient
and healthy way to relax. You can use this technique anywhere — in a
tranquil forest, on a city sidewalk or even inside a building where
you work. When you use this method, slow down the pace of walking so
that you can focus on each movement of your legs or feet. Don't focus
on a particular destination. Concentrate on your legs and feet,
repeating action words such as lifting, moving and placing as you lift
each foot, move your leg forward and place your foot on the ground.
You can substitute other words if you like. Some people prefer to
signal the beginning and end of a walking meditation with a ritual,
such as the ringing of a bell, a ceremonial bow, silent prayer or
spoken words of thankfulness.
Sufi walking or dancing. A form of moving meditation that developed in
medieval Islam, you'll walk or dance in a rhythmic fashion while
chanting. From the Islamic perspective, the intent of the chant is to
focus your mind on a specific quality of God, or Allah. If you're
Muslim and want to focus on strength and courage, you could walk or
dance with forceful steps, arms swinging, and chant "Allah akbar,"
meaning "God is great." You can merge this meditation technique with
any faith tradition and focus on any sacred object or deity. If you
don't consider yourself spiritual or religious, you could focus on an
aspect of a phenomenon, such as birth or nature, and chant words or
phrases symbolic of the phenomenon.
Soothing your spirit: Reflection on meaning and purpose in your life
Do you find that you feel more hopeful after attending a worship
service? Do you enjoy taking time to read a daily meditation? Many
people find that taking the time to sing, pray, read and reflect on
the meaning and purpose of life with like-minded people helps them
face life's challenges. Consider these examples:
Engage in prayer. The best known and most widely practiced example of
meditation is prayer. Spoken and written prayers are found in most
faith traditions. You can pray using your own words or read prayers
written by others. Check the self-help or 12-step-recovery section of
your local bookstore for examples. Talk with your rabbi, priest,
pastor or other spiritual leader about resources. You may also
consider joining a prayer group.
Read or listen and take time to reflect. Many people report that they
benefit from reading poems or sacred texts silently or aloud, and
taking a few moments to quietly reflect on the meaning that the words
bring to mind. You can listen to sacred music, spoken words or any
music you find relaxing or inspiring. You may want to write your
reflections in a journal or discuss them with a friend or spiritual
leader.
Focus your love and gratitude. In this type of meditation you focus
your attention on a sacred object or being, weaving feelings of love
and gratitude into your thoughts. You can also close your eyes and use
your imagination or gaze at representations of the object. The
adoration of the Holy Eucharist is an example found in Roman
Catholicism.
Meditation can calm your mind, relax your body and soothe your spirit.
It's inexpensive and risks are minimal. What have you got to lose?
Consider these suggestions as you get started:
Select a meditation technique that fits your lifestyle and belief
system. Many people build meditation into their daily routine. For
example, you can start your day with a prayer or take a 15-minute
walking meditation break in the afternoon. At the end of your workday,
you may find inner peace by attending a yoga or tai chi class at your
community center.
Set aside some time. Start with 5-minute meditation sessions once or
twice a day and work up to 20 minutes each time. Unless you have an
excellent innate sense of time, keep a clock nearby and glance at it
occasionally, or set an alarm that's not jarring when it goes off.
Keep trying. Be kind to yourself as you get started. If you're
meditating to calm your mind and your attention wanders, slowly return
to the object, sensation or movement you're focusing on. You can use
an image to bring yourself back to your focus if you'd like. Try this:
Picture balloons floating away with your thoughts, or imagine your
thoughts as pigeons and mentally clap your hands to get them to fly
away.
Make meditation part of your life. Many people prefer to start and end
their day with a period of meditation. Others prefer to take
meditation breaks during the day. Experiment and you'll likely find
out what works best for you.
Blogging desperate life @ www.morons-world.blogspot.com
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