The Beginners Guide To Meditation

The fast-paced nature of the world we live in can cause stress, tension, and frustration. Sometimes, it’s necessary to separate yourself, have a little stability internally, and relax a bit.

It’s important to do so from time to time to remain sane and gain clarity on a variety of issues.

What’s meditation?

Meditation is simply focusing on a specific thing, to achieve concentration internally and externally. It is said to shift one’s focus from the physical to the spiritual and hence, achieve rest totally: both internal and externally. In such a state, one focuses on breathing, deep thinking, etc. By meditating, the individual is able to connect with himself better, gain objectivity, and become self-aware which is necessary, especially in the world we live in.

What’s the origin of meditation?

Meditation is a practice that started a long time ago. Based on historical records, meditation originates from Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, ancient China, and ancient Egypt. For a long time, people have used meditation as a means to relieve stress, relax, and connect with themselves. Although it’s hard to place a precise timestamp to its origin, the fact that it has existed for thousands of years is not in doubt.

Are there benefits to meditation?

For centuries, the benefits of meditation were merely theoretical. But in recent times, scientists, both in traditional and western medicine, have been able to prove that these benefits are true.

Some of them include:

• Increases focus and concentration
• Brings about a greater awareness of self
• Improves self-esteem
• It can be used to fight substance abuse
• Alleviates stress
• Serves as a means to control anxiety. This is very beneficial for people who experience panic attacks as a result of anxiety
• Can battle against age-related memory degradation
• Increases ability to fight pain
• Improves sleep

And many more.

The good thing is:
All these benefits have been scientifically proven to be true. Hence, meditation is not a sort of placebo drug, but an actual curative measure for different conditions. Examples of meditation exercises

There are many meditation exercises that have been developed by various gurus. Each one is tried and tested. Hence, making a choice between them is merely a subject of choice.

1. Empty the mind

In this case, you only focus on your breathing. With the eyes half open, focus on your breathing and make no effort to control it. Instead, pay attention to the sensation of the air entering and leaving your nostrils.

2. Countdown

Although this technique may seem very simple, it is very useful to improve concentration. With your eyes closed and in a relaxed position, you proceed to count down slowly, from high numbers (fifty or even one hundred) to zero

3. Body Scan

Find a comfortable position That relieves stress and tension in your muscles.Sit on the floor, keep your back straight and bend your leg till each of them touches the thigh of the opposite leg. This is known as the lotus position. Proceed to close your eyes, and make sure your mind is blanked out.

5. Observation in dynamic meditation

This method of meditation focuses on what we can perceive from our surroundings. First of all, adopt a comfortable position, relax, and focus on your breathing rhythm.  Next, open your eyes and take a mental picture of all that surrounds you. Close your eyes and remain silent for some minutes. You should repeat this process twice. After you’ve done so, try to pick out differences in what you perceived the first and second times.

8. Meditation with fire

In this case, an open fire is set up. After you’ve done so, relax and focus entirely on your breathing and the heat produced by the fire. There are many other techniques for meditation. The basic concept is to lose awareness - partially - of the surroundings. At last, stick with it. The more you practise meditation, the more advantages you will experience. The more advantages you experience, the more you'll understand how your mind thinks and feels, and the more you'll be able to take steps toward a healthier and happier existence marked by enhanced clarity, serenity, happiness, and compassion.