Meditation was originally used for spiritual growth, to become more open to and aware of the holy and the guiding presence of the holy. Today, though, meditation has become a valuable tool even for those people who do not consider themselves religious. It can be a source of peace and quiet in a world that is seriously lacking in both.
It can be used for healing, emotional cleansing and balancing, deepening concentration, unlocking creativity, and finding inner guidance.
When you begin your meditation, put your expectations aside, and don't stress out about the 'right' way to do it. There are many ways to meditate and there are no fixed criterion for determining right meditation. What works for you is the right method for you. And finding out what works may require some experimentation and adjustments. I list a number different approaches below.
There are, however, a few things to avoid when you start meditating:
Don't try to force something to happen Mooji meditation 5 minutes.
Don't over-analyze the meditation
Don't try to make your mind blank or chase thoughts away
Remember, there is no one "right" way to meditate. Just concentrate on the process and find the best way for YOU!
To start meditating, choose a time and a place where you won't be disturbed. That in itself may seem like an insurmountable task. Unless you are a hermit, there are probably people in your life demanding your time and attention. You may want to tell these people that you will help them find their socks, get the gum out of their hair, listen to their rants about the people at work, or whatever AFTER you've had a few minutes of peace and quiet. Let them know that this is something that you need to do for yourself but they will also benefit because you will be more relaxed, more energetic, and more loving.
When you are starting out, you only need 10 or 15 minutes for your meditation session. This is plenty of time when you are beginning and it may well be that this is all the time that you feel you can pry out of your busy schedule for yourself. That's fine - it's much better to spend a few minutes a day meditating than to put it off completely.
Over time, you may find your meditation time so beneficial that you want to increase the amount of time you spend in a meditative state. That's completely up to you. A good goal is to work up to two 20 minute meditation sessions each day. Research has shown that spending this amount of time meditating leads to better health and can help reduce the stresses and strains of daily life.
The process is helped if you can make it a habit to meditate at about the same time each day. Some people find that meditating first thing in the morning works for them. Other people meditate last thing at night before going to sleep. There is no exact time that is best for everyone. Whatever works for you is good! Just make sure that you practice on a regular basis.
The actual place where you decide to meditate is again up to you. A few people set aside a room in their house as their meditation room but if you're just starting out, that's probably a bit too extreme. Instead, you may decide to meditate in your bedroom, the lounge, the kitchen or even the garden - wherever you are least likely to be disturbed. It is, of course, better if you don't try to meditate in the living room while the rest of the family is watching TV. Other than that the exact place where you meditate doesn't matter - it's much more important that you actually start practicing meditation.
If you find that the original place you chose isn't working for you, don't be afraid to change it. The same goes for the time and the method that you chose. The ultimate benefit of meditation far exceeds the precise method of meditation that you use to reach the benefit.
One of the easiest ways to start meditating is to use a guided meditation. This is a CD or MP3 that contains all the instructions you need to achieve a state of meditation. All you need to do is to find somewhere that you won't be disturbed, sit or lie down and play the audio file. Soundstrue.com has many such guided imageries as well as meditation music.
There are many different types of meditation. We'll cover some of the more common types below but if none of these suit you, you'll find many more to explore on the internet. Feel free to experiment with some of the different types of meditation explored below until you find one that works well for you.
Centering
Centering is meditation in action. Within you is a space that is always calm and at peace. This space is often referred to as your "calm center". Being centered means remaining in your calm center amidst the busyness of everyday life. Being centered means not allowing your inner light to be overshadowed by stressful circumstances or negative thoughts and emotions.
When you are centered, you are in a state of clarity, focus, peace, and balance. When you are not centered, you are unclear, unfocused, stressed, and off balance.
A good centering technique will require only minimal attention, allowing you to keep some of your attention on the activity at hand such as washing dishes, folding laundry, or gardening. Be aware, though, that your family may be more tempted to interrupt if they see you doing something. Just explain to them that you are also meditating and that unless they want to help you do dishes, fold laundry, or garden, they should leave you alone for a few minutes. Here are some quickie centering techniques.
Simple Breath Awareness
While involved in whatever you are doing, bring some attention to your breathing for just a few moments... it needn't be your full attention... just enough to bring you back to your calm center. Breathe naturally, or perhaps just a little more slowly and deeply.
Reclaiming Your Energy
When you are feeling stressed and scattered, take several slow, deep breaths. With each in-breath, imagine you are pulling all of your scattered energy and attention back to your inner self... your calm center.
Letting Go
This centering technique combines breath awareness with the phrase or mantra, "Let go." It is especially helpful when you are tense and/or fixating on a stressful situation or a negative thought or emotion. As you inhale, say (silently or aloud), "Let". As you exhale, say "go"... while letting go of all that is stressing you.
Relaxation Meditation
This remarkably easy and relaxing meditation makes use of a little-known secret about the eyes. Allowing the eyes to rest in a soft downward gaze has an instant, automatic relaxing effect.
Relaxation meditation provides a great deal of stress reduction and can be used as a quick 2 minute relax and refresh break almost anywhere (but not while driving). You will also realize a heightened sense of alertness.
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