Years ago, throughout a rough patch in life, We started viewing a behavioral psychologist to handle some anxiety problems and insomnia. Component of his sessions frequently contains a guided meditation, where he'd talk with me in gentle tones while I lay on the sofa, breathing deeply. The meditations had been probably an excellent 20 minutes or so, and frankly, I wondered only if these sessions were only a method for my therapist to obtain a break from hearing my life nonsense, but I came across them extremely relaxing and left afterwards feeling relaxed and refreshed, two emotions that didn't come naturally to me.
After one session, my therapist complimented me on my breathing. He noted that I could gradual my breath down and consider lengthy, deep breaths that helped me reach a different state. Higher consciousness? Probably. Calm and relaxed? Certainly, at least during and for a bit following the meditation. He asked easily had learned this someplace. I told him about the years I had spent acquiring Kundalini Yoga exercises from a prominent LA teacher. It wasn't daily schooling, just a course or two weekly with a couple of other students in a studio or in the instructor's living area.
"Breath of Fire" (very rapid in and away breath through the nasal area and managed by the diaphragm) and techniques that included filling your lungs with as very much air as feasible (or blowing ALL the air out of your lungs and keeping them empty - generally much harder), and doing yoga while keeping the atmosphere in or out is definitely the type of training that may improve breathing technique. There were also gong meditations, lying on your back, eyes shut, and breathing deeply while the instructor bangs on a huge gong, which you hear as well as feel (sound waves) throughout the meditation.
My therapist after that suggested, that mainly because a massage therapist and massage therapy instructor, I would also train people how to breathe. So, with that in mind, here are some thoughts for those of you who want to incorporate a meditation practice into your life to reap its verified positive benefits, including:
· When to meditate and how often
· Creating an excellent mediation environment
· What you ought to meditate
· Mantra or no mantra?
· Deep breathing techniques
· Clearing your brain (what to consider... 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 beneath the Bodhi tree (ficus religiosa in Latin, which sounds like a Hermoine spell from Harry Potter) with the purpose 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 flash: 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 also the Big 3 religions make reference to silent or personal prayer as "meditation") do therefore each morning upon waking (and some do, in reality, get right up at 4:30 for "sadna," a pre-dawn meditation practiced by some Sikhs, when the spiritual energy is supposed to b especially solid), and then again in the past due afternoon or early evening (before or after dinner is great).
Deep breathing before bed is a great way to relax, but a complete meditation before bed is not advisable because that may trick your body and human brain into pondering you've slept enough already. And while early morning meditation seem to be amazing for many, be reasonable about yourself. Don't make yourself get right up at 5 or 6 to meditate if you hate getting up early. Do it if it is convenient and easy for you, and after that you'll be much more likely to keep doing it!
As for meditating for a week (or more) without food and water like the Buddha, this is not recommended for beginners or even the experienced. For most people, 15-20 minutes is a great session, but even 5 minutes is beneficial, and some long-time practitioners will do longer mediations. Starting out, five mins is an excellent number because it's simple to accomplish and will also provide a novice a flavor of the positive benefits. Try that for a few days, or a week, then move to 10 minutes, 15 minutes and finally 20 minutes. For me, & most meditators, 20 moments appears to be the lovely spot.
2. BEST PLACES TO MEDITATE
Experienced meditators can easily meditate in an airport, a subway station, or a Trump marketing campaign rally. But most prefer a peaceful, not-too-bright location. Light isn't an issue, but many look for a darkened or candlight room (candlelight is great) more calming. Of course, the Buddha meditated outside, and many enjoy doing so on a stump in the woods or a rock on a mountain best or the sand on the beach. Whatever the locale, comprehensive quiet (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 up and focus on a space a few inches in front of your eye. I'm of the "eye's wide shut," college. Experiment for yourself.
3. EQUIPMENT FOR MEDITATION
No special devices is needed. All you need is Maryland psychic for psychic readings definitely you and a place to sit or lie down. Most meditate sitting up with an excellent, grounded posture. Prone is fine, although it can be easy to fall asleep in this manner, and sleeping isn't meditating. Deep breathing isn't a nap. Not that there's anything wrong with a nap.
You might such as a pillow to take a seat on. Some meditators choose to sit up straight with a good posture, while some lean against a wall or cushion in it, and might actually meditate in a chair or sofa. Some Buddhists make use of a set, cushioned mat, http://edition.cnn.com/search/?text=psychic readings and on that another pillow that is shaped similar to a chocolate coating cake, maybe 8-10 inches across. Sitting on this cushion, with legs crossed on the mat or in a kneeling comfortable, position and can feel very stable.
Some sit in lotus or half lotus (cross legged with one ankle in the opposite knee for fifty percent lotus or both ankles in the opposite knee for full lotus). This is not possible for many, and actually those that can sit this way will find that after a few minutes the foot gets unpleasant or falls asleep. The main what to achieve in sitting position are comfort, which means you are not distracted by soreness, and good position. Whatever position allows this, including prone, is fine.
Candles, incense and music can enhance meditation. If you would like music, it is advisable to listen to something non-melodic, like chimes or bells or random flute and character sounds. Or nothing at all. Music with phrases or melody or rhythm is definitely distracting and really should be avoided. Character sounds, like the ocean or a stream or rainfall can be wonderful, particularly if you reside in an urban area with traffic noises, sirens, people's music, garbage trucks, etc., since the sounds can help mute environmentally friendly aural clutter.
A great expense is a kitchen timer. You can even make use of a timer on your smart phone (or actually your dumb phone unless you have a smart one). I take advantage of a kitchen timer that I acquired before smart cell phones were something. I punch in the quantity of time I would like to meditate (usually 20 minutes, although I put in a minute to permit myself time to stay in), and that is it. Why a timer? You then won't need to check the clock. So when you begin out, you'll want to check the clock a whole lot, and when you do, after feeling like you've meditated for a half-hour and appearance to see it's been under four a few minutes, you'll see what's therefore great in regards to a timer.
4. MANTRA OR NO MANTRA?
Good question. I've tried both. Kundalini practitioners use, among additional mantras, "ong namo gurudev namo," which means "I bow to the instructor within me." I like that because it feels nonreligious. And you will find loads of others. You don't need to know very well what they mean, because it's actually about the saying or thinking about the mantra. The sound. The repetition. It can help you get in the right mindset. Not knowing this is is most likely better. Those reared on praying in Hebrew or Latin might agree.
Remember: in case you are a religious person and do not feel comfortable taking part in religious ceremonies other than your own, mantras are not prayers. Some do appear to be prayers, however. If this is an concern for you, either find a mantra that's completely secular, or do it again a short prayer from your own religious practice.
Some orgainized meditation motions or groups have already been around for decades and cost a good deal of cash. One had opted up to almost $2,500 (to get your personalized mantra and training), however now is more like $1000. I know those who have carried out this for 40 years and swear by it. Howard Stern, King of All Press, is a life-long practitioner (following his parents' business lead) and says it's one of the best things he ever did and he practices every day. If you have the money and wish to go that path, great. If not, execute a Google search and I'm guessing you can certainly look for a mantra hack you can 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 whole meditation (the well-known "nam-myoho-renge-kyo"). It had been a good experience, sitting in a room with 20 people at someone's house, chanting, but it wasn't my cup of green tea extract. I found it too much work to maintain the chanting and it didn't help me focus just how I liked. THEREFORE I never went back again, even though the people were good and the after-meditation refreshments had been delicious.
But you won't need to be Buddhist to meditate, and several Buddhist groups welcome practitioners of most faiths. While I occasionally make use of a mantra to get started, my main mantra is definitely my breath, that 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 phone calls "gathas" or small poems that work well. Most were created in Vietnamese, but he has translated them to French and English. My favorite also uses breathing, and goes such as this:
Breathing in, I calm my own body
Breathing out, I smile
Breathing in, I dwell in the present moment
Breathing out, I understand it is a wonderful moment
Nice, right? Not a prayer. You do that with in-breath and out-breath for a couple minutes. No need to state (or believe) this through the whole meditation. Eventually, you can shorten it to "In - calm, out - smile, in - present moment, out- wonderful instant." And follow the breath and smile when you state it.
In fact, Thich Nhat Hanh points out that a lot of renditions of the Buddha display him smiling in meditation, and that you should often smile when meditating. Not merely does this rest the muscles in that person, but it also makes you feel good. Yes, smiling even when you feel bad enables you to feel great. He also says meditation is certainly wonderful which means you should smile. If you cannot smile when meditating, when can you?
5. BREATHING TECHNIQUE
This brings us to the most crucial thing, breathing. Meditation can be breathing; breathing is definitely meditation. Breathing is taking in air and then allowing it to out. You breathe by contracting your diaphragm. Outbreath happens when your diaphragm relaxes. The elasticity of your lungs and diaphragm provides them back again to an at-rest position, pushing out the air. The body does this by itself (so you can keep sucking in your sleep), nevertheless, you can control it to an extent. What you want to do in meditation or deep breathing is sluggish the breath down and ingest as much air flow as possible without straining. You want a deep breath, not a strained breath.
Sitting (or lying) comfortably, take slow, lengthy breaths, but don't press it. Keep it relaxed. Breathe just through your nose (of course, when you have a chilly, mouth-breathing is fine, plus some meditation techniques demand exhalation through the mouth). Use your usual breath to start, and keep raising the length of each breath by firmly taking the air in just a little much deeper with each inhale. When exhaling, do the same. Slow down the exhale and try to let out most of your breath before inhaling again. Remember, don't drive or strain or control. Simply deepen and lengthen the breath.
This could be done while stating 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 rather than even thinking about the mantra, or around anything.
The best thing to accomplish (which also helps clear the mind) is to concentrate on a couple of things: your abdomen pushing out with each inhale and pulling in with the exhale (right around and just under your navel, the area referred to as "dan-tien" in a few Eastern teachings, which also just is actually the anatomical center of the body), and also concentrate on the cool feeling of air entering your nostrils close to the tip of your nose.
Focusing on these two physical sensations could keep you from securing too much time to thoughts that come and go through the meditation. Thoughts like, "do I remember to buy milk" (or soy milk if you are a Vegan). And speaking of thoughts...
6. CLEARING THE MIND
We are creatures of thought. We think constantly. Even asleep. Even when carrying out something absorbing (like watching a movie or speaking with a friend), we might suddenly remember we left the stove on. This is part of being human.
Contrary to popular perception, meditation or yoga breathing doesn't require an empty mind. Thoughts and tips will come for you while meditating. Some may even be inspirational. You can get an idea for popular song, in which particular case, stop meditating, jot down the song, and begin again. Don't give up a top-40 hit single because you're a disciplined meditator!
When a thought like "maybe I'll have Chinese meals tonight" or "My coworker Michael is this a-hole" enters, that's fine. Acknowledge the thought, keep it to your center, and let it go. Back to your breath. To the sensation of your abdominal rising and falling, the cool air entering your nostrils. The thought will go away as surely as it arrived. And another will enter to be acknowledged and released. That is area of the process. If you get stuck on a thought, get back to your breath. If it's very difficult, try counting your breaths, 1 to 10, and then going in reverse. If you're performing a good job, you may never get all the way through to 10. That's great. Just start again.
Once you've been doing this for a while, you will find that your brain does very clear, that thoughts come less often and so are of shorter duration. You might be in a position to have that connection with "leaving your body," where you are feeling exactly as if you are outside of yourself, looking down from above or from over the space at yourself meditating. Another knowledge is of going deep within yourself, to feel the center of your mind. It's almost such as a control middle, deep within the brain, where your consciousness resides. Is usually this a genuine place? Probably not. But it feels like it. It's like riding in a space capsule in the universe of your consciousness. 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 effects and benefits are more pronounced and profound cumulatively, as the practice builds on itself. Just know that the benefits have been shown to help with hypertension, insomnia, despair, anxiety, eating disorders, pain management, and even side-effects of cancer in addition to addiction, rehabilitation and treatments. And that's a very short list.
Some meditation teachers including Thich Nhat Hanh motivate people to form a sangha or community of a few people who may meditate together. Guided meditation classes are available all over. Yoga studios often have yoga exercises classes or guided classes, as do many academic institutions and homes of worship. For beginners, meditating with an organization could be instructive, enjoyable, and much easier than starting alone.
Another strategy to use is guided meditation applications or CDs or DVDs or downloads. There are great (instructive and guided) on YouTube. Please see Resources, below, for just one example.
Remember, there is no one way to meditate. Do what feels to you. You'll just do it regularly if it seems sensible to you and feels good. Where you perform it, by itself or with people, enough time of time 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
Currently, the most over-used term in the "full being" world is "mindfulness." Everything is mindful these days, from shopping to uncoupling. Or is certainly that conscious? No matter. It's a little much. There's even a "mindful dating" view. Aaaauuugghhh! I first heard the term in the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh (many years ago), and that for me personally may be the real meaning. It means being present. Right here. Now. Aware. Centered on what you're doing.
If you're eating an orange, keep an eye on the skin as you peel it, the consistency of the fruit, the juiciness, the sweetness as you bite, the experience of the little sacs of juice on your own tongue. Chew gradually and for a long period to thoroughly grind the fruit and taste it before swallowing.
Thich Nhat Hanh says, if you're washing the dishes, WASH THE DISHES. Focus on what you're performing, what it feels like, and doing it well. Don't clean the dishes and think about what's on TV later. Just wash the dishes. That is mindfulness. And if you are mindful enough, you can meditate WHILE washing the dishes or eating the orange. This is actually the accurate meaning of mindfulness.
This is simply not work. It really is said to be enjoyable. It is supposed to feel good. It isn't a chore. It is not like "oh I better work out today or I'll get fat," or a thing that we need to do rather than want to do. Therefore smile when you perform it, and try to do it every day, or twice a day time.
You need not spend a lot of time. And you will find after a brief time period (it varies with the average person, but I would say within per month) that it's easy to do and you do not desire to miss it. And when that happens, you will realize why a lot of people world-wide have made meditation component of their day to day routine, and why so many doctors, therapists and others involved with physical and emotional wellness believe that meditation is among the best ways to achieve true wellness and peace.
Breathe in peace,