Meditation For Beginners

Meditation is often misunderstood by those who do not practice it. Very often, I hear meditation referred to as, “altered states of consciousness.” That sounds more like intoxicants, rather than bringing clarity to a cluttered mind. Without going too deep into what meditation is, or is not, let’s focus on one of the many things a daily meditation practice can do for you.

Meditation is commonly seen in many Yoga classes, but it has been practiced by a variety of cultures, including Roman Catholic priests, as well as Japanese Samurai, who practiced a form of Zen meditation. I mention this so you can see the full spectrum of meditation and its many facets.

There are many varieties and types of meditation, but the easiest form to learn is, “breath awareness meditation.” Compared to many other meditation techniques, this will enable anyone to experience the benefits of meditation in much less time.

At this point, let’s consider that meditation and Yoga teachers often compare the mind to a monkey. Many thoughts are running through your brain, at the same time, and it is hard to control all of your impulses – let alone, sit still and meditate. So why go through all this trouble?

Meditation has many rewards, and we will now consider one of extreme value. Through daily practice of meditation, you will release the unlimited potential of your mind. The ability to change, or alter the universe, starts as a single thought within your mind.

One human decided to harness the power of fire, and did he/she foresee the global warming effect? How could he/she imagine where we are now? This is just one of many thousands of examples of Karma – the law of cause and effect. Therefore, one seemingly small change, of any kind, will have a ripple effect on the universe.

Mind Power Secrets – You can be the Creator of your own Manifest Destiny

Some of the seeds of change the Universe has locked in your mind, but you have the ability to shape your future by making small focused changes over time.

Let’s say you have a friend, family member, or associate, who cares for you deeply, but, up to now, you have always taken it for granted.

Can you imagine what would happen if you take the time to groom that relationship? The answer is you would have a loyal ally and all you had to show was kindness or appreciation.

You have the ability to alter your own personality and affect the world around you. Hopefully, your personality will always continue to change for the better; if so, this will alter everyone around you for the best.

Through daily meditation practice and focus on changing your life for the better. In fact, you have the ability to redefine yourself in any direction you desire. The power that you can cultivate is limited only by your own imagination.

As I have mentioned earlier, this will change the lives of people who you come into frequent contact with. Therefore, you must always be kind, trustworthy, and considerate to others. You should make a change in that direction at this very moment.

Why the sudden need for character improvement? It goes hand-in-hand with using power and influence wisely. Remember Lord Acton’s saying: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The power of your mind has the ability to alter reality. Therefore, this is a power that must be controlled.

How is this possible? Here is an example: If you had two identical twin boys, who haven’t eaten for two days, and you put an apple in front of them; what would they do?

Most likely, they would fight over it, and the winner would eat, most or, all of it. You and I know they should divide it equally, but each of them has really felt starvation, and that is a reality you and I do not feel at the moment. So we are not talking about imagination, but three legitimate points of view, that each becomes our own reality.

Meditation will allow your mind to see multiple points of view, without judgment. If you can see only one point of view, you haven’t meditated long enough. The best leaders, negotiators, and diplomats know that you have to understand the opposing viewpoint, to move forward, on any issue. There is always justification, on both sides, in any conflict, but true compromise is meeting the opposition in a different reality than you both started from.

If you had the ability to travel in the space shuttle, your view of earth, from within your space vehicle, would be much different from the person living in poverty, within a refugee camp. You could not see, or feel that person’s pain, and each of you would have a vivid picture of life on earth. You can meditate from a mountain top, but once you have seen the full picture, you have an obligation to help mankind, with acts of kindness.

Once you have discovered how easy it is to help others, you are no longer struggling with; “who is right and who is wrong.” Your new reality becomes, “how can I help?”

How to Use the Power of the Subconscious Mind

Scientists say that we only use 10% of our minds. Think about what I just said. We use only 10% of our minds! We are wasting the other 90%. Think of it this way….what if we only used 10% of our salary? Could we survive on 10% of our salary? No way, unless your Bill Gates.

What about eating only 10% of the food we make? Wouldn’t that be a waste of food? What if we slept only 10% of 8 hours or 80 minutes a day? Could we survive? What if we had only 10% of the oxygen that was available? Could we survive? The answer to all these questions is a resounding NO!

So why do we put up with using only 10% of our brains? Look at your life. Are you living the life you want… on your terms? Are you happy with what you’ve created or do you think it could be better? Chances are that you are living to only 10% of your abilities.

What if you could make your life 100, 500, or 1,000% better? I can hear you now saying…”That’s impossible” or “that’s too hard to do.” If you did say that, you’re repeating the same pattern in your life, which is you are using only 10% of your brain or less.

If you’re happy with using just 10% of your brain then stop reading now. If you’re not satisfied and want to be able to use the rest of it then keep reading. Think about the greatness you can achieve by using your entire mind. There have been a number of great teachers of using the mind, such as Napoleon Hill, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Maxwell Maltz, and many others. These men knew the secret to use the power of your mind and how to tap into it.

I’m here to tell you that you currently possess the most powerful tool in the Universe… your SUBCONSCIOUS MIND.

Your subconscious mind knows everything. It has all the answers if you just use it correctly. It can lead you to a life of harmony, wealth, health, joy and success! This is possible with all aspects of your life.

It’s not your fault. You were never taught how to use your mind. The past is over and today can be a new start. It doesn’t matter what happened before today, what matters is what happens from today on. You must believe in your subconscious mind and know that it can allow you to lead a life of joy and success.

Let’s start off with a very simple procedure. Use your subconscious mind as an alarm clock. Before going to bed at night, tell it what time you want to get up. Let’s say you want to wake up at 7:00 am. Before going to bed, tell your subconscious mind to “wake me up at 7:00 am” and while saying this visualize a clock that reads 7:00.

How to Make Your Subconscious Mind Believe Something

The First Step in Changing Your Life is to Start Making Impressions on Your Subconscious Mind

You can do this by making affirmations as well as thinking certain thoughts. For example, let’s say you want to attract money in your life. You can simply repeat these words “I am wealth and success”. Repeat these words several times a day.

It’s best to say them in the morning when you get up and right before you sleep. This is when your mind is in an alpha state. When saying them, make sure you really mean them and focus on the words. Don’t feel it’s a chore or else it will not do you any good. You can also say them while meditating.

This can work for anything. Make sure the affirmations are positive and not stating the negative. For example, if you want to quit smoking, don’t say “I don’t smoke”. Instead, say “My lungs are pure and healthy and I am cigarette free.”

“I am” are two of the most powerful words in the English language.

Also, it’s very important to think positively, don’t say to yourself, “I’m just never lucky” or “I’m just meant to be poor.” Think the opposite, “I am lucky” or “Things always work out to my favor” and I am wealthy and successful.” If you have trouble believing yourself when you say them then change them to become more believable. You can start small or say “I am becoming wealthy.”

If you need help with a problem or are in a situation where you have to make a tough decision and don’t know which is the best for you. Ask your subconscious mind for help. Let’s say you are contemplating two separate job offers and you are having trouble deciding between the two.

Ask your subconscious mind for help by asking it. You may say something like “Infinite wisdom of my subconscious mind, I ask for your help in deciding what is best between these two job offers, I ask for your help and guidance in making a decision that is best for me.”

Be still and listen to your subconscious mind. Close your eyes if need be and do not force anything to come to you but just be still and listen. If the answer doesn’t come right away, that’s ok. It’s probably searching for the answer and it may take a little bit of time. But, I assure you, the answer will come… maybe the next day or next week. You just need to be alert and have your antennas up.

The answer may come from something outside of you, perhaps after you wake up. You may be clear in your thoughts on what to do. You may read or hear something that may enlighten you on what to do. You may receive your answer by running into a friend and he may say something that may help you decide. Just be patient and do not get frustrated and think too much about it. By doing so, you are delaying the answer form coming to you.

Cultivate a Positive Mind-Set Through Meditation

You have the ability to create your own mindset. Whether your attitude is positive or negative, is up to you. The ability to change your environment, your circle of friends, and your attitude, is within your control.

Just like a computer absorbs raw data, so does your mind. Within your mind, a culture, within itself, has grown. Many people feel like they have no control over their own minds because this culture has become negative. The negativity is a result of past experiences, being in a negative environment, or being under the influence of unconstructive ideas.

Similar to a computer virus, you have to identify it quickly, to avoid letting it spread within your mind. You can also pass this virus of negative thinking to the people around you. As a result, you are spreading negative energy around, like “weeds in a field.”

Much like a farmer, you cultivate too. The energy in your mind is the crop, and it is up to you, whether it is weeds or wheat. If you have a farm and let a field take care of itself; you will be lucky to have any kind of a crop, from it. This is the same as the energy within your mind.

Can Mindfulness At Work Improve Your Career and Your life?

You have to option to pick quality seeds: Information, in the form of books, eBooks, DVD’s, CD’s, lectures, courses, workshops, and seminars. This is learning, for the sake of self-improvement, and it results in a positive mindset.

However, your work is not finished, because you must still reinforce the lessons, and keep everything in a focused order. This might be compared to fertilizing, watering, and “weeding the mind.” You have to work at it continually or the weeds will grow back. This, my friend, is meditation, and one of the reasons why we meditate, in the first place.

Meditation is controlled focus on an object, your thoughts, or task without judgment.

This process makes it possible to look at all situations objectively. You can find solutions, turn negative situations into positive learning experiences, and create your own positive mindset. As a result of this, you will make new friends, reach goals, handle problems easily, and develop an indomitable spirit.

Remember the last time you made an accomplishment. That feeling and that ability are within all of us. It is a formula for success, but you have to take action. Action is something that the vast majority of people will never take.

Learn to separate yourself from “the pack,” through education, meditation, and action.

Why have psychologists and psychiatrists become extremely busy these days? The answer is pretty simple. Research has shown that a huge number of people find it extremely difficult to cope with the stress and strain of this highly demanding world.

When they cannot find a solution to various issues, they inevitably go to qualified professionals for help and that is exactly why they have become inundated with work.

Various studies have shown that seeking professional assistance makes a positive impact in the lives of a good number of people but it has not yet succeeded fully in improving the mental health of the people up to the desired levels. That is exactly where meditation steps in.

The Universal Appeal Of Meditation

Various people process things differently. For example; eating habits of different people vary and other aspects like the way they understand information. Healing and restoring the power of the people also differ with individuals. Because of this aspect, medical practitioners and other related professionals working in the field of mental health cannot advocate the same method of treatment for all people.

In such a situation, the significance of meditation for beginners becomes all the more relevant and it can be said without any doubt that you can advocate meditation for each and every individual who suffers from stress.

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It can be practiced by anybody irrespective of age or gender and the recent trends indicate that the popularity of meditation has increased exponentially, especially in the last 10 years or so.

What Makes Meditation Universally Appealing?

Meditation makes you mentally, as well as physically healthy. It influences your mind in a positive manner and when you persevere with practicing meditation, you will be blessed with clarity of thought.

Your preconceived notions and apprehensions that affect your mental health in an adverse manner will be removed. A great amount of stress and strain can always be associated with this fast-paced world and you need to learn how to manage stress if you want to progress well.

A moderate amount of stress is always good because you need those valuable, powerful fight-or-flight hormones that your body produces and it can be described as a sudden burst of energy.

You should not allow the stress to go beyond a certain level and the best method of approach is to learn how to manage it. Meditation techniques will influence your bodily functions in a positive manner to keep the unwanted stress under control and with effective breath control; your muscle tension will be lowered to a great extent.

Your blood flow will get increased and a deeper level of physical relaxation will become a reality. Your immune system will get strengthened and meditation will teach you how to relax your nervous system as well.

These aspects form only a part of the huge benefits involved with meditation and the subtle way in which it works needs to be understood more deeply. As we dig deeper into this introductory guide, you will realize that meditation is the best option available to get rid of the unwanted worry and stress, normally associated with this fast-paced world.

WHAT IS MEDITATION AND WHERE DOES IT STEM FROM?

What is meditation? When you ask this question to different people, you will get different answers. More often than not people get confused with these answers and these types of contradictory opinions often mislead people as well.

You should understand that meditation does not belong to the monks only and everyday people can also enjoy the huge benefits involved with meditation if they are prepared to practice it properly.

Meditation techniques can be described as an approach that anyone can utilize to find solutions to various issues like medical problems, stress, anxiety, and other related mental problems and, it is being achieved by way of thought, contemplation, and reflection.

What Is Meditation?

Defining meditation in a few words can always be described as an uphill task. Still, the most realistic definition that can be given is that meditation is a state of mind and it will take you to a state where only consciousness and awareness will remain.

When you remove all thoughts and imagination from your consciousness, consciousness alone will remain and this pure state of consciousness can be described as meditation.

It is not an easy task and you need to be extremely committed and disciplined to achieve the desired results. Meditation encompasses different practices and all these various practices adopt different methods of approach.

The basic principles will always remain the same and all good practices will always aim at achieving a state of rumination through consideration and quiet thought.

Different Types Of Meditation

You will come across a wide variety of different types of practices these days and they include Zen meditation, Buddhist meditation, prayer, transcendental meditation, Taoist meditation, and mindfulness meditation.

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Some methods will advise you to keep your body still or move with controlled deliberation and in the case of some other methods; you can have a free movement of the body.

You can select the most suitable method that you are comfortable with and the bottom line is that you should follow all the instructions with absolute commitment and dedication. In such a situation, managing your mental as well physical problems will become a hassle-free process and it will result in improved productivity as well.

Where Does Meditation Stem From?

Providing a definitive answer to this question is also a difficult task.

Meditation originated from the unrelenting thirst of man to answer the questions about his existence. Its origin can be traced long before mankind became civilized and Indian ‘Vedas’ clearly suggests that meditation was established as a spiritual practice during those times.

By 500 years BC, meditative traditions came into existence in China and it paved the way for the development of Zen tradition. With the evolution of time, both Hindu and Buddhist meditative traditions started spreading to all parts of the world and it can be said without an iota of doubt that meditation is hugely popular in all parts of the world these days.

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Meditation techniques have undergone a tremendous transformation during all these years and these days; they have been designed to improve the mental as well as physical health of the people in the best possible manner.

ANXIETY SOLUTIONS – THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION TO THE MIND

When you have a physical ailment to be addressed, you will take medicine or seek other types of medical help. What will you do when you have a mental problem like stress or anxiety to confront?

You cannot cure your mental problems with medicine alone and that is exactly where the importance of a comprehensive and scientific method of approach comes in.

If you seek peace of mind, calmness, joy, greater energy and fulfillment in life, tablets or pills will not provide you all these benefits. Meditation is the best option available to enjoy all these benefits and it can be described as a medicine for the mind.

The most important thing is that you should make meditation a daily practice and you will have to adopt a systematic method of approach as well.

How Does Meditation Control Your Mind?

There is no doubt our minds are notorious at wandering and switching from one thought to another. Focused attention has become an exceedingly difficult task in these days.

Various research studies by neuroscientists have shown that meditation reinforces the connections between brain cells and will result in the strengthening of the brain.

People, who meditate, show higher levels of gyrification (The process of folding of the cerebral cortex as a result of growth) and it will help the brain to process information at a faster rate. As a resulting factor, your brain will become better at improving attention, forming memories and making decisions.

Recent studies have shown that long-term meditation will improve the gray matter density in the brain stem and it will make some structural differences to cause improved emotional, immune and cognitive responses. Meditation also has a positive effect on breathing and heart rate as well.

Physical Benefits Of Meditation That You May Not Know About…

So the mental benefits associated with meditation cannot be termed as unscientific and the expression of brain metabolites (linked to depression and anxiety) of people, who meditate, is completely different in comparison with other people.

The latest findings also convey the fact that meditation can always be associated with dramatic changes in electrical brain activity especially improved Theta and Alpha EEG activity and these two aspects can always be linked to wakeful and relaxed attention as well.

What benefits does practicing meditation offer to your mind?

The most important benefit is improved attention, and stress reduction will also become a reality. It will improve your working memory and stressful multitasking activities will become less complicated as well. Your idea generation capacity will reach a new level altogether and meditation also plays an important role in increasing the levels of empathy.

Other major benefits of meditation include decreased anxiety, emotional stability, improved creativity, clarity of thought, fully developed intuition, greater focus, perfect balance of sharp mind and expanded consciousness, reduced tension, optimistic attitude towards life and improved peace of mind.

All these benefits that meditation offers to your mind are scientifically proven and your productivity will be improved manifold without a shadow of a doubt. What do all these facts indicate? These facts clearly indicate that when you practice meditation with utmost discipline and dedication, quality of life will get improved in a significant manner.

HOW TO RELAX THE MIND FROM STRESS: THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION TO THE BODY

Everybody knows that meditation offers a lot of spiritual and emotional benefits. At the same time, it offers a lot of benefits for your body as well.

You cannot categorize the mind and body into two watertight compartments because of both these components should work in harmony and keep your health at an optimal level.

A healthy mind can only be found in a healthy body and meditation always adopts a comprehensive method of approach to improve the quality of your life.

Various studies have clearly shown that long term practitioners of meditation possess more active disease-fighting genes in comparison with other people and the relaxation effect of meditation plays the most important role in providing all these health benefits.

How does meditation affect your body?

It is a scientifically proven fact that meditation offers tremendous physical benefits and the most popular benefits include reduced stress and decreased muscle tension.

Meditation will also help you to solve various health problems like binge eating, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, fatigue, high blood pressure, pain, sleep problems, heart disease, allergies and asthma and, meditation is also used as a supplemental treatment in combination with other medical interventions in these days.

When you practice meditation, your physiology will undergo a change and, each and every cell in your body will get filled with more energy.

Benefits to lungs and heart

Your rest-and-digest functions are controlled by a parasympathetic nervous system and meditation will cause increased activity in this system. As a resultant factor, your lungs will start drawing deeper breaths and your heartbeat will come back to optimal limits. It will result in the relaxation of your blood vessels and it is a proven fact that regular meditation will drop your blood pressure significantly. All these benefits will always lower the risk of heart disease in the best possible manner.

Right, now that we have covered the what is and history of meditation and the benefits that go with it, it’s time to get into the actual meditation.

GETTING INTO THE MEDITATION FRAME OF MIND

10 Quiet Mind Quotes To Center Yourself With These Mindful Insights

“In shallow men, the fish of little thoughts cause much commotion. In oceanic minds, the whales of inspiration hardly make a ruffle.” – Autobiography of a Yogi

“Seeds are sown in mind that blossom into life.”

“Every artist was first an amateur.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Every tomorrow is only determined by what you do today.” – James Altcher

“You can outdistance that which is running after you, but not what is running inside you.” – Rwandan Proverb

“No idle person is ever safe, whether he be rich or poor, white or black, educated or illiterate.” – Booker T. Washington

“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.” – Rumi

“Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you. The future will take care of itself..” – Yogananda

“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” – Thich Nhat Hahn

“Oneness is inner silence, which remains undisturbed by external factors. The silence is not the opposite of noise. That is inner oneness.” Khalki Bhagavan

How to control your breathing while removing all thoughts from your mind? Meditation will teach you how to perform this task and it offers a lot of health benefits including decreased levels of stress and increased level of concentration as well.

People, who practice meditation, often say that meditation provides them a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction. A huge number of people try it at a certain point in their life and only a few people will go on practicing meditation on a consistent basis.

A good number of people often stop their efforts when they think that they cannot meditate in an effective manner or they feel that they are not achieving the desired results.

All these stumbling blocks will have to be removed when you start practicing meditation and getting into the meditation mood is the key to remove these stumbling blocks.

Make meditation an integral component of the daily schedule

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A lot of people meditate only when they have some free time. When they get engaged in some other activities, most people tend to forget about meditation.

In such a situation, meditation will take a back seat and such a method of approach will not help you to get into the meditative frame of mind. A fixed time period should always be allocated each day for practicing meditation and such an approach will make meditation an integral component of your schedule.

Seek out a suitable place

A convenient and suitable place will assist you to get into the meditation frame of mind and it is always advisable to select an area in your home where you will be able to meditate without any distractions. You can place some aromatic candles in the place where you practice meditation. It will provide much-needed help for getting into the mood in an easy manner.

Try to bring more purpose

You should actively engage your mind to get rid of all distractions although it is rather easier said than done. You should always wear loose-fitting clothes and full focus should be given to breathing. You should never try to control your breathing and your body should be allowed to breathe naturally. You can also try out practicing meditation with your partner and it will be the most enlightening experience for some people.

Make sure that you do not get disturbed with other thoughts

If you want to get the maximum benefit out of meditation you will have to meditate twice a day and you should always meditate during the early hours in the morning as well. Since you have just come back up from a night’s rest, your mind will be in a relaxed state and you will be able to focus more deeply. You should not get disturbed with thoughts related to your professional as well personal life and deliberate efforts should be done to bring back your focus towards breathing.

Recognize the moments of frustration

Getting impatient and frustrated is a natural process when you start practicing meditation. The most important thing is that you should recognize that you are getting frustrated and it is the first and most important step for overcoming frustration.

All these suggestions will provide the much-needed help to get into the meditation frame of mind quite easily and with practice, you will be able to remove all self-doubts, distractions, and frustration as well.

MEDITATION TECHNIQUES FOR BEGINNERS

When you start practicing meditation, you may find it difficult to sit for an extended period of time with an empty mind. Distractions are bound to happen and you need to overcome this phase with great determination and discipline.

The easiest way to get over the initial problems is to start meditation by focusing on the breath and you will have to learn this technique by trial and error method.

Sometimes, you may find hard to concentrate but you should recognize that you are not concentrating. Then your focus can be brought back to the breathing process and slowly but gradually, you will learn to focus for an extended period of time.

Concentrative meditation

This meditation technique will teach you how to focus on a single point. It can be practiced with the help of various activities like repeating a mantra or a single word, listening to a repetitive gong, looking at a candle flame, counting beads on a rosary, watching the breath and listening to a repetitive gong.

Focusing for an extended period of time can be a daunting task for a beginner and beginners should meditate for only a short period of time in the initial stages. Focusing for a prolonged period of time should be attempted in a gradual manner.

What happens with this technique is that whenever your mind gets distracted with other thoughts, you will refocus your awareness on the chosen object of attention. This simple technique will teach you how to avoid pursuing random thoughts and your ability to concentrate will get improved considerably.

Mindfulness Meditation

This technique will motivate a beginner to observe the wandering thoughts as they pass through your mind. The aim of this method is not to judge wandering thoughts or getting involved with them, but to be aware of each mental note as it arises.

What Is The Goal Of Mindfulness Meditation Technique?

When a beginner practices mindfulness meditation, you will be able to see how your feelings and thoughts tend to move in certain patterns and gradually, you will become aware of the human tendency to judge experience as pleasant or unpleasant. As a beginner, when you practice this technique regularly, you will be able to develop inner balance.

Other important aspects

The best body posture for practicing meditation is to sit cross-legged on the floor, keeping the spine straight and relaxed. As a beginner, you may find this body posture quite demanding and you may find it extremely uncomfortable as well.

In such a situation, you can select a posture that you are most comfortable with like sitting straight on a chair. When you sit for meditation, your mind may get distracted with other thoughts 100 times and you should bring it back to your focus at hand 100 times. You should be prepared to bring it back for 101 times as well and such a method of approach will help you get over all the difficulties during the initial stages of meditation.

The bottom line is that you should choose a simple and effective meditation technique as a beginner. More than 99% of the people, who practice meditation, put an end to their efforts during the initial phase itself. When you become successful in managing the initial problems, meditation will become an integral aspect of your life and as a resultant factor, quality of life will undergo a tremendous amount of transformation.

AVOID THESE COMMON MISTAKES WHEN STARTING MEDITATION

What are the most common mistakes that people often commit while learning to meditate? We will find out shortly.

Learning how to control our mind can always be described as a difficult task and you should have the discipline and patience to learn from mistakes that you commit.

Many people give up meditation after a few days and in order to avert this possibility, you should avoid committing some of the common mistakes while practicing meditation.

Here are the 5 common mistakes that people often commit:

1) Expecting faster and unrealistic results

You cannot expect dramatic results within a few days. It is a well-known fact that meditation offers great benefits for your mind and body and you should adopt a systematic method of approach to make all these aspects a reality.

You should not get overly excited and regular practice is absolutely essential. The prospect of experiencing great benefits for yourself should not dominate your course of action and you should admit the fact that getting frustrated or impatient is quite natural for all beginners.  The best solution is to keep on practicing in a daily manner.

2) Selecting an improper environment

An improper environment will always make your meditation session short-lived and you will come across a lot of distractions. You should always select a suitable environment to practice meditation and the place that you select should be free from all types of distractions as well.

3 Easy Steps To Start Your Own Meditation Practice At Home…

If you are practicing at home your family members should provide all the required cooperation to make you comfortable. It is always advisable to select a soft and supportive place that is ideal for various activities like sitting or lying down and the place should be extremely serene as well. Your clothing also deserves great attention and you should wear comfortable clothing. All these aspects will make your meditation truly enjoyable.

3) Getting too experimental with various meditation techniques

After having chosen a meditation technique, you should stick with that method without getting worried about other methods. Some people try out a method for a few days and they will switch over to another method immediately after that. This habit should always be discouraged because it will not deliver the desired results. Anyhow, if you find that a particular method does not deliver results after having made determined efforts, there is nothing wrong with selecting a more suitable method. The bottom line is that you should not get too experimental.

4) Practicing irregularly

If you practice irregularly, achieving the desired results will become a distant reality. In order to get maximum benefits out of meditation, you should meditate in a daily manner and practicing meditation should be made an integral part of your daily routine.

Those people, who are really serious towards meditation, will always consider it as a mental hygiene practice. Quitters will never win and winners will never quit. You should not quit practicing after a few days and it can be said without an iota of doubt that regular practice is absolutely essential to reap the real rewards associated with meditation.

5) Selecting an unsuitable meditation technique

The tastes and attitudes of different people vary and you should choose the most suitable method that will keep you relaxed and comfortable. Some people make it extremely difficult for them by selecting an unsuitable technique that will take a long time to learn and master.

Committing all these mistakes will affect your progress in an adverse manner. It is always advisable to avoid these five common mistakes to make your meditation session extremely enjoyable and rewarding as well.

ADVANCED MEDITATION TECHNIQUES

When you manage to overcome the stumbling blocks involved with the early stages of meditation, you can progress towards advanced meditation.

People, who have been regularly practicing meditation, should try advanced meditation techniques to intensify their experience and deeper meditation will always have a more meaningful purpose than eliminating stress.

You need to perform advanced techniques with proper guidance and these techniques will help you to go beyond the physical relaxation and subconscious mind as well.

A beginner will not be able to perform advanced techniques and advanced meditation can be described as a lengthy and complex process. People with superior meditation skills achieve total oneness with the universal energy and divine love will start flowing freely from them and through them to all people.

Meditation practices for beginners will teach you how to empty your thoughts and you will get relieved from everyday stress and worries as well. When you progress towards advanced meditation stages, you need to make use of your practice to solve issues and mental obstacles more actively and advanced techniques will teach you how to set aside your conscious mind.

Deep meditation will pave the way for the interior parts of your unconscious mind to come forward and your brainwaves will be kept below the normal sleeping limits. This journey through your mind can be described as a complex task and you should decide whether you are ready to practice advanced techniques.

Learn The Secrets Of Deep Meditation For Spiritual and Personal Growth HERE…

The ability to stay focused and conscious for a lengthy session is an integral component of advanced meditation and you cannot fall asleep throughout this lengthy session.

In order to have a better understanding of advanced meditation, you can compare your brain with the onion and each layer gets formed throughout your life starting from your birth.

The onion consists of different layers and exactly like that, your brain also consists of different layers. The core of the onion can be compared to the instinctual, primal parts of your brain and they hold things like your need for water, sleep, food, blinking and swallowing. These parts also hold purity and innocence.

The next layer is your childhood brain and it holds the learned as well as personality traits and experiences. In the case of most people, this area contains a lot of issues and blocks that prevent them from looking at life in the right perspective and they will not be aware of all these aspects as well.

It is the area that demands most work and advanced meditation will focus on this area with the utmost efficiency. The outer layers of the onion can be compared to the adult brain and the outer skin represents your conscious mind in the form of thoughts and worries. All these layers need to be healed with the proper attention and advanced meditation techniques are the best option available to make a complete cure a reality for you.

When you become successful in evolving through all other levels of meditation, you can start practicing advanced meditation techniques and if you want to be a proud owner of a highly developed mind and soul you should practice advanced techniques.

SCHOOLS OF MEDITATION – THEIR BELIEFS AND PRACTICES

People from all walks of life have been practicing different types of meditation techniques for hundreds if not
thousands of years. Different schools of meditation make use of different techniques but the fundamental principle of reflection and quiet thought to achieve a state of rumination will always remain the same.

Different schools of thought include Taoist meditation, Zen meditation, Buddhist meditation, Vipassana meditation, Transcendental meditation, and Mindfulness meditation.

Some of these methods always advocate the importance of keeping the body still while practicing and in certain methods, stimulation of the body with controlled deliberation is allowed. Some other methods will allow you to have a free movement of the body as well.

Taoist meditation

Taoist meditation bears great resemblance to the Buddhist system and this school of thought can be described as extremely practical in comparison with contemplative traditions that originated in India.

The underlying theory of this meditation is generation, transformation, and circulation of inner energy. When a person becomes successful in achieving this stream of energy known as ‘Deh-Chee’, it can be utilized to promote longevity and better health according to the discretion of the person involved.

Beginners will be taught breath and navel meditation during the initial stages and it can be described as one of the oldest methods. The natural flow of breath in the nostrils and, expansion and contraction of the abdomen can always be associated with this method and your focused attention and one-pointed awareness will get improved significantly as well.

Zen Meditation

Zen meditation will advocate the importance of sitting in various positions and you will come to learn how to close
your mind to thought and images as well.

Your heart rate will become slower and the intensity of your breathing will come down as well. As a resultant factor, you will get into a meditative state and your thought will become isolated.

You will be aware of the present moment only and thoughts about the past and future will not haunt you. In a nutshell, Zen meditation will guard you against the constant chatter of the subconscious mind.

Buddhist meditation

This meditation will provide you complete control over your mind and a natural balance between your mind, body, and soul will become a reality. Buddhist meditation will make you completely aware of your physical body and every movement your body makes. It can be described as an extremely disciplined practice and you should practice it in a daily manner to bring maximum benefit to your mind, soul, and body. Fear will not find a place in your mind and you can always expect better concentration and focus with this method as well.

Vipassana meditation

Though Buddha was the chief architect of Vipassana meditation, this meditation is not confined to individuals with a Buddhist background. This method will teach you the best way of healing the body and mind and it is being achieved by removing toxins and other forms of impurities through the process of cleansing. You need to seek professional assistance to achieve the utmost level of purification and rumination through this method.

Transcendental meditation

It can be described as a simple and easy method to learn and practice. At the same time, transcendental meditation will bring tremendous practical benefits to all areas of life. You will come to know how to rest your mind and body and also alleviate tiredness and stress in a natural manner.

Transcendental Meditation – A Great Starting Point For You…

With the help of transcendental meditation, you can reach a state of rumination in an uncomplicated manner and it will be extremely suitable for all types of people. You do not have to allocate specific time and place for practicing this meditation and it can be practiced in your home, bus or in any place according to your own preference.

Mindfulness meditation

This school of thought will teach you how to remain alert and mindful towards whatever you do and you will always have better awareness about your surroundings and diverse situations. As a resultant factor, you will enjoy a relaxed body and nervous system. This method can be applied to every aspect of your life including eating and exercising and, it will train your mind to be aware of the surrounding in the best possible manner.

INCORPORATING MEDITATION INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE

As we covered earlier, Life in this fast-paced world has become extremely demanding. A huge number of people face a lot of stress in their professional as well as personal lives and most of them are of the fact that meditation is the best tool available to alleviate stress.

Still, most people find it extremely difficult to practice meditation on a day to day basis.

How to incorporate meditation into your daily routine?

Finding a convincing answer to this question assumes an importance of paramount these days. People make lots of excuses at the time of thinking about practicing meditation and they abandon this important activity from their daily routine. This attitude needs to be changed and you should find time to practice meditation in a daily manner. Here are some tips to help.

Start immediately

Most people complain that they do not have time for meditation because they have an overloaded work schedule at hand. The immediate solution to this problem is to allocate at least five minutes a day for meditation and by doing so; you will get the impression that it will not take away too much time from your hectic schedule.

The decision to start practice meditation should be taken at this moment itself. When you make such a decision, a new practice is born.

Practice meditation immediately after you wake up in the morning

Most people do not like to sit still for a long time because their mind and body may not be tuned that way. It will instill a sense of aversion towards meditation and people will start making a lot of excuses.

This problem can be solved by practicing meditation immediately after waking up in the morning. After a good night’s sleep, you will be in a relaxed condition and sitting still for some time will not be that much difficult. You will not be prepared to make a lot of excuses as well. Training your mind and body will be extremely effective during this time and gradually, it will be converted as a habit.

Set a strong intention

First of all, you should analyze why you want to practice meditation. Figuring out the exact reason will keep you better prepared and you should visualize yourself after one year or six months. If you remain committed to practicing meditation, how will your life look after 6 months? You will have to visualize this situation and setting such a strong intention will make you committed to practicing meditation.

In a nutshell, the process of incorporating meditation into your daily routine will become less complicated for you.

Set a fixed time and space

You should identify a serene place and fixed time for practicing meditation. When you continue to meditate on the same spot at the same time in a daily manner, you are making things easy for medication to take root. The repetition and familiarity will eventually lead to the formation of a new habit and you can also set an alarm to have a better awareness about the duration.

All these steps will help you to incorporate meditation into your daily routine and you will be able to say goodbye to the lame excuses as well.

CONCLUSION – TIPS TO BEGIN YOUR MEDITATION JOURNEY TODAY

When you realize that practicing meditation is an inevitable aspect to meet the challenges that lie ahead, you should never refrain from it. Procrastination will never allow you to march towards greater glory and you will always get stuck with the mediocrity.

Most people have not realized the true power of their minds and you should not be counted as one among them anymore. The untapped powers of your mind will have to be utilized in the best possible manner and there is no choice except practicing meditation to become successful in this highly competitive world.

When you realize your true potential, you can recreate your own destiny and that is exactly how great leaders managed to recreate their own destiny. Practicing meditation in a daily manner with proper commitment and discipline will definitely unleash your hidden potential and you should make this all-important and life-changing decision today itself. To be precise and clear, you should decide that you are going to start practicing meditation today itself.

Here are some important tips to begin your meditation journey today:

Realize the true significance of meditation You need to perform exercises to improve your physical health and a good physique will guard you against all types of diseases.

What about mental health?

You should also improve your mental health with regular practice of meditation and such a method of approach will take you into a different level altogether.

Health Benefits of Meditation – How Meditation Affects Your Brain…

Deteriorating mental health will cause all types of complications and your physical health will also get affected in an adverse manner. Stress is a silent killer and you need to defeat stress with the help of meditation techniques. You will have to realize all these important aspects before starting your meditation journey.

Re-read this guide and gain a better understanding of the benefits of meditation

You will be able to enjoy countless benefits when you practice meditation in a daily manner and they include increased concentration, improved memory, stress reduction, greater focus, decreased anxiety, peace of mind, clarity of thought, emotional stability, improved creativity, fully developed intuition, the perfect balance of sharp mind and expanded consciousness, reduced tension and optimistic attitude towards life.

What would happen if you are blessed with all these qualities? You may think that it is not at all possible but the fact of the matter is that you will be able to enjoy all these benefits when you practice meditation in a consistent manner.

Prepare well before getting started

You need to identify a place where you will not get distracted and a time schedule needs to be fixed as well. You will have to practice meditation in the same place at the same time regularly if it will be formed into a habit.

You should set a strong intention so that putting forward lame excuses to postpone your decision will become a distant reality. It is always advisable to practice meditation in the morning because you will be in a relaxed state of mind after having a good night’s sleep.

When you follow all these tips, practicing meditation will be converted as a habit in a gradual manner. If you are really determined to start your meditation practice today, you are making your first step in your meditation journey of redefining your own destiny.

It is very important to note that with any new undertaking, there will be questions and adjustments, and your mind will probably want to talk you out of it as well.

If you persist and experiment, you will get to where you need to be with your daily meditation practice.

Understand that meditation is not something that will happen overnight or something that will be automatic from the onset. It takes time and it takes practice.

Take the time to read through some books or get some audio/visual mp3s to acclimate yourself with the art and practice of meditation for beginners. In this way, you will know what to expect.

Beginner Daily Meditation Techniques

Learn How To Meditate Daily: The Secret to Getting Yourself to Meditate HERE…

Start to focus on your breathing throughout the day. When you are hurried and rushed, do you notice that your breath is shorter and more labored? If so, begin by focusing on each breath, taking deep breaths in through the nostrils and releasing through the mouth. You should also notice the rise and fall of your stomach as you focus on your breathing.

Be intentional about your meditation. Meditation is a practice and a learned skill. It needs to be practiced intentionally in order for it to work. It does not just happen to you.

Dress appropriately for meditation. If you are trying to sneak in ten minutes of meditation in your lunch hour, dressed in your business skirt and heels, chances are you will be rushed and harried. Set aside a time that is appropriate where you can wear loose-fitting clothing and where you can concentrate.

Begin with the practice of releasing tension in all your body parts. Focus on the feet first and release tension in that area; move up to your ankles, etc. Do this until you have reached the top of your head. For some practitioners, tightening and releasing muscles as they go along makes for greater awareness of the release.

Practice your breathing techniques together with the release of tension in your body parts. At first, this will seem difficult; however, it will become easier as time goes on. You will be able to tighten and release your muscles and breathe in and out to release that tension.

Stretching your muscles a bit before sitting to meditate is a great way to get blood circulating and get in the moment. Choose a focal point, if you wish. For some, meditation is only done with their eyes closed, while others need a focal point. Yours could be a picture on the wall of a serene setting.

Let others in on your new-found desire to learn meditation. If those around you know you need quiet time, they will respect your solitude – especially if it will give them a happier and healthier you.

Let everyone in your household know that you will be taking on the practice of meditation and when, how, and where you will begin this process of transformation. Let everyone know that you are committed and disciplined in maintaining this goal and that your health and his or her happiness depend on it, as well.

Let your family in on a little secret. Tell them that meditating will be good for you and create a happier more relaxed and healthier you. This will have a trickle-down effect on all of your family members and it is in their best interest to support you as you go on this newfound journey.

Be consistent with your meditation practices. Do not let circumstances take over control of your meditation practice. Before you know it, you will become a pro – just stay consistent.

Tips for Successful Daily Meditation

Many individuals think of sitting on top of a mountaintop with legs folded and fingers poised when thinking about successful meditation.

Meditation does not, however, have to be that extreme. As a matter of fact, meditation can be quite simple if you follow a few tried and true tips for successful meditation.

Set Aside an Allotted Time – When it comes to meditating successfully, make sure that you have an allotted time set aside each week for this purpose. If you choose to start meditating, it is best, to begin with, a once per week practice until you are more comfortable with the art of meditating.

Even if you have to put it in a red pen on your calendar, put it on your calendar. Use your smartphone to schedule a reminder or even send yourself an email reminding you of your date with rest and relaxation. The rewards of being intentional about meditating are worth their weight in gold.

Pick a Location

Find a soothing, relaxing, and out of the way area for your meditation practice. Set up the area with a few comforting photos, some scented candles, a comfy pillow, and a nice throw rug. Even if it is just a corner of your bedroom where you can go and lock yourself in and not be disturbed, it is very important to claim your private space for your meditation retreat.

Educate Yourself

Educate yourself on the art of meditation so that you will have a base knowledge before you begin. Get some educational materials to view, watch some videos online, and gather some reading material on the subject.

Arming yourself with knowledge before you begin will allow you to have a more peaceful and results-oriented experience.

By educating yourself, setting aside a quiet location, letting your family know of your intentions, and securing a quiet spot to meditate in, you can float into a meditation experience that is successful and peaceful all rolled into one.

Three Tips to Quiet Your Mind

Meditation For Beginners Guide – Harness The Power Of Your Mind HERE…

If you are not overachieving and extremely busy in today’s society, you are the exception and not the norm. We are all guilty of this; we overextend, overachieve, and overstress ourselves to the point of breaking. Little do we realize, however, that we are hurting our body by hurting our minds.

The Art of Gratitude

It is so easy to be upset when things do not go our way. From the moment we spill our coffee, lock our keys in the car, and forget our lunch, a spiral of circumstances can set us off into a tailspin of negativity. However, we can choose to stay in a state of discontent and let that dictate our day, or we can be grateful for the other things in our lives even if they are not present in front of us right now.

Did you ever notice that when something nice happens, we tend to smile for a moment and then move on? However, when something goes wrong, we feel the need to tell everyone and anyone that will listen. It is in those exact moments of discontent that we need to focus on what we are grateful for, and it is then and only then that we will pull ourselves up from discontent.

Keeping the focus on gratitude offers your mind something to smile about, regardless of outside circumstances. Focusing on people, places, and even things that make you grateful gives your mind the quiet respite that it needs to stay active and healthy in the future.

A Time for Nothingness

Everyone has a busy schedule; that is a known fact. We all set our schedules to overflowing and then complain that we do not have time for ourselves. Take a good hard look at your schedule and see what you can delete and what you can delegate. If you are going to have a healthy mind, you need to take care of it just as you would your body. One cannot function healthily without the other.

The best tip for quieting your mind is to put that on your schedule. Put it in big red pen on your calendar, text yourself a reminder, and place it on your list of things to do this week.

Take a Moment

Being in the moment has become a cliché; however, if you really take the time and trouble to learn what that means, you will learn how to quiet your mind. Focus on what you are doing at the exact moment you are doing it.

In this way, you are focused on the moment at hand and not two days from now when something big is arising. These are just three helpful tips for quieting your mind.

Easy Breathing Practices For Daily Meditation

While a part of meditation is getting in touch with your awareness, another part has to do with relaxing and clearing your mind. Breathing is an important tool to get to both those places. Breathing may seem as simple as breathing in and out; however, this is not entirely the case.

For mediation to be successful, you will need to read up a little, listen to some CDs, and most of all practice a bit of breathing properly. Here are a few easy breathing practices to make your beginning mediation experience an enlightened one.

Proper Sitting for Proper Breathing

First and foremost, make sure that you are comfortable. Sitting upright with a straight spine will help the energy flow and prepare you for proper breathing exercises. Do not sit too rigidly, or you will be uncomfortable and unresponsive to the proper breathing format.

Relaxation of the Body

Once you have gotten into a comfortable seated position, it is important to relax your body to prepare it for breathing techniques and meditation. No matter how well you practice your breathing, if your body is tense, you will not have success. Begin by relaxing the muscles in your toes, moving to your ankles, and work your way all the way up to the top of your head. Once your body is in its relaxed position, then it will be time to begin your proper breathing techniques.

Pay Attention to Your Breaths

In the beginning, simply pay attention to your breaths. Be attuned to the rhythm of the breaths, focusing on the in and out of those breaths. Do not try to control those breaths; just be aware of them. It is very important to be aware of how you are breathing in the beginning before trying to learn any new technique on how to breathe. Being aware is an important part of the process.

Guided Breathing Meditation Course For Anxiety, Worry, and Stress HERE…

Pay Attention to Your Body

Once you are acutely aware of how you breathe, it is important to pay attention to your body. If you are not experiencing your stomach rising and falling with each breath, you may be tense at the moment. It is important to have your breath enter into the nostrils and leave through mouth naturally.

Establish a Rhythm

It is very important to establish a breathing rhythm. Once you become aware of your breathing, you will notice that it is easier to establish a rhythm. Once that rhythm is established, you will find your meditation to flow easily and you will get the most benefit out of that meditation.

When and How to Meditate Daily

Once you have decided to invest your time and effort into learning how to meditate, it is also important to decide on the when and the how of meditation. Meditation will offer many benefits in the areas of health, concentration, stress, anxiety, and joy.

Setting aside a committed time is a very important component of meditation. Making sure that everyone respects your commitment is also vital to the success of your meditation experience.

Make a Strong Commitment To Meditate

The first and probably the most important aspect of beginning meditation is to commit wholeheartedly from the outset. When you speak of meditation, let everyone know that you are going to meditate as part of your routine. Do not say that you are going to “try” meditation; that will only set you up for an easy escape from the beginning.

Make sure that your words and actions are aligned with the commitment to meditate.

Pick a Time For Meditating

Pick a time of day or night and make a commitment to stick to that time and date. Make sure that you choose a time that will always be convenient for you without any disruptions. If that means locking yourself in your room for a period of time before bedtime, get a sign that says that meditation is in practice and do not disturb.

If you choose to practice meditation in the morning, get up a few minutes earlier every day to begin meditation.

Discover 7 Tips To Get the Most Out of Your Daily Meditation Practice HERE…

How Often To Mediate

When you first begin to meditate, keep your expectations in check. Start off slowly and increase the time gradually. In this manner, you will not start off on too high a level with too many expectations and then you will not be disappointed. Give it some time.

Start off with 15-minute intervals each morning. Morning is best because your body has not fully awakened to the stressors of the day. Thereafter, when you begin to see the rewards of meditation, you will be able to increase and adjust your schedule accordingly.

Meditation Posture

Another important aspect of meditation is your posture. A pose that is too rigid or too loose will diminish the meditation experience. Sit with your spine upright, but not too stiff. Sit on the floor on a comfortable blanket or mat.

Make sure that your neck is straight and your shoulders are not slouched, but remember to relax your arms and legs.

It may take some time to adjust your position, but over time, you will realize what the right position is once you have experimented.

Do not expect to be miraculously transformed in the beginning. Meditation – just like anything else – takes time, patience, and practice.

The Only 5 Things You Need to Know to Begin a Meditation Practice

Always wanted to meditate, but didn’t know how? There’s a lot of confusing information out there about all the different types of mediation. But if you just want to do something basic to see how it positively impacts your life, you really only need to do these five things:

1. Find a quiet place–It’s easiest to meditate when you can find a time and place where you won’t be interrupted. This is a time just for you. You might go into your bedroom and shut the door, for example, signaling to family or roommates that you want to be alone. You might also want to choose a time of day when the environment is less busy. Some people find getting up 15 minutes early to meditate before everyone in the house is up is a great time to practice meditation.
2. Close your eyes and focus inward–Sit comfortably and close your eyes, focusing on this present moment. You don’t need to sit cross-legged if that isn’t comfortable. You can sit in a chair, on the floor, or even lie down if you can stay alert. Once settled, notice how you feel in your surroundings. Focus only on the moment right now.
3. Focus on your Breath--An easy way to focus on your breath is to bring your attention to your abdomen. Feel it rise and fall with each breath. Or, you can focus instead on your nostrils, feeling the warm air coming out of your nose and the cool breath going in. If you are having trouble focusing, you can even think to yourself on the inhalations, “breathing in” and, “breathing out” on the exhalations.
4. Connect with your body–Once settled and focused inward, take notice of your body. How does each part feel? You may want to scan your body, starting with your toes and going all the way up to the top of your head. Just notice and really feel the sensations in your body. Notice tight spots, warm places and places that feel comfortable. Remember, there’s no need to change anything about how your body feels. You are just noticing.
5. Notice thinking–When your mind wanders, and it will, that’s okay. That’s what our brain is meant to do. When you notice you are thinking instead of focusing on your breath, simply bring your mind gently back to the breath. This is meditation–bringing your mind back, over and over and over. After practicing meditation for a while, you will notice that your mind wanders less and less.

Beginning meditators find it soothing and relaxing to just take a few minutes once or twice a day to stop the busyness of life and check-in with themselves. It’s an easy way to take a break, clear your mind and be able to go back to your normal activities refreshed. You only need 5 or 10 minutes to start enjoying the benefits meditation has to offer.

Video – How to Practice Daily Meditation

For some of us, that is the first thing in the morning when we wake up. For some, it is evening time at the end of a long day, but before the evening activities begin. For others, it is right before bedtime. Any time of the day that you choose, though, set that as your daily time.

Then the next step is to find a place to meditate. Find a comfortable area that can house your meditation tools. Your timer, your cushion, your altar. Photographs that you want to have around you. This way you have a place to go that all the energy from your meditation feeds into.

Then you make your commitment to sit. Start with five minutes every day. When you sit down, close your eyes and feel a calmness come over you. Start to focus on your breath. As the breath moves in, you can silently say ‘inhale,’ and as the breath moves out, you can say ‘exhale.’ Do this as you continue your meditation practice until your timer goes off.

Do this daily. Practice daily, and you will find deep changes in your life, and in your relationships.

But I Don’t Have Time to Meditate

For most of us, the thought of stuffing one more thing into our daily routine is enough to make us scream! There’s always rushing around to do, always somewhere to be and something to do. We often feel we work non-stop from dawn till dusk until we finally collapse in our beds at night in preparation to get a few hours of sleep so that we can get up and do it all again tomorrow.

But is that really living? Or just existing? What about finding joy in our lives and really living each moment to the fullest. Do you think those are ideas that only work for other people? Perhaps, suddenly finding a few minutes to meditate each day doesn’t sound like such a monumental task!

Consistent meditation practice has been proven to improve overall mood and feelings of well-being, reduce stress and anxiety, reduce depression and more tolerance for situations that used to cause stress. Sign me up, right?

But the question still remains – when can you fit in this beneficial activity?

The good news is that you don’t have to commit to hours of meditation a day to see these emotional benefits. In as little as 10-15 minutes a day of consistent meditation is enough to start enjoying life more. Medical studies show that these changes can occur in as little as 8 weeks of daily meditation practice.

Another piece of good news is that mediation is easy to do. Yes, there are many different types of meditation instruction available, but the basic instruction in each form of meditation is the same. Sit quietly, follow your breath and notice when your mind wanders. There’s no need to spend months in classes learning how to do it…you can start right now.

While it’s good to set a time each day to meditate formally in a place where you won’t be distracted, you can also take your meditation on the fly! Try going inside and focusing on your breath while:

• Standing inline
• Taking a coffee break at work
• Stopped at a red light
• Waiting in traffic
• Sitting in meetings
• Stopped for a train
• Sitting at your desk

Taking just 3 focused deep breaths can relax your sympathetic nervous system, which is the center for our fight or flight response.

When the sympathetic nervous system is “turned off,” the parasympathetic nervous system is able to help calm down and regain a balanced mindset.

Since we breath all the time, surely we can take a few chances each day to stop, close our eyes (if possible), and focus on 3 nice, deep breaths.

Many people find that they can easily find 10-15 minutes each day to meditate, especially after they experience the calming influence it has on them. Times that work for many people include:

• Getting up 15 minutes earlier before the rest of the house is up
• Turning off the TV or stopping other evening routines 15 minutes earlier
• Right after putting the children to bed
• During a part of their lunch hour
• During a “coffee break”

Mental Benefits of Meditation

Ah, meditation. The art and practice of calming the mind and reducing stress. Yes, meditation does, in fact, help you become calmer and less stressed. The beauty of meditation; however, is that it does so much more. It can make you happier and healthier mentally, emotionally and physically. But it doesn’t stop there! Keep reading to find out what other great benefits can be gained from meditation:

Develops the ability to let go of worry and regrets

Meditation actually helps the mind recognize, acknowledge and redirect what neuroscientists call the “Default Mode Network.” It’s the network that commands common traits like worry, self-doubt, self-reproach, negativity, and regret.

Stimulates feelings of well-being, happiness, and equanimity

Doesn’t it feel good too, well, feel good? Meditation gives us the pleasure of enjoying life better. We learn to appreciate the world and people around us more, and the little irritations in life don’t seem to bother us as much.

Enhancements focus and concentration

Our brains learn how to focus like a laser during meditation. This concentration and focus we have during formal meditation flows over into our regular day so that we get more done in less time.

Encourages compassion towards self and others

Have you ever noticed that when you’re stressed, you tend to lash out at people? You’re not alone. Fortunately, meditation can take care of that too. It encourages us to pursue life with a benevolent and curious awareness that leads to more fruitful and healthier relationships, including with ourselves.

Decreases stress, anxiety and depression

There’s more stress in our lives than ever, and more people are being treated for depression and anxiety than ever before. Stress occurs depending on how we respond to a challenging situation, while anxiety results from frequently thinking about the future and depression come from focusing too much on the past. All three of these can be greatly reduced by practicing meditation, where we learn to live in the present moment.

Diminishes negative self-talk

Meditation makes us keenly aware of the negative self-talk that is constantly chattering in the back of our minds. That awareness allows us to recognize self-reproach and self-doubt for what they are—just thoughts. Once we are aware of them and see them for what they are, we can choose not to buy into them. We can stop them before they really get a hold on our peace of mind.

Nurtures acceptance of change

It’s fair to say that most of us hate change. But through meditation, we come to accept change easier. We come to accept that life progresses and changes, and that we must progress and change with it. By cultivating our curious awareness, we can more fully appreciate the transformations that life naturally brings.

Reduces perfectionistic and rigid thinking

Meditation helps us fully understand that perfection does not exist. As meditators, we are better able to contend with our crazy, imperfect, and mostly out of our control world.

Decreases the need for attaching to outcomes

Lastly, meditation frees us from preconceived notions regarding the world around us. We then create fewer expectations. When we have fewer expectations, we can let our lives flow, which increases our happiness and peace of mind.

Types of Meditation: An Introduction

There are many types of meditation instruction, and with our access to information in our modern world, it’s easy to find out about them so that you can choose the one or ones that feel right for you.

Depending on what you want to focus on, you might choose a different type of meditation instruction.

Below is just a shortlist to get you started thinking about what types are available and which ones might be right for you.

Guided Meditation

Guided meditations are great for every practitioner, especially beginners who might be finding it challenging to calm their minds. Many beginners start with these and then find they can branch out to other forms. You can find many different guided meditations online, in the form of MP3 audio downloads, meditation podcast, and even videos.

They are exactly what the name states–a person guides the meditator through meditation, often through the use of visualizing or using affirmations. Some focus on whole-body relaxations, such as body scans. They come in many different lengths, which is nice. You might choose some shorter ones to use when you don’t have much time and then longer ones when you do.

Transcendental Meditation

This type of mediation is making a comeback after it’s popularity in the ’60s and early 70’s. It was very popular with celebrities of the time, including The Beatles, John Denver, and The Beach Boys. Transcendental Meditation is a mantra-based meditation in which a word or phrase is repeated over and over during meditation.

Mantras are used in many traditions to help focus the mind. Practitioners meditate for 15-20 minutes twice a day while reciting their mantra. Mantras are giving to individuals by their Transcendental Meditation teacher. This type of mediation requires you to find a licensed instructor, and there is a fee involved.

Moving Meditations

Rather than sit with eyes closed, moving meditations focus on the sensations felt in the body while in motion. Many people who like the idea of meditation but not the sitting gravitate to this form of instruction. Some types of moving meditations include Yoga and Qigong. To try these, you can find free and low-cost sources online or take a class in your area.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation has its roots in Vipassana meditation, one form of Buddhist meditation. One of its leaders, Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, is well-known in the West. Mindfulness meditation is known in the West mostly due to Jon Kabat-Zinn, a doctor who created Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. This form included sitting and focusing on the present moment and on the breath, attempting not to change anything.

Binaural Beats Meditation

Brainwave synchronization has been used for centuries, but the modern world is just beginning to realize the positive benefits. Studies now report that the use of binaural beats can hasten the process of meditation and let you reach meditative states that you’ve never before been able to achieve.

Binaural beats for meditation selects certain brainwaves to stimulate the brain and cause deeply relaxed meditation or mental alertness, depending on the mental state you desire. All different types of binaural beats meditations can be found online. You can even try some of them out for free to see if they are a good fit for you.