Years ago, during a tough patch in life, We started seeing a behavioral psychologist to deal with some anxiety problems and insomnia. Part of his sessions frequently contains a guided meditation, where he would speak to me in soft tones while I lay on the sofa, breathing deeply. The meditations had been probably an excellent 20 minutes roughly, and frankly, I wondered only if these sessions were only a way for my therapist to get a break from listening to my life nonsense, but I came across them extremely relaxing and left later on feeling relaxed and refreshed, two emotions that didn't come normally 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 condition. Higher consciousness? Probably. Calm and relaxed? Certainly, at least during and for a bit after the meditation. He asked easily had learned this somewhere. I told him about the years I got spent taking Kundalini Yoga from a prominent LA instructor. It wasn't daily teaching, just a course or two a week with a bunch of other college students in a studio or in the instructor's living space.
"Breath of Fire" (very rapid in and out 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 of the air out of your lungs and keeping them empty - always much harder), and doing yoga while keeping the surroundings in or out is certainly the type of training that can improve breathing technique. There were also gong meditations, lying on your back, eyes closed, and breathing deeply as the instructor bangs on a big gong, which you hear as well as feel (sound waves) for the duration of the meditation.
My therapist then suggested, that mainly because a therapeutic massage therapist and massage therapy instructor, I would also teach people how to breathe. So, with that in mind, here are some thoughts for those of you who want to add 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 should meditate
· Mantra or no mantra?
· Deep breathing techniques
· Clearing the mind (what to think about... or not)
· Benefits of Mediation
· "Mindfulness." What does it really mean?
1. SELECT A GOOD TIME AND START SMALL
Did you know that the Buddha sat beneath the Bodhi tree (ficus religiosa in Latin, which appears 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 current information: you don't have to do that.
Start small. Most people who meditate "religiously" (it is spiritual, sometimes, however, not necessarily spiritual, although actually the Big 3 religions refer to silent or personal prayer as "meditation") do so in the morning upon waking (plus some do, in fact, get 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 late afternoon or early night time (before or after dinner is great).
Yoga breathing before bed is an excellent way to relax, but a full meditation right before bed isn't advisable because that might trick the body and human brain into thinking you've slept enough currently. Even though early morning meditation seem to be amazing for many, be realistic about yourself. Don't make your self get up at 5 or 6 to meditate if you hate getting up early. Do it when it's convenient and easy for you, and after that you'll be more likely to maintain doing it!
For meditating for a week (or more) without food and water like the Buddha, this is not recommended for newbies or even the experienced. For most people, 15-20 minutes is a good session, but even five minutes is beneficial, and some long-time practitioners can do longer mediations. Starting out, five mins is a great number because it's easy to accomplish and will also provide a novice a taste of the positive benefits. Try that for some days, or weekly, then move to ten minutes, 15 minutes and finally 20 mins. For me, and most meditators, 20 mins seems to be the nice spot.
2. BEST PLACES TO MEDITATE
Experienced meditators can easily meditate within an airport, a subway station, or a Trump marketing campaign rally. But many prefer a peaceful, not-too-bright location. Light is not a concern, 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 top or the sand on the seaside. Whatever the locale, full peaceful (or soothing music or nature 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 designs say to keep carefully 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," school. Experiment for yourself.
3. EQUIPMENT FOR MEDITATION
No special apparatus is needed. All you have to can be you and a spot to sit or lie down. Many meditate seated up with an excellent, grounded posture. Prone is fine, although it can be easy to drift off in this manner, and sleeping isn't meditating. Deep breathing isn't a nap. Not really that there's anything incorrect with a nap.
You might such as a pillow to sit on. Some meditators prefer to sit up right with a good posture, while some lean against a wall structure or cushion behind them, and might actually meditate in a seat or sofa. Some Buddhists use a set, cushioned mat, and on that another pillow that's shaped kind of like a chocolate layer cake, maybe 8-10 inches across. Sitting on this cushion, with legs crossed on the mat or in a kneeling can feel very stable, position and comfortable.
Some sit in lotus or fifty percent lotus (cross legged with one ankle about the contrary knee for fifty percent lotus or both ankles on the opposite knee for full lotus). This is not easy for many, and also those who can sit this way will find that after a couple of minutes the foot gets unpleasant or falls asleep. The primary things to achieve in sitting position are comfort, which means you aren't distracted by distress, and good position. Whatever position allows this, including lying down, is fine.
Candles, incense and music can enhance meditation. If you would like music, it is best to listen to something non-melodic, like chimes or bells or random flute and character sounds. Or nothing at all. Music with terms or melody or rhythm is certainly distracting and should be avoided. Nature sounds, like the sea or a stream or rainfall can be wonderful, particularly if you reside in an urban area with traffic noises, sirens, people's music, https://en.search.wordpress.com/?src=organic&q=Maryland garbage trucks, etc., because the sounds can help mute the environmental aural clutter.
A great expenditure is a kitchen timer. You can even make use of a timer on your smart phone (or also your dumb phone unless you have a good one). I use a kitchen timer that I acquired before smart phones were something. I punch in the amount of time I wish to meditate (usually 20 minutes, although I add a minute to permit myself time to stay in), and that is it. Why a timer? You then don't need to check the clock. So when you start 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 has been under four minutes, you'll see what's so great about a timer.
4. MANTRA OR NO MANTRA?
Good question. I've attempted both. Kundalini practitioners make use of, among additional mantras, "ong namo gurudev namo," this means "I bow to the instructor within me." I love that because it feels nonreligious. And there are tons 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 obtain in the proper mindset. Not knowing this is is most likely better. Those reared on praying in Hebrew or Latin might agree.
Remember: if you are a spiritual person and do not feel comfortable getting involved in religious ceremonies other than your own, mantras are not prayers. Some do sound like prayers, however. If that is an issue for you, either look for a mantra that's completely secular, or do it again a short prayer from your religious practice.
Some orgainized meditation actions or groups have been around for many years and cost a good deal of money. One had opted up to almost $2,500 (to get your customized mantra and training), however now is more like $1000. I know individuals who have carried out this for 40 years and swear by it. Howard Stern, King of most Press, is a life-very long practitioner (following his parents' lead) and says it's among the best factors he ever do and he practices every day. If you possess the money and need to go that path, great. If not, execute a Google search and I'm guessing you can easily look for a mantra hack you can use, for free. Don't inform anyone I informed you this.
I never payed for a mantra. I have chanted with people of the Buddhist Church of America (linked to the Buddhist Church of Japan), and they chant through the entire meditation (the well-known "nam-myoho-renge-kyo"). It had been a good experience, sitting in an area with 20 people at someone's house, chanting, nonetheless it wasn't my glass of green tea. 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 individuals were good and the after-meditation refreshments had been delicious.
But you don't need to be Buddhist to meditate, and many Buddhist groupings welcome practitioners of most faiths. While I occasionally make use of a mantra to begin with, my main mantra is my breath, that i will describe following. If you prefer a mantra, the books of the fantastic Buddhist monk and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh are filled with what he calls "gathas" or small poems that work well. Many were written in Vietnamese, but he offers translated them to French and English. The best also uses inhaling and exhaling, and goes such as this:
Breathing in, I calm my own body
Breathing out, I smile
Sucking 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 a couple minutes. You don't need to state (or think) this through the entire meditation. Ultimately, 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 ought to generally smile when meditating. Not merely does this loosen up the muscles in that person, but it also enables you to feel great. Yes, smiling even when you feel bad enables you to feel good. He also says meditation is definitely wonderful and that 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 normally breathing; breathing is usually meditation. Breathing is consuming air and then letting it 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 alone (so that you can keep breathing in your sleep), nevertheless, you can control it to an extent. What we want to do in meditation or yoga breathing is gradual the breath down and take in as much surroundings as possible without straining. You will want deep breath, not a strained breath.
Seated (or lying) comfortably, take slow, long breaths, but don't drive it. Keep it relaxed. Breathe only through your nasal area (of course, when you have a frosty, mouth-breathing is fine, and some meditation techniques call for exhalation through the mouth area). Use your typical breath to start out, and keep increasing the length of each breath by firmly taking the air in just 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 force or stress or control. Just deepen and lengthen the breath.
This can be 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 thoughts. Eventually, you will just be breathing and not even taking into consideration the mantra, or about anything.
The best thing to do (which also helps clear your brain) is to focus on a couple of things: your abdomen pushing out with each inhale and attracting with the exhale (right around and just under your navel, the region referred to as "dan-tien" in a few Eastern teachings, which also just happens to be the anatomical center of the body), and also concentrate on the cool feeling of air entering your nostrils near the tip of your nose.
Focusing on these two physical sensations could keep you from holding on too long to thoughts that come and go through the meditation. Thoughts like, "did I remember to buy milk" (or soy milk if you're a Vegan). And talking about thoughts...
6. CLEARING THE MIND
We are creatures of thought. We think on a regular basis. 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 deep breathing doesn't require an empty mind. Thoughts and tips will come to you while meditating. Some could even be inspirational. You can get an idea for a hit song, in which particular case, stop meditating, write down the song, and begin again. Don't give up a top-40 hit single because you're a disciplined meditator!
Whenever a thought like "probably 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 heart, and ignore it. Back again to your breath. To the sensation of your belly rising and falling, the cool air entering your nostrils. The thought will go away as surely as it arrived. And another will enter to end up being acknowledged and released. That is area of the process. If you get stuck on a thought, get back to your breath. Whether it's really hard, try counting your breaths, 1 to 10, and going in invert. If you're doing a good job, you'll never get completely to 10. That's great. Just start again.
Once you have been doing this for some time, you will see that your brain does very clear, that thoughts come less often and are of shorter duration. You may be able to have that experience of "leaving the body," where you feel exactly as if you are outside of yourself, looking down from above or from over the space at yourself meditating. Another knowledge is of heading deep within yourself, to experience the center of your brain. It's almost like a control center, deep within the brain, where https://www.lucanashville.com/psychics-readings-tips-for-finding-a-great-psychic-red-flags-for-spotting-a-poor-psychic/ your awareness resides. Can be this a genuine place? Probably not. Nonetheless it feels as though 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 consequences and benefits become more pronounced and profound cumulatively, as the practice builds on itself. Just understand that the benefits have been shown to help with hypertension, insomnia, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, pain management, and even side-effects of cancer treatments, in addition to addiction and rehabilitation. And that's an extremely short list.
Some meditation teachers including Thich Nhat Hanh encourage people to form a sangha or community of a few people who can meditate together. Guided meditation classes are available around. Yoga studios often have yoga exercises classes or guided sessions, as do many universities and houses of worship. For newbies, meditating with an organization could be instructive, enjoyable, and less complicated than starting alone.
Another way to go 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.
Remember, there is no one way to meditate. Perform what feels to you. You'll only do it frequently if it makes sense to you and feels great. Where you do it, by itself or with people, the time of time or evening, music or no music, mantra or no mantra, sitting or lying down -- go with your instincts and feelings. Whatever is most effective, is best.
8. MINDFULNESS
Presently, the most over-used term in the "whole being" world is "mindfulness." Everything is mindful nowadays, from buying to uncoupling. Or is that conscious? Regardless of. It's a little 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 is the real meaning. This means being present. Here. Now. Aware. Centered on what you're doing.
If you're eating an orange, be mindful of the skin as you peel it, the texture of the fruit, the juiciness, the sweetness as you bite, the experience of the tiny sacs of juice on your tongue. Chew slowly and for a long time to completely grind the fruit and flavor it before swallowing.
Thich Nhat Hanh says, if you are washing the laundry, WASH THE DISHES. Concentrate 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 afterwards. Just wash the dishes. This is mindfulness. And if you are mindful enough, you can meditate WHILE washing the dishes or consuming the orange. This is the true meaning of mindfulness.
This is not work. It is said to be enjoyable. It is supposed to feel good. It is not a chore. It isn't like "oh I better workout today or I'll obtain fat," or a thing that we need to perform rather than wish to accomplish. Therefore smile when you do it, and try to do it every day, or twice a time.
You need not spend too much time. And you may find after a short period of time (it varies with the average person, but I would say within per month) that it's simple to do and that you don't want to miss it. And when that occurs, you will understand why so many people world-wide have made meditation part of their day to day 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.