Years ago, throughout a rough patch in life, We started seeing a behavioral psychologist to deal with some anxiety issues and insomnia. Part of his sessions frequently consisted of a guided meditation, where he would talk with me in gentle tones while I lay on the sofa, breathing deeply. The meditations were probably an excellent 20 minutes or so, and frankly, I wondered if perhaps these sessions were just a method for my therapist to get a break from hearing my life nonsense, but I found them extremely relaxing and left later on feeling relaxed and refreshed, two emotions that didn't come naturally to me.
After one session, my therapist complimented me on my breathing. He mentioned that I could slow my breath down and consider very long, deep breaths that helped me reach a different state. Higher consciousness? Maybe. Calm and relaxed? Certainly, at least during and for a bit following the meditation. He asked easily had learned this someplace. I informed him about the years I had spent taking Kundalini Yoga from a prominent LA instructor. It wasn't daily schooling, just a course or two a week with a couple of other learners in a studio or in the instructor's living room.
"Breath of Fire" (very rapid in and out breath through the nasal area and managed by the diaphragm) and methods that included filling your lungs with as very much air as feasible (or blowing All of the air out of your lungs and keeping them empty - usually much harder), and doing yoga while keeping the air in or out is the kind of training that may improve breathing technique. There have been also gong meditations, lying on your own back, eyes closed, and breathing deeply as the instructor bangs on a large gong, which you hear and also feel (sound waves) for the duration of the meditation.
My therapist then suggested, that as a therapeutic massage therapist and therapeutic massage instructor, I might also train people how to breathe. So, with that in mind, below are a few thoughts for anybody who want to add a meditation practice into your daily life to reap its tested positive benefits, including:
· When to meditate and how often
· Creating a good mediation environment
· What you should meditate
· Mantra or no mantra?
· Deep breathing techniques
· Clearing your brain (what to think about... or not)
· Benefits of Mediation
· "Mindfulness." What will it really mean?
1. SELECT A GOOD TIME AND START SMALL
Did you know the Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree (ficus religiosa in Latin, which sounds like a Hermoine spell from Harry Potter) with the intention of remaining there until he achieved enlightenment? How long he actually sat isn't entirely clear, but may have been weeks. Without food.
Good news: you don't need to do that.
Start small. A lot of people who meditate "religiously" (it really is spiritual, sometimes, but not necessarily spiritual, although actually the Big 3 religions refer to silent or personal prayer as "meditation") do therefore in the morning upon waking (plus some do, in reality, get up at 4:30 for "sadna," a pre-dawn meditation practiced by some Sikhs, when the spiritual energy is meant to b especially strong), and again in the late afternoon or early night time (before or after dinner is great).
Deep breathing before bed is an excellent method to relax, but a complete meditation before bed isn't advisable because that may trick your body and human brain into thinking you've slept enough currently. And while early morning meditation seem to be excellent for many, be reasonable about yourself. Don't make your self get up at 5 or 6 to meditate if you hate waking up early. Perform it if it is https://hubpages.com/@spiritualinsightbyjoyce convenient and possible for you, and after that you'll be much more likely to maintain doing it!
For meditating for weekly (or even more) without water and food like the Buddha, this is not recommended for beginners or even the experienced. For many people, 15-20 minutes is an excellent session, but even five minutes is beneficial, plus some long-time practitioners can do longer mediations. Starting out, five a few minutes is a great number because it's easy to accomplish and can also provide a novice a taste of the positive benefits. Try that for a few days, or a week, then move to 10 minutes, 15 minutes and finally 20 moments. For me, and most meditators, 20 a few minutes appears to be the sweet spot.
2. BEST Locations TO MEDITATE
Experienced meditators can meditate within an airport, a subway station, or a Trump advertising campaign rally. But many prefer a tranquil, not-too-bright location. Light is not a concern, but many find a darkened or dimly lit room (candlelight is excellent) more calming. Of training course, the Buddha meditated outside, and several enjoy doing so on a stump in the woods or a rock on a mountain best or the sand on the seaside. Whatever the locale, comprehensive calm (or soothing music or character sounds) is best.
Thich Nhat Hanh famously says he does walking meditations in airports and about crowded city streets to the bemusement of the locals. Some meditation styles say to keep the eyes slightly open and focus on a space a few inches before your eye. I'm of the "eye's wide shut," school. Experiment for yourself.
3. EQUIPMENT FOR MEDITATION
No special gear is needed. All you need can be you and a spot to sit or lay down. Most meditate sitting up with an excellent, grounded posture. Prone is fine, although it is normally easy to drift off this way, and sleeping isn't meditating. Deep breathing isn't a nap. Not that there's anything wrong with a nap.
You might like a pillow to sit on. Some meditators choose to sit up straight with an excellent posture, while some lean against a wall or cushion in it, and might even meditate in a chair or sofa. Some Buddhists use a set, cushioned mat, and on that another pillow that's shaped similar to a chocolate layer cake, maybe 8-10 inches across. Sitting upon this cushion, with hip and legs crossed on the mat or in a kneeling position, can feel very stable and comfortable.
Some sit in lotus or half lotus (cross legged with one ankle about the opposite knee for fifty percent lotus or both ankles about the opposite knee for complete lotus). This is simply not possible for many, and even those who can sit this way will see that after a few minutes the foot gets uncomfortable or falls asleep. The primary things to achieve in seated position are comfort, which means you are not distracted by pain, and good position. Whatever position allows this, including lying down, is fine.
Candles, incense and music can enhance meditation. If you want music, it is best to pay attention to something non-melodic, like chimes or bells or random flute and character sounds. Or nothing. Music with terms or melody or rhythm can be distracting and really should be avoided. Nature sounds, like the ocean or a stream or rainfall can be wonderful, particularly if you live in an urban region with traffic noises, sirens, people's music, garbage trucks, etc., because the sounds might help mute environmentally friendly aural clutter.
A great expense is a kitchen timer. You can also make use of a timer on your own smart phone (or even your dumb phone unless you have a good one). I take advantage of a kitchen timer that I got before smart cell phones were something. I punch in the quantity of time I would like to meditate (usually 20 minutes, although I add a minute to allow myself time to settle in), and that is it. Why a timer? You then don't need to check the clock. And when you begin out, you'll want to check on the clock a whole lot, and when you perform, after sense like you've meditated for a half-hour and look to see it has been under four minutes, you'll see what's so great in regards to a timer.
4. MANTRA OR NO MANTRA?
Good question. I've attempted both. Kundalini practitioners use, among other mantras, "ong namo gurudev namo," this means "I bow to the teacher within me." I love that because it feels nonreligious. And you will find loads of others. You don't have to know what they mean, because it's really about the word or thinking of the mantra. The sound. The repetition. It helps you get in the right mindset. Not knowing the meaning is most likely better. Those reared on praying in Hebrew or Latin might agree.
Remember: if you are a spiritual person and don't feel comfortable getting involved in religious ceremonies apart from your own, mantras aren't prayers. Some do sound like prayers, however. If that is an issue for you, either find a mantra that's completely secular, or repeat a short prayer from your religious practice.
Some orgainized meditation motions or groups have already been around for decades and cost a great deal of money. One had opted up to almost $2,500 (to really get your individualized mantra and training), however now is more like $1000. I know those who have carried out this for 40 years and swear because of it. Howard Stern, King of most Media, is a life-long practitioner (following his parents' business lead) and says it's among the best items he ever do and he practices each day. If you possess the money and need to go that route, great. If not, do a Google search and I'm guessing you can simply find a mantra hack you may use, for free. Don't tell anyone I told you this.
I never payed for a mantra. I have chanted with users of the Buddhist Church of America (associated with the Buddhist Church of Japan), plus they chant through the entire meditation (the well-known "nam-myoho-renge-kyo"). It was a good experience, sitting in an area with 20 people at someone's house, chanting, nonetheless it wasn't my cup of green tea extract. I found it an excessive amount of work to maintain the chanting and it didn't help me concentrate just how I liked. So I never went back, even though the people were great and the after-meditation refreshments had been delicious.
But you won't need to be Buddhist to meditate, and many Buddhist organizations welcome practitioners of most faiths. While I occasionally use a mantra to get started, my main mantra is definitely my breath, which I will describe next. If you want a mantra, the books of the fantastic Buddhist monk and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh are full of what he telephone calls "gathas" or small poems that work well. Most were written in Vietnamese, but he has translated them to French and English. The best also uses inhaling and exhaling, and goes such as this:
Breathing in, I calm my body
Breathing out, I smile
Breathing in, I dwell in today's moment
Breathing out, I understand it is a wonderful moment
Nice, right? Not a prayer. You do this with in-breath and out-breath for some minutes. You don't need to state (or think) this through the whole meditation. Eventually, you can shorten it to "In - calm, out - smile, in - present moment, out- wonderful moment." And stick to the breath and smile when you state it.
In fact, Thich Nhat Hanh highlights that a lot of renditions of the Buddha show him smiling in meditation, and that you should usually smile when meditating. Not only does this loosen up the muscles in that person, but it also enables you to feel good. Yes, smiling even when you feel bad makes you feel great. He also says meditation is certainly wonderful which means you should smile. If you cannot smile when meditating, when is it possible to?
5. BREATHING TECHNIQUE
This brings us to the most important thing, breathing. Meditation is certainly breathing; breathing is usually meditation. Breathing is taking in air and then allowing it to out. You breathe by contracting your diaphragm. Outbreath happens whenever your diaphragm relaxes. The elasticity of your lungs and diaphragm provides them back again to an at-rest placement, pushing out the air. The body does this by itself (so that you can keep breathing in your sleep), but you can control it to an extent. What you want to do in meditation or yoga breathing is sluggish the breath down and take in as much air as possible without straining. You will want deep breath, not really a strained breath.
Seated (or lying) comfortably, take slow, long breaths, but don't drive it. Keep it calm. Breathe just through your nasal area (of course, for those who have a cold, mouth-breathing is fine, plus some meditation techniques demand exhalation through the mouth). Use your typical breath to start, and keep raising the distance of each breath by taking the air in a little deeper with each inhale. When exhaling, do the same. Decelerate the exhale and make an effort to let out the majority of your breath before inhaling again. Remember, don't press or stress or control. Just deepen and lengthen the breath.
This is often done while saying a mantra if you are using one (breathe and exhale the mantra), or just while thinking the mantra, or gatha, in your mind. Eventually, you will just be breathing and not even taking into consideration the mantra, or around anything.
The best thing to do (which also helps clear the mind) is to focus on two things: your abdomen pushing out with each inhale and attracting with the exhale (right around and slightly below your navel, the area known as "dan-tien" in some Eastern teachings, which also simply is actually the anatomical center of your body), and also focus on the cool feeling of air entering your nostrils near the tip of your nose.
Focusing on both of these physical sensations could keep you from securing too long to thoughts which come and go through the meditation. Thoughts like, "did I remember to get milk" (or soy milk if you are a Vegan). And talking about thoughts...
6. CLEARING THE MIND
We are creatures of thought. We think all the time. Even asleep. Even when performing something absorbing (like watching a movie or speaking with a friend), we may suddenly remember we remaining the stove on. That is part of being human.
Contrary to popular perception, meditation or yoga breathing doesn't require an empty mind. Thoughts and ideas will come to you while meditating. Some may even be inspirational. You could get an idea for a hit song, in which case, stop meditating, write down the song, and start again. Don't give up a top-40 strike single because you're a disciplined meditator!
When a thought like "probably I'll have Chinese meals tonight" or "My coworker Michael is this a-hole" enters, that's okay. Acknowledge the thought, hold it to your heart, and let it go. Back again to your breath. To the feeling of your abdominal rising and falling, the cool air entering your nostrils. The thought will go away as surely as it emerged. And another will enter to end up being acknowledged and released. That is part of the process. In the event that you get trapped on a thought, get back to your breath. Whether it's really hard, try counting your breaths, 1 to 10, and going in reverse. If you're performing a good job, you may never get completely to 10. That's great. Just start again.
Once you've been doing this for a while, you will see that your brain does clear, that thoughts come less often and are of shorter duration. You may be able to have that experience of "leaving your body," where you feel exactly as if you are beyond yourself, searching down from above or from over the room at yourself meditating. Another experience is of going deep within yourself, to feel the center of your brain. It's almost just like a control center, deep within the mind, where your awareness resides. Is normally this a real place? Probably not. Nonetheless it feels as though it. It's like riding in an area capsule in the universe of your awareness. Whoa.
7. GREAT THINGS ABOUT MEDITATION AND YOGA BREATHING
There have been many reports worldwide that show meditation and yoga breathing to be very beneficial. The consequences and benefits are more pronounced and profound cumulatively, as the practice builds on itself. Just understand that the benefits have already been shown to greatly help with hypertension, insomnia, unhappiness, anxiety, eating disorders, pain management, and actually side-effects of cancer rehabilitation, and also addiction and treatments. And that's a very short list.
Some meditation teachers including Thich Nhat Hanh motivate visitors to form a sangha or community of some individuals who may meditate together. Guided meditation classes are available all over. Yoga studios frequently have yoga exercise classes or guided sessions, as do many academic institutions and houses of worship. For newbies, meditating with a group can be instructive, enjoyable, and less difficult than starting alone.
Another strategy to use is guided meditation apps or CDs or DVDs or downloads. There are great (instructive and guided) on YouTube. Please see Assets, below, for just one example.
Just remember, there is nobody way to meditate. Perform what feels right to you. You'll just do it regularly if it seems sensible for you and feels good. Where you perform it, alone or with people, enough time of day or evening, music or no music, mantra or no mantra, sitting or prone -- go with your instincts and emotions. Whatever works best, is best.
8. MINDFULNESS
Presently, the most over-used term in the "full being" world is "mindfulness." Everything is mindful these days, from purchasing to uncoupling. Or is usually that conscious? Regardless of. It's a bit much. There's a good "mindful dating" view. Aaaauuugghhh! I first noticed the word in the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh (a long time ago), and that for me personally is the real meaning. This means being present. Right here. Now. Aware. Focused on what you're doing.
If you are eating an orange, be mindful of your skin as you peel it, the texture of the fruit, the juiciness, the sweetness as you bite, the feel of the little sacs of juice on your own tongue. Chew slowly and for a long time to completely grind the fruit and taste it before swallowing.
Thich Nhat Hanh says, if you are washing the laundry, WASH THE DISHES. Concentrate on what you're doing, what it feels like, and doing it well. Don't wash the dishes and consider what's on TV later on. Just wash the dishes. That is mindfulness. And in case you are mindful more than enough, you can meditate WHILE cleaning the dishes or eating the orange. This is the accurate meaning of mindfulness.
This is not work. It is supposed to be enjoyable. It is supposed to feel good. It isn't a chore. It isn't like "oh I better workout today or I'll obtain fat," or something that we need to perform rather than want to do. So smile when you perform it, and make an effort to do it each day, or twice a time.
You need not spend too much time. And you may find after a brief time period (it varies with the average person, but I'd say within per month) that it is easy to do and that you don't want to miss it. So when that happens, you will realize why so many people worldwide have made meditation component of their daily routine, and why therefore many doctors, therapists and others involved in physical and emotional health feel that meditation is among the best ways to achieve true wellness and peace.
Breathe in peace, happiness and health. Breathe out sadness,