When the word ‘meditation’ comes, all we can visualize is a calm person sitting on the mat . But is this the right picture about meditation we have in our minds, or is it really as easy as it seems?
So, let us understand what meditation is.
Most of the time, we stay in our heads, lost in our thoughts and associating our identity with them.
Meditation is the practice of observing your thoughts and viewing them as a different entity from yourself.
It is not about turning them off or judging them.
It is about seeing every thought like a passing cloud in front of yourself.
It is about slowing down and becoming more aware of your surroundings.
How to practice meditation?
To practice meditation, you do not need a mat, essentially. You just need to be mindful anywhere, anytime. There are various techniques to practice meditation:
Seated Meditation—It involves sitting in a comfortable posture and observing your thoughts and letting them pass.
Sensory Meditation—It involves becoming more aware of your senses by paying attention to sounds, smells, and objects around you. It is highly effective in coming into the present moment.
Body Scan—It involves giving attention to each of your body parts sequentially. We live so much in our heads that we forget to live in our bodies.
Breathwork— It involves conscious breathing and observing every inhale and exhale. Breathing consciously calms us down.
Concentration—It involves focusing on a single object, like the flame of a candle. It improves focus and concentration.
Chanting—It involves chanting any mantras. These frequencies calm your mind and help establish a spiritual connection.
Benefits of Meditation
It promotes mindfulness while reducing overthinking and daydreaming.
It enhances clarity.
It calms you and reduces your reaction time.
It improves focus and concentration.
It boosts mood and promotes better sleep.
Thus, meditation is about being mindful and present in the moment. And you can be mindful while eating, walking, working, breathing, and in any activity you do, without the requirement of sitting on a mat.
Share your experience with meditation in the comments below.
If we practice meditation for first time all the thoughts come and clash each other not knowing what’s going on in the mind and after practising everyday start with small thought that can improve our day or some positive thoughts which brings clarity from confusion and heads towards strong concentration, peaceful mind and good Start of the day.
This is post very clearly differentiate that meditation is not the absence of thoughts. It is much more than that. It’s an inward journey , a deeper dive.
Also the many different ways which are very well explained and can be added in our routine very easily. It no longer leaves you with any excuse to not meditate anymore.
My first meditation experience has been really good and refreshing. I went to do the Sudarshan kriya. It is one of the best experiences of my life. I felt so light after doing it. I felt like a more clean, fresh, grounded version came out after that meditation. Everyone should try this once atleast.
When i started a meditation that time i can’t even focused because lots of thoughts going on but with the time I overcome with this doing nadi shodhan (alternate nostril breathing), kapalbhati that’s it. And this helps to meditate properly.
Meditation doesn’t require any specific place or position. One should be able to sit quietly for a few minutes and feel their existence which one often forgets in the hustle and bustle of life. I feel it is a practice which connects people to their soul.
Meditation for me is dedication, that can be in your work, in being aware of your thoughts, being aware of your body (mindfully).
Giving yourself 15 mins daily is the best way to come to know what is meditation. Those 15 mins you just watch your thoughts, slowly crowding of thoughts reduces and you become more aware of things, get better at problem solving, get better at decision making, get clarity of life.
Meditation is a way of channelizing our thoughts. Sitting thoughtless in a mat happens when you become an expert in meditation and needs years and years of practice.
Meditation for me is welcoming every thought, good or bad, that comes to my mind without any judgement, which leads to a grounding effect. One can meditate anywhere as ultimately it’s our mind that has to do the work.
. But is this the right picture about meditation we have in our minds, or is it really as easy as it seems?
Share your experience with meditation in the comments below.