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    • What Is Meditation And Its Benefits – Lesson 2
    • Why Meditate? Why Examine Our Mind? – Lesson 3
    • Meditation Benefits For Health, Brain, and Body – Lesson 4
    • Is Meditation Good For You? 12 Myths and Misconceptions – Lesson 5
    • Emptiness In Buddhism: A Confusing Concept Indeed – Lesson 6
    • Scientific Benefits Of Meditation For Better Health – Lesson 7
    • Different Types Of Meditation: Which One Works For You? – Lesson 8
    • How To Do Meditation At Home: A Definitive Guide – Lesson 9
    • 6 Meditation For Beginners Videos – Lesson 10
    • Frequently Asked Questions about Meditation – Lesson 11
    • Meditation Steps For Beginners Conclusion – Lesson 12
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What Is Meditation

by Don Weyant/Meditation Life Skills

The Quiet Mind – Why Is Meditation Universally Appealing?

Meditation - How To Meditate For Beginners

Meditation has been utilized for centuries because it is something that works. By utilizing mediation as a form of achieving balance, we are literally wiring our brains to view every situation with a balanced approach that can improve our functioning in the world and create a better life!

When we take the time out of the day for meditation and quiet our minds, it actually helps us to focus better throughout the entire day. Not only that, but it can make us more adaptable and able to thrive in stressful situations.

Meditation For Beginners: 20 Practical Tips To Quiet the Mind HERE…

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.

Discover 20 Ways The Brain Is Rewired By The Power Of Meditation HERE…

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 COME FROM?

What Is MeditationWhat 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.

What is Mindfulness? Exploring Mindfulness And Meditation HERE…

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 Come From?

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.

The History Of Meditation: The Most Ancient Meditation Practice On Earth…

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

Benefits Of MeditationWhen 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 meditation 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.

Powerful 5 Minute Guided Gratitude Meditation With Script HERE…

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

How To Meditate EffectivelyEverybody 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

Quiet Mind Quotes To Center Yourself With These Mindful Insights10 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 Letcher

“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.” Khaki 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.

Self-Love Guided Meditation: How To Truly Love Yourself HERE…

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

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

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

MEDITATION TECHNIQUES FOR BEGINNERSWhen 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 it 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.

Your Inner Self: 4 Easy Steps To Awaken With Meditation HERE…

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 Techniques of Meditation

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

How To Meditate ProperlyWhat 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

MEDITATION TECHNIQUESWhen 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

History Of MeditationPeople 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 regeneration, 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

How To Meditate Daily For BeginnersAs 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 practicing 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

MEDITATION JOURNEYWhen 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 Meditating

5 Minute Guided Meditation Beginners

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.

Filed Under: Meditation For Beginners Guides, Effective Techniques For Meditation, Learn How To Meditate Properly, Science-Backed Benefits Of Meditation Tagged With: How To Meditate Effectively, How To Meditate For Beginners, How To Meditate Properly, Meditation, What Is Meditation

by Don Weyant/Meditation Life Skills

What Is Meditation? Complete Guide: How To Meditate Properly

What Is MeditationWhat Is Meditation? Over the last several years, the practice of meditation has risen in popularity. It has started to gain mainstream acceptance as a preventative method of healing and one of the most studied alternative ways of therapy.

It has been proven that meditation has a wide range of benefits regarding mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. More and more healthcare professionals are recommending the practice of meditation to deal with depression, stress, and anxiety. Practicing meditation will enable you to get into a state of deep relaxation within minutes. This makes it possible for the stress-causing hormone levels to drop, resulting in good and happy feelings.

Science has discovered that conditions of depression, stress, and anxiety have a way of altering the structure of the brain. This can result in one’s thoughts and mind focusing more on the negative things that have happened in the past or are more likely to occur in the future.

By understanding what is meditation, you can change your awareness to the extent that you are better able to view things in a more clear and truthful way, focusing on the present. By focusing on the present, you are able to gain more clarity and improved health for your body and mind.

Practicing meditation has the potential of transforming your life, as well as the perception of the world. The techniques that are used not only help you to find relief from stress and depression, but also provide you with the ability to attain clarity of mind with the continued improvement of the benefits as you engage further with meditation.

Whether you’re a beginner with no clear purpose for practicing meditation or you are dealing with a specific condition that can only be relieved through the knowledge and understanding what is meditation, you will continue to realize massive benefits as you continue to embrace the practice of meditation as a habit.

Meditation For Beginners: 20 Practical Tips To Quiet the Mind

Meditation is a practice aimed at training the mind. This is accomplished by introducing a level of consciousness that enables the brain to engage deeply in peaceful thoughts. The process involves using techniques and practices that you must understand as to what is meditation which will enhance concentration, clarity, emotional positivity, and calm, with the aim of transforming the mind and enabling you to see the true meaning of things.

When you practice meditation, you can learn and identify the habits and patterns of the mind. It can also enable you to cultivate new and positive ways of being. When done on a regular basis, meditation has the potential of transforming your mind into being more energized, peaceful, and calm.

How To Meditate Properly Like An Expert In 3 Minutes Or Less

Meditation is a simple process that involves being able to watch the mind rather than trying to control it. It allows you to get into a state where your thoughts start to flow freely without judgment. With regular practice and a true understanding of what is meditation, you slowly begin to become more aware as fewer thoughts pass through your mind.

What is meditation can also be defined as a technique that helps in resting the mind with the aim of attaining higher states of consciousness that is different from the waking state. This means getting a deeper insight into who you truly are while experiencing the center of consciousness that is within us.

While a variety of different religions identifies with the practice of meditation, it is really a science and not a religious practice. The meditation process follows a given order with defined principles and leads to results that can be verified, which is what makes it a science and not an act of faith.

What is meditation and it’s proven benefits?

Based on many scientific studies, they concluded that there is increasing evidence that meditation reduces anxiety, depression, and pain, there is some evidence that meditation is effective for some active treatments like drugs, exercise, other behavioral therapies.

The practice of meditation originated in India between 5,000 and 3,000 BCE. Archeologists, while at the Indus valley, discovered evidence of meditation. The images depicted people sitting in what could be recognized as meditation postures.

They also discovered descriptions regarding meditation techniques that were found in the Indian scriptures that date back to 3,000 years ago. Over the centuries the practice was adopted by some of India’s neighboring countries where it formed part of the religions. It then spread to other parts of the region and is now practiced throughout the world.

While understanding what is meditation and the practice of meditation varies depending on the cultural and religious influences, it has been identified as a significant cornerstone of spiritual development. The various aspects of meditation, including the mystical elements, have been incorporated by almost all the major religions. One doesn’t have to follow the religious traditions to enjoy the benefits of meditation, making it a universal act that can be practiced by anyone in the world.

More on the history of meditation HERE…

The practice of meditation continues to rise in popularity due to numerous studies that have been conducted to reveal the various benefits. Meditation should be practiced on a regular basis as a way to train the mind and improve concentration, focus, and to control your thoughts. Numerous benefits have been associated with the practice of meditation.

Along with the clarity of mind, meditation can help improve your sleeping patterns, provide you with relief from depression, stress, and anxiety, enhance your levels of self-discipline, enhance your levels of positive mental attitude, as well as improve your mood.

There are many other valuable benefits that can be experienced through the practice of meditation. Just as in the same way that meditation alters the mind, it also changes the structure and functioning of the brain, resulting in various mental benefits as you develop your understanding of what is meditation.

There are numerous benefits of meditation, added to the fact that it can be done free from the comfort of your own home, which makes it extremely useful. Meditation provides spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional benefits. Here are some of the benefits you can gain from practicing meditation on a daily basis.

Benefits of daily meditation

Mental Benefits Of Daily Meditation

There are numerous mental benefits that are associated with regular daily meditation. Here are just a few of the mental benefits that you can gain by understanding what is meditation and practicing mindfulness on a regular basis.

Reduces stress levels, anxiety, and depression, both mentally and physically. One of the main reasons why people engage in meditation is to find relief from stress, depression, and anxiety. They have determined that meditation helps to reduce stress levels and depression, both mentally and physically.

When the body experiences a sudden threat or increased stress, it immediately triggers the fight or flight response. This leads to a sudden rush of adrenaline due to the release of epinephrine hormones.

These hormones cause your pulse rate and blood pressure to rise, and increases blood flow to your muscles, and results in faster breathing. The relaxation process that occurs during meditation helps relieve stress and the symptoms associated with stress. After just eight weeks of consistent meditation practice, the benefits you gain are enormous and may even last for years.

Mindful meditation, when combined with breathing techniques has the potential for dramatically reducing or in some cases, eliminating cases of stress, anxiety, and depression that occur when the daily pressures of life and other unpleasant situations become greater than you can cope with.

Mindfulness and Meditation: Discover Your Best Personal Power

Stress and depression don’t occur because the situation at hand is valid or not. It is influenced more by how you respond to the situation. Practicing meditation gives you the opportunity to analyze the stressors and determine if they are valid or not.

Understanding what is meditation for you creates a level of awareness where you are able to see things from another perspective. Training the mind through various meditation techniques will increase the mental resources that are used to help you in addressing stress and depression.

With consistent meditation practice, you can improve the clarity, focus, and calmness in your mind, which leads to a reduction of stress. All that is required to be free from stress and depression is practicing meditation for about 10 minutes a day.

Recovery from addiction without the use of drugs

It has been proven that regular meditation practice can be extremely useful in helping with recovery from addiction. Meditation helps change how the brain is able to process information.

This helps to enable addicts to evaluate cases of addiction and allows them to act appropriately without the use of drugs. Mindful meditation helps to induce a state of relaxation, giving addicts the ability to monitor their breathing as they stay calm.

Being in this kind of state helps them to reduce negative feelings and the cravings that cause addicts to seek out the drugs or substances that they are addicted to. Anyone can learn the process of what is meditation for you personally, which will help your recovery from addiction.

Engaging in meditation helps those recovering from addiction to clearly observe their desires and thoughts without being compelled to act on them. It allows them to come to the understanding that they aren’t responsible for the thoughts that come into their minds, but that they are responsible for how they ultimately react to those thoughts. With the clarity of mind as to what is meditation for you personally, you can make healthier choices that help in the recovery process.

During the early stages of the recovery process, addicts often experience severe mood swings. By engaging in learning what is meditation for you personally, your mind is forced to focus on one thing, such as breathing, a mantra, or an object that can help them to focus on overcoming addiction.

Reduces pain by focusing and calming the mind and body

There have been various clinical settings that have used mindfulness meditation to help patients that deal with chronic pain. Numerous studies have discovered that if you are capable of focusing and calming your mind and body that you are equally capable of controlling pain.

The practice of meditation makes it possible to face muscle tension, irritability, and sweating that is often associated with chronic pain. When you practice mindfulness through meditation, you are better able to come to terms with the pain that you are experiencing instead of running away from it or masking it with medication.

20 Ways The Brain Is Rewired By The Power Of Meditation

Significantly increases happiness and good feelings

You can significantly increase your level of happiness and good feelings by engaging in mindfulness through meditation. Participating in regular practice in learning what is meditation for you personally will allow your brain to better focus on positive emotions.

Just like when you train your muscles and exercise for better performance, you can also work on your feelings of happiness. Engaging in meditation regularly increases your feelings of joy and happiness. Mindful meditation helps to improve the psychological function of the brain, leading to the release of the hormones that are responsible for feelings of joy.

Health benefits of meditation

The health benefits that are associated with meditation are pretty diverse. Some have even been proven scientifically to be extremely effective. Here are some of the health benefits that you can experience when you engage in learning what is meditation for you personally on a daily basis.

Helps boost immunity in patients recovering from cancer

It has been proven that when you get into a relaxed state through meditation, it helps to boost immunity in patients that are recovering from cancer. With the continued practice of muscular relaxation, you can reduce the risk of cancer coming back. It also helps to boost the natural killer cells that are common with the elderly, giving them a higher level of resistance to viruses.

Emotional balance for mental clarity and focus

Your emotional balance entails being free from the neurotic behavior that leads to a troubled ego. If you want to remain focused and find mental clarity, it is critical that you achieve emotional balance.

Meditation helps to cure cases of emotional imbalance, leading to the release of soaked memories, which then results in mental freedom. Your reaction and responses to issues will no longer be influenced by the emotional burden when you start to practice in learning what is meditation for you personally. It will allow you to view things in their true nature.

Lowers blood pressure by reducing stress hormones

Practicing meditation has been shown to help with reducing blood pressure levels. It also helps to make the body become less responsive to the hormones that cause stress. Meditation provides similar results that can be experienced when taking blood pressure medication. Engaging in learning what is meditation for you personally will help to significantly reduce stress levels, which enables your body’s systems to normalize, resulting in overall improved health.

Improved cardiovascular health by improving the immune system

When you are in a meditative, relaxed state, the release of nitric oxide by the brain increases. This causes the blood vessels to open up, resulting in a drop in blood pressure. Nitric oxide is responsible for improving the function of the immune system, regulating blood pressure levels, improving the role of the central nervous system, behavioral activities, and improved memory.

Practicing meditation alters the physiological functioning of the body. This positively impacts some parts of the brain which results in experiencing deep levels of relaxation and calmness. This deep level of relaxation results in the heart pumping blood slowly and steadily, delivering sufficient levels of oxygen throughout the body.

Spiritual benefits regardless of faith or religion

Many different religions have incorporated learning what is meditation into their religious practices. However, because meditation is more like a science, it can be practiced by anyone, regardless of their faith or religion. There are numerous spiritual benefits that you can experience through the practice of meditation.

Increased self-awareness for significant spiritual benefits

One of the significant spiritual benefits of learning what is meditation for you personally is self-awareness. Self-awareness involves going deep within yourself through mindful meditation, with the intention of connecting with your inner self.

Self-awareness forms the basis of meditation and entails being able to identify with the very core of being, being aware of the present moment, how you react to things, the subtle issues of the mind along with the behaviors and habits. Once you are aware of this, you will learn how to keenly monitor how you respond to situations from a disconnected point of view.

Learning what is meditation for you personally allows you to rise above the domain of your senses to connect deeper with the spirit. Operating at this level supersedes the emotional level and provides you with the capability to usher yourself into a state of high revelation and insight, which isn’t attainable at the emotional level.

Types of meditation

Types of meditation – Find the best technique for you

Meditation has become a universal practice giving people a way to cultivate an inner sense of peace and happiness. There are numerous religions that practice meditation, although they practice it in different ways and for various reasons.

While some practice it as a way to connect to God and for being able to listen to God more clearly, others use it in learning what is meditation as a way to enhance their levels of awareness. Whether you are practicing meditation to overcome depression and stress, find a way to heal from chronic disease, or for self-awareness, it is vital to know the type of meditation that best suits your needs.

Anyone can practice meditation, anywhere they are comfortable. The practice leads you to experience enhanced levels of consciousness and self-awareness, leading to a host of benefits discussed in the previous section.

Learning what is meditation for you personally and effectively can help you avoid stress, depression, and anxiety, and the possible death from stress-related diseases. Regularly practicing meditation allows you to get into a state of mind where you are capable of thinking with clarity, without the negative perceptions that often influence your thinking.

There are no specific ways to meditate, and some of the practices can be done while moving, engaging in various yoga poses, or simply sitting quietly. It is vital that you find a meditation practice that best suits your needs. You will also want to consider the kind of meditation that compliments your personality to provide you with enhanced comfort.

Different Types Of Meditation That You Can Practice

• Mindfulness meditation
• Spiritual meditation
• Focused meditation
• Transcendental meditation
• Mantra meditation
• Movement meditation

Learning what is meditation for you personally, each of these meditation types requires some skill and knowledge to practice. If you are not well-versed with the practice of meditation, it isn’t advisable to try all of them.

Some, like the transcendental meditation, may marshal you into levels of consciousness that, as a beginner, you may not be prepared to process. As a beginner, it is recommended that you start off with mindfulness meditation, which is simple to try out.

Mindfulness meditation and its benefits

Mindfulness meditation has its origins from the Buddhist teachings and is one of the most popular forms of meditation. It involves regulating the breath. This leads to the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system.

The process focuses on paying attention to your breathing and the thoughts that pass through your mind. Your thoughts should be allowed to flow freely without attaching any judgment. As you begin to practice and observe your thoughts, you will be able to start to identify the patterns that are involved.

Mindfulness meditation is perfect for those who suffer from depression, anxiety, and stress as it enhances your awareness of the present moment, resulting in increased levels of concentration. In mindfulness meditation, the breath can be used as the object for enhanced concentration. It requires you to become more focused on the rhythm and sensation of your fundamental life force.

28 Mindfulness Techniques And Ideas To Enhance Your Life

As you focus on your breath, it enables you to begin to observe feelings, thoughts as they pass through your mind, and bodily sensations. If you don’t have someone that can guide you through the process, mindfulness meditation is the ideal practice in learning what is meditation for you personally because you can practice it privately from wherever you feel comfortable.

Various studies have proved that engaging in mindfulness meditation on a regular basis for at least eight weeks has the potential of providing you more prolonged periods of happiness and peace.

What is meditation for focus and concentration?

Focused meditation is the practice of focusing your attention on a given object, sound, or any other stimulus. It entails having to enter into a concentrated focus through the use of the senses. You can either choose to focus on your breath, staring at a lit candle, counting beads, or listening to sound, like a gong. The focusing should be intense, even as you stay in the moment.

Focused meditation may seem to be easy, but for those who are just beginning on their path, intently focusing your attention on any period of time can prove to be a challenge.

If your mind is used to wandering, then you have to take control and bring it to the practice as you continue to focus on the object. If you find that you are struggling with issues of concentration and focus, then this is the best for learning what is meditation for you personally that you can practice guaranteeing your desired results.

Spiritual meditation for a deeper connection

Spiritual meditation is geared toward enhancing an awakening process and most commonly practiced with the Eastern religions Hinduism and Daoism. Spiritual meditation is aimed at creating stillness and a deeper connection with God or the life force.

It is believed that most of the suffering comes from the wrong belief that we are separate from God. It is thought that by engaging in spiritual meditation, you can make a deeper connection, resulting in deeper peace within yourself.

Spiritual meditation involves using various elements like frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, cedar, and other forms of essential oils. The elements carry some religious significance and are thought to heighten the spiritual experiences during the process.

This type of learning what is meditation for you personally can be practiced with the help of a guide. It is suitable for those who are seeking spiritual enlightenment, higher levels of consciousness, and increased levels of awareness. It is also ideal if you are seeking insight and guidance regarding an issue or spiritual growth.

Movement meditation is a meditative state – a shift of consciousness

You don’t have to practice meditation in the seated, lotus position. It is possible to enjoy the practice of meditation as you move around. Movement meditation can be done while walking in the forest, gardening, taking various poses, or engaging in various forms of motion.

In movement meditation, you engage in movements while also being aware of the body’s movements. You can still feel the smell of the air, the tensing of your legs as they move, and the sound of your feet as they step on the ground. Movement meditation in learning what is meditation for you personally is suitable for those who find joy in movement and those who grow restless when they sit still for too long.

Movement meditation provides your body with an outlet for your energy while stimulating the circulation of blood and energy into the body. Movement meditation also enhances spiritual exploration and has a way of restoring equilibrium to the mind. When your mind is in a state of restlessness, as a result of stress or depression, movement meditation can be an ideal way to address both the physical body and mind.

Transcendental meditation benefits

Transcendental meditation is practiced for the main purpose of attaining peace and wellness. It is an extremely popular kind of meditation and entails the avoidance of thoughts that are distracting as one engages in breathing. This leads to the realization of a relaxed state of awareness.

Transcendental meditation originates from the Indian Vedic tradition, which entails having a person sit in a comfortable posture with their eyes closed, while silently repeating a specific mantra.

The purpose of using a mantra in learning what is meditation is to get the mind focused on various bodily sensations while enhancing concentration. While you are in this meditative state, your thoughts will shift as they relax. This leads to you being able to transcend the physical senses.

As your awareness becomes more enhanced, you are able to connect to your deeper self and pure consciousness better. This is extremely empowering and energetic. It allows you to get to realize a deep level of perfect stillness without any mental boundaries.

While you are in this kind of state of consciousness, you can experience rest, peace, and stability along with a whole host of other benefits. This type of meditation is suitable if you are undergoing chronic pain, chronic depression, high blood pressure, and other health conditions.

Transcendental meditation is the most scientifically studied practice with various reports outlining its effectiveness. Transcendental meditation can either be practiced by oneself or with the help of a guide, especially if you are new to learning what is meditation and it’s benefits.

Mantra meditation benefits

This is another type of meditation that has become popular and is closely associated with some religious teachings. Mantra meditation is usually practiced within the Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

It involves the use of repetitive words, sounds, or phrases and is practiced with the intent of clearing the mind. The use of a mantra as a way to meditate is also common in the secular world. Popular words like “aum,” affirmations, and different phrases are repeatedly used until your consciousness shifts. You can either speak the mantra loudly or softly, whichever way you find to be most comfortable.

There are many mantras in your journey of learning what is meditation and it’s benefits that can be interpreted, while there are those where their values are driven by the quality of the sound that is produced when the mantra is spoken. You can also listen to a mantra rather than reciting it, and it can be expressed at high speed or slow speed.

You can even match the mantra to certain bodily sensations, breathing, or visualizations. When it comes to mantras, reciting a unique word is not as important as the vibrations that are generated through the sound.

Sound vibrations can cause the cells in the body to vibrate at a particular frequency. It is that frequency that has the potential to restructure the brain, which results in higher levels of awareness.

How To Meditate: Meditation techniques for beginners

Now that you know more about the different types of meditation and learning what is meditation and its benefits, you can choose the type you want to practice depending on the one that best suits your needs. If you are having problems with stress and depression, then mindfulness meditation is one of the types that you should consider starting. However, others can still help you find relief from stress and depression.

While meditation might seem like a simple practice, in reality, it requires a lot of discipline and diligence to realize the many benefits. To have effective results with your meditation practice, there are different things that need to be put in place.

As a newcomer that is just starting out with meditation, you need to know how to prepare for the process, which can be helpful in ensuring that the process goes well. It is important to take the time and prepare for your meditation session just like you would when planning for other activities.

Some of the things that you need to have before starting on your meditation journey include motivation, goals, expectations, posture, diligence, and the elimination of distractions.

Meditation goals: Firing up your motivation

When you first begin learning what is meditation for you, take the time to remind yourself why you’ve chosen to meditate. Your purpose should be clear, so you know whether your practice is successful or not.

Your goal for starting meditation could be to gain more peace, joy, and happiness, to improve your mental skills, or even to achieve some level of awakening. Whatever your purpose for meditating, it needs to be clear as it is what will help make you more motivated to find success.

Having the motivation to learn what is meditation and its benefits will help you to deal with feelings of restlessness or any form of resistance that may arise during the process.

Set reasonable meditation goals in the beginning

Goals will help give you direction and setting realistic goals is essential if you are to be successful in learning what is meditation and its benefits. You need to ask yourself what you want to accomplish with each meditation session. Start out with simple goals, like trying to stay patient as the mind wanders or as you get sleepy.

As you set goals, you need to be aware of your expectations. Once you realize your expectations, then you can diligently work toward accomplishing them. The expectations, however, should not be too ambitious, such as believing that you will be able to achieve a raised level of consciousness with just a few sessions.

You have to understand that you may practice for several weeks without seeing any tangible transformation. So, you need to set reasonable goals so that you aren’t discouraged when you are learning what is meditation and its benefits. As you begin your meditation practice, you may lack the stability that will enable you to concentrate or attain mindfulness.

However, it is vital for you to know that it is normal and that your level of attention will gradually improve as you continue with the process. Regardless of how you practice meditation, you should know that there isn’t a specific way to follow and there is no such thing as a bad meditation.

The power of diligence in meditation

The results that you desire will only be realized when you are diligent with the practice, so make sure you get fully committed to diligence. This means that you are fully involved in the training of truly learning what is meditation and its benefits and not wasting your time daydreaming.

When you lack diligence, you will lose too much of your time thinking about issues that don’t interest you, instead of being focused on the problems that you are trying to solve through the process of mediation.

When you lack diligence, you may also find that you begin judging yourself for the quality of your meditation practice. This can lead to you starting to resist your practice, engaging in procrastination, and feeling a sense of doubt learning what is meditation for you personally and incorporating these methods into daily living. You must resolve your heart to diligently practicing meditation for the entire process, regardless of how the process turns out.

Meditation Hacks: Identify potential distractions for learning meditation

As you take the time to prepare for each meditation session, you need to perform a quick inventory to identify some of the things that can cause you to become distracted. Check if your mind might be preoccupied with thoughts about the things that may not have gone well for you during the day. You also need to check to see if your mind is focused on worries and stressful thoughts about the future.

To be successful in learning what is meditation and its benefits, you need to clear your mind of any form of anxiety or worry, acknowledge the thoughts that might be going through your mind and the emotions you may be experiencing. You then need to work to resolve them. You can even set a clear intention that will enable you to rise above the distractions to stay focused on the meditation process. To adequately prepare for your meditation practice you will need to gather the following items before you begin.

A Meditation Timer is very useful for beginners

When you first begin your meditation practice, you will need to choose a convenient time to practice. You need to select a time that is most convenient for you as meditation is supposed to be a time of relaxation.

You should choose a time when you feel the freest and when you won’t have any distractions. You can select a time that centers around hours of transition, such as sunrise and sunset. These are great times to practice your meditation due to the calm that prevails around these times. For a meditation timer, you can use your phone, or download a meditation app to help you with your practice.

Get your set of Free Meditation Timers HERE…

A quiet place for meditation free from distractions

The place that you chose for learning what is meditation and your personal practice should be comfortable and convenient. You need to decide on a place for meditating without any distractions. It needs to be a place where you can have some privacy during the meditation session.

Avoid distractions from the television or any other form of noise. The area you choose should also be kept clean and free from clutter. Being in a quiet and peaceful surroundings can make a huge difference in the meditation process.

Choose a comfortable meditation posture

The meditation posture you choose for your meditation practice can either lead to you feeling more focused and relaxed during the process or could lead to discomfort. The kind of position that you use should be one that you’re comfortable with and one that is ideal for your body type.

You need to have proper body alignment and stability of your spine, shoulders, and neck. Maintaining the appropriate alignment is vital for the process and can help in lengthening the time you are able to meditate.

Breathing Meditation Techniques

Breathing Meditation Techniques

The key to meditation is breathing, as it is involved in all aspects of the practice. Breathing can be done both consciously and unconsciously. However, quite many people don’t know how to engage in breathing consciously in a way that nourishes the heart and provides the body with healthy properties.

How we breathe impacts the feelings we get, so participating in shallow and erratic breaths will cause you to feel the same way. Engaging in deep and rhythmic breathing can be incredibly satisfying and a great way to live.

It is essential that you become more aware of your breath and heartbeat. You can work to synchronize your breathing with your pulse to enhance the connection between your heart and mind in learning what is meditation for you personally and its benefits. When both are connected and working together in harmony, you will be able to get into a place where anything is possible.

Your breath is what creates relaxation as you become more experienced with meditation. Controlled breathing helps to enhance the function of your mind and body. It can also help to lower your blood pressure, improves relaxation and feelings of calm.

Below are some of the breathing techniques that you can practice for your health and to enhance your feelings of relaxation.

Balanced breathing technique for meditation

This balanced breathing technique is ideal for the body. To begin, take deep breaths, counting to four before exhaling as you count to four. You should be breathing through your nose as it helps to add some natural resistance to your breathing.

This exercise will help you to reduce stress, calm your nervous system, and provide you with increased focus. The exercise can be done anytime but works well when done before bed. It is also an ideal exercise for beginners.

Abdominal meditation breathing

This abdominal breathing meditation technique can be carried out by placing one hand on the belly and another on your chest. Inhale deeply through the nose, ensuring that your diaphragm inflates with a sufficient amount of air, making it capable of stretching the lungs. Take about six to ten slow breaths a minute for about ten minutes. Practice this every day for about eight weeks.

Alternate nostril meditation breathing

This type of alternate nostril meditation breathing technique helps to bring balance and calm while uniting the right and left sides of your brain. To being with, find a comfortable meditation pose. Hold your right thumb over your right nostril.

Take a deep breath through your left nostril, then while at the peak, close the right nostril off using your ring finger, then breathe out through your left nostril. Continue with the same pattern as you breathe through the nostril, using the right thumb to close off the right nostril, breathing out through your left nostril.

This breathing technique in learning what is meditation and its benefits is suitable to do whenever you need time to energize or focus your mind. Do not try this technique before going to bed. It shouldn’t be used by beginners, but by those who are at the intermediate level of meditation.

Skull-Shining Breath (Kapalabhati) meditation breathing

This Skull-Shining breathing technique helps to brighten your day from the inside out. It starts with engaging in a long slow inhale that is followed by a quick and forceful exhale that comes from your lower abdomen. Once you are comfortable, you can increase the pace and contraction to one in and out-breath.

The technique can be practiced when you first wake up in the morning as it enhances the overall outlook of things. This exercise in learning what is meditation is abdominal intensive and will help to shake off the old energy you have upon waking while warming up the mind.

The progressive relaxation meditation method

This technique is used to relieve tension in the body. It should be focused on tensing and relaxing the muscles. Start off focusing on tensing and relaxing your feet and toes, moving upwards to the knees, thighs, and other parts of the body. This technique can be done anywhere you feel comfortable.

The guided visualization meditation method

This technique should be practiced with a therapist or coach while learning what is meditation for you and its benefits. You begin the method by breathing deeply as you focus on images that are positive and pleasant. These should be used to replace negative thoughts.

Guided visualization isn’t just for realizing mindfulness; it also helps with putting you into the right state of mind. You can carry out this important exercise for learning what is meditation anywhere, as long as you are able to close your eyes and let go. You should already have some basic meditation knowledge before trying this technique.

Practical Tips For Successful Meditation

Practical Tips For Successful Meditation

Now that you are aware of what meditation entails and the many benefits that you can gain from practicing meditation daily, there are some practical tips that can help you get the best out of your meditation practice. As a beginner, the following tips can help you overcome common problems that are related to the mediation process.

Start small – three to five minutes for beginners

There have been numerous studies that have shown, that beginners who started their practice by meditating for three to five minutes, managed to sustain the practice and develop it as a habit.

As you begin your learning what is meditation for your practice, start by taking at least three deep breaths as you pay attention to the various sensations that you feel throughout your body.

Have a Clear Understanding of the Benefits of meditation for you personally

If you suffer from anxiety, depression, or stress, it is important to have a clear understanding of what meditation can do for you. Learning what is meditation and its benefits will help you learn how you can recognize the destructive patterns that you may continue to fall into, like engaging in critical thoughts that trigger the stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms that you are trying to conquer.

Understand the principles of practicing meditation

When most people start practicing meditation, they get to a point where they believe that the goal is to reach a state of consciousness where they are able to focus without getting distracted.

However, the focus shouldn’t be on how not to get distracted; instead, it should be on becoming more aware so that you can recognize when your mind starts to drift. If you cannot identify your thoughts, it will be impossible to restructure them. You need to develop awareness so that you can clearly identify your thoughts.

Another principle that you should be aware of as a beginner is the ability to redirect your attention back to the point of focus whenever you find yourself drifting. This should be done without criticizing yourself.

Follow the meditation path that works well for you

Once you become aware of the steps of learning what is meditation and its benefits, learning what is meditation and the principles that follow, you can choose the meditation path that appeals to you. If you find that walking is an ideal practice because you can concentrate better, then you can choose to focus on meditating while walking. Practicing meditation while walking can also help you eliminate distractions.

You can focus your walking so that the first ten minutes of your meditation is focused on a minute of feeling the sensations in your body, another minute feeling your breath, another minute on what you hear, another on what you see, and one more on the feeling of the air on your skin.

This can be followed by the remaining five minutes being focused on your awareness, where you can freely observe your level of consciousness. You should avoid using your senses and just focus on your consciousness.

If you find that your thoughts are starting to drift to the future or the past, then turn back to any of the points of focus from the first five minutes and stabilize your attention to the present moment.

Engage in regular meditation practice

Engaging in the practice of meditation daily can be challenging, but you will only realize the desired goal if you are committed to the training. Regularly practicing learning what is meditation and its benefits will also enable you to become more familiar with the exercise until it becomes a habit.

Fuel Your Body with the Right Foods for Meditating

The foods that you consume before starting your practice can have a tremendous impact on your overall health and well-being. Foods help in nourishing the body and can affect the level of awareness and quietness that you achieve during your practice.

The type of food that you eat can also be the reason why you might find it difficult to engage in meditation. Eating certain foods before engaging in meditation may cause you to have a lack of concentration or become sleepy during the process.

It is recommended that you wait at least two hours after eating before you begin your meditation practice. Here are some of the healthy foods that you should eat before starting a meditation session.

Fresh Fruits

Fresh fruits are ideal to eat before practicing meditation. Fruits are healthy and help you to produce the glucose that you need to improve your concentration and enhance your overall wellbeing.

Dark Chocolate

The flavonoids in dark chocolate help to promote blood flow to the brain, which can help to enhance your memory, focus, and learning. To avoid too many calories and fat intake, you should only consume a couple of pieces at a time.

Green Smoothie

The leafy green vegetables that go into a green smoothie are loaded with antioxidants that help boost your brainpower. To bring a sweeter taste to the smoothie, consider adding fresh fruit. To make it even more powerful, consider adding coconut oil, avocados, and flaxseed.

Almonds

A handful of almonds contain the necessary nutrients that are needed to reduce hunger while boosting energy. Consuming a handful of almonds before your meditation session can be extremely beneficial for your practice.

Water

To help wake up your brain, you should consume a glass of water before beginning your meditation practice. Along with helping to wake your mind, it also works to get your body rehydrated to avoid getting sleepy during your session.

Foods to Avoid Before Meditation

Just like there are some foods that will benefit your meditation practice if consumed shortly before a session, there are foods that you will want to avoid before meditation because of the detrimental effect they can have on your training.

Caffeinated Drinks

The intake of drinks and foods like tea, caffeine, and soda in high amounts, should be avoided, as the stimulant in these drinks can make it difficult to keep your mind calm and can even hinder you from getting into a more profound meditative state.

Simple Carbohydrates

Consuming simple carbohydrates like foods and beverages with high sugar content should be avoided at all costs. These can all lead to a spike in your blood sugar levels, which, after a short time will cause you to crash, making you feel drowsy and sluggish. Meditating when you are tired may not lead to the
realization of your desired goals.

Heavy Meals

Avoid eating foods that are rich in sugar, fat, and starch, as well as foods that contain creamy sauces and cheese. Your body requires sufficient energy to carry out the digestion of heavy meals, which may lead to you feeling sleepy during meditation.

As you plan for your meditation practice, take the time to consider the types of foods that you eat so that your meditation practice will flow smoothly, giving you the best chance of reaching your desired results.

What Is Meditation? – Conclusion

Learning what is meditation and its benefits are very effective for self-discovery. It has been proven to help with overcoming many medical conditions, including stress, anxiety, and depression. Whether you are a beginner who is just starting out with the meditation process or you are well versed in the practice, there are techniques that can benefit you greatly when practiced on a regular basis.

Nothing is worth the time spent in meditation, especially if it has the potential to enable you to overcome the stress, depression, and anxiety in your life to get to a place of awareness. A place where clarity of mind and peacefulness is normal.

Meditation is the key to releasing you from the fight or flight responses that have been ingrained in us for centuries and bringing you true peace at the moment, regardless of what is happening around you. Make the best use of the information in this guide and start practicing the different meditation techniques to find a higher awareness and peace in your life.

Unless you are a true beginner, you can try out other forms of meditation that expose you to great dimensions of existence. Use this guide on what is meditation to continue to improve your life and overall wellbeing.

Filed Under: Learn How To Meditate Properly, Effective Techniques For Meditation, Meditation For Beginners Guides Tagged With: How Do You Meditate, How To Do Meditation, How To Do Meditation At Home, How To Meditate, How To Meditate Effectively, How To Meditate For Beginners, How To Meditate Properly, How to practice meditation, Learn How To Meditate, Meditation techniques for beginners, What Is Meditation

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Spiritual Awakening Meditation Music and Connecting To The “Oneness” Of The Universe. The Solfeggio frequency of 963 Hz is connected with the Light of the Universe and enables a direct spiritual experience to the light. This frequency can also reconnect yourself with Spirit or the essential … [Learn How You Can Meditate More Effectively Here...] about Inspiring Spiritual Awakening Meditation Music For Oneness

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I have done some mindful meditation app heavy lifting and research for you to find the best mindfulness meditation apps. These are just a few but they are very good. Of course, there are other meditation methods within these apps, but all of them excel at teaching and learning … [Learn How You Can Meditate More Effectively Here...] about What Is The Top Mindful Meditation App For Android and iOS?

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