Give Yourself A Break - Meditate

It is no secret that meditating daily and practicing mindfulness can improve your life manifold, however, it is up to us to make the effort and work on this skill because only then will we be able to reap all of its benefits. Here’s a quick guide on how to incorporate this practice into your everyday life.

Meditation is an activity in which several techniques like mindfulness, focusing on an object, or chanting a mantra are used to streamline one’s thoughts and attention so that one can achieve a relaxed and calm state of mind. Especially in these trying times when the pandemic has disrupted our mental peace and caused so much stress and uncertainty, meditation is something that can help us all. It does not require any fancy tools or take up huge chunks of your time, all you need is a little bit of patience and dedication.

TYPES OF MEDITATION

There are many different ways in which you can practice meditation, it’s all about finding the one you feel the most comfortable in. Here is a list of the basic types of meditation:

 

1. Mindfulness Meditation

The most common meditation practice in the West is mindfulness meditation, which is based on Buddhist teachings. You pay attention to your ideas as they flow through your mind and don't judge or become concerned with the thoughts. You simply observe and look for patterns.

This technique incorporates both attention and awareness. While observing any physiological sensations, thoughts, or feelings, you might find it beneficial to focus on an item or your breath.

This sort of meditation is helpful for persons who don't have access to an instructor because it can be done alone.

 

2. Focused Meditation

Concentration on any of the five senses is required for focused meditation.

You can, for example, concentrate on something internal, such as your breathing, or you can bring in external factors to assist you in focusing. Counting mala beads, listening to a gong, or staring at a candle flame are all good ways to relax.

Although this technique seems pretty straightforward in theory, beginners may find it challenging to maintain their focus for more than a few minutes at first. It's critical to return to the practice and refocus whenever your mind wanders.

As the name implies, this practice is perfect for someone who needs more focus in their lives.

 

3. Mantra Meditation

Similar to focused meditation and propagated by many teachings, including Hindu and Buddhist traditions, mantra meditation uses subtle vibrations associated with the repetition of the mantra to create positive energy. To clear the mind, this style of meditation uses a repeated sound such as a word, phrase, or sound, like the well-known "Om." It makes no difference whether you say your mantra loudly or quietly, you become more aware and in tune with your surroundings after chanting the mantra for a while. This permits you to reach higher states of consciousness.

Some people prefer mantra meditation because it is easier to concentrate on a single word rather than their breath. This is also a useful technique for people who appreciate repetition but dislike silence.

 

4. Zen Meditation

This ancient Buddhist technique entails sitting straight and paying attention to the breath, especially how it flows in and out of the abdomen, as well as letting the mind “just be.”

Its goal is to promote a sensation of awareness and presence.

 

5. Transcendental Meditation

A common form of meditation is Transcendental Meditation.

The scientific community has conducted various studies on this practice. It uses a mantra or string of phrases that are unique to each practitioner, making it more adjustable than mantra meditation.

This meditation practice is for individuals who enjoy structure and are dedicated to their meditation practice as it is recommended to be practiced twice a day with assistance from a qualified practitioner.

 

6. Loving Kindness Meditation

Compassion, kindness, and acceptance toward oneself and others are strengthened by Loving-kindness meditation.

It usually entails allowing one's thoughts to be open to receiving love from others and then sending a sequence of good wishes to loved ones, friends, acquaintances, and all living beings.

Because this style of meditation aims to foster compassion and kindness, it may be great for people who are holding on to anger and resentment.

 

7. Progressive Relaxation

Progressive relaxation, often known as body scan meditation, is a technique for lowering physical tension and fostering relaxation. This type of meditation involves gradually tightening and relaxing one muscle group at a time throughout the body and can be guided or unguided.

In rare circumstances, it may also be helpful to envision a calm wave moving through your body to help you relax. This type of meditation is frequently used to relieve tension and relax before going to bed.

 

8. Visualization Meditation

Visualization meditation is a practice that focuses on imagining good and positive scenarios or images to increase relaxation and tranquillity.

It's important to envision the situation clearly and use all five senses to add as much detail as possible during this exercise.

Another type of visualization meditation is seeing oneself achieving specific goals, which is meant to boost your mood, reduce stress and promote inner peace.

 

9. Sound Bath Meditation

In this type of meditation sound vibrations created by bowls, gongs, and other instruments assist to focus on the mind and bring it to a more relaxed condition.

 

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

Meditation has numerous physiological, mental, and emotional benefits that help improve the overall well-being of the individual. These benefits include controlling anxiety, reducing stress and stress-related ailments, enhancing self-awareness, strengthening concentration and increasing attention span, helping fight addictions, improving sleep, and may even helping battle age-related memory loss and improve the clarity of mind. Developing the skill of meditation and practicing it regularly makes one more relaxed and calm and promotes positive health and happiness.

 

How to meditate

 

1. GETTING COMFORTABLE

First and foremost, you need to find a peaceful and relaxing environment like a dark and cool room with scented candles. Secondly, decide the amount of time you want to dedicate and accumulate the resources you need for meditating like an audio clip or an app. Lastly, settle down in a comfortable position and make sure that your back is straight, try to clear your mind, and focus on your thoughts and emotions.

 

2. BEGIN THE PRACTICE

You will need to try out the basic meditation techniques to figure out which one works the best for you. Once you have decided which type of meditation you want to practice, you start by focusing your attention on the activities of your mind, your breathing, or an object or mantra.

Many people find guided meditation easier to practice, and you can find many resources such as audio clips to help you with the process. A list of some such apps and audio clips has been given below.

3. INCORPORATING MEDITATION INTO YOUR DAILY LIFE

Meditation is a skill that is mastered by regular practice and doing it just once or twice will not have any substantial benefits. Set aside sometime every day and make sure you stick to it, read books on the subject to educate yourself, and try to make a group of friends to do this with and motivate each other.

 

AUDIO RESOURCES

Here’s a list of audio clips that may help:

1. 5-minute Breathing Meditation 

2. Loving Kindness Meditation 
3.  Meditation: The Presence Beyond Thoughts 
4. Sound Meditation with Stephanie Briggs
5.  Reflective Reading & Visualizing Language with Rick Chess

MEDITATION APPS

Meditation apps have found a lot of popularity in recent times and have proved themselves to be an easy and efficient way to start meditating. Here is a list of the 5 most popular meditation apps in India:

1. Insight Timer
2. Headspace
3. Aura
4. MyLife
5. Smiling Mind

 

A QUICK MEDITATION GUIDE FOR WHEN YOU ARE STUCK AT WORK

Here’s a quick guide to progressive relaxation meditation which can be practiced at your desk and make your work day much more calm, relaxed, and productive:

1. Begin by focusing your attention on your breathing sensations.
2. When you're ready, focus your attention on the soles of your feet, allowing any feelings that arise to be recognized.
3. Perhaps you've noticed the pressure on your soles as your legs' weight falls on them. It's possible that the soles of your feet are warm or cool.
4. Just take note. There's no need to judge or participate in critical thinking. If your mind wanders or gets distracted, softly but firmly redirect it.
5. Move your focus to the tops of your feet, ankles, lower legs, knees, and so forth.
6. Scan your body from head to toe, identifying sensations, discomfort, and places where you don't notice any sensations. There's no need to look for feelings; simply scan your body, take your time, and be receptive to what you find.
7. As you scan your entire body gradually you will feel the tension melt away, and once you are done you can get back to work with a fresh mind!

It is no secret that meditating daily and practicing mindfulness can improve your life manifold, however, it is up to us to make the effort and work on this skill because only then will we be able to reap all of its benefits. With the endless resources available to us now, there is virtually no stopping you from making the best out of your life!