Many people practice meditation these days, but why?
Meditation isn’t just for monks anymore. Once people heard of its benefits, it spread like wildfire.
According to Mayo Clinic, practicing meditation regularly has been proven to:
- Promote relaxation
- Reduce stress
- Foster a sense of calm, peace, and balance
- Improve emotional well-being
- Build patience and tolerance
- Expand perspective
- Increase self-awareness
- Reduce negative emotions
They provide that some research also suggests meditation may help people who have anxiety, asthma, cancer, pain, depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep issues, and chronic headaches.
And what’s nice about meditation is that it doesn’t cost you anything, you can do it anywhere, anytime. There are also various types of meditation so you can find which is best for you.
Inner IDEA discusses the different techniques of meditation:
- Concentration meditation-- Focusing on a single point. You could focus on your breathing, mantra, a candle flame, or gong for instance. This promotes awareness and requires refocusing yourself if your mind wanders and let thoughts go
- Mindfulness meditation-- Observing wandering thoughts. You are supposed to simply be aware of each thought that arises without judging them. This allows you to recognize common thought patterns you have
- Compassion cultivation-- Reenvisioning negative occurrences in a positive light by using compassion
- Moving meditation-- This could involve tai chi, qigong, and walking meditation
David Gelles talks about another technique he calls Body Scan meditation. This is where you place attention on different areas of the body instead of just the breath. You start at the top of your head and slowly move down your body one inch at a time until you reach your toes. The point is to note each sensation you feel, good or bad (but try not to label them that way)
Meditation allows you to train your mind in beneficial ways. It’ll teach you how to be more present and know yourself better.
If you’re a beginner, there are a few basics you can follow to start off right. Gelles suggests setting aside a consistent time and choosing a comfortable position.
There are plenty of other things you can do in your day-to-day routine to aid your meditation efforts too.
For example, practicing mindful eating will help in that it encourages you to reflect on yet another aspect of your life--your diet.
“Not only is mindful eating a valuable (and often enjoyable) exercise that can reveal a whole new world of interesting sensory experiences, but some studies suggest that it can lead to weight loss,” he says.
Really doing anything that requires patience, focus, observation, attention, and awareness can help you become a better meditator.