Meditation for Beginners
by: RichardAllen
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Let’s begin with a very basic meditation technique to introduce you to the process. This one is the most straightforward, least complicated way I’ve found to do it.
First, sit in a comfortable position. You don’t need to sit in the familiar “full lotus” posture with your legs crossed like a pretzel. Sitting in a chair works well too. But make sure that your legs are uncrossed, feet flat on the floor, and that your hands are resting comfortably on your lap. The main thing is that you keep your back posture pretty straight. The reason for this is that many people become so relaxed during meditation that they fall asleep! That’s less likely to happen if you’re sitting rather than lying down and if you keep your back fairly erect.
Next, focus on your breath. Begin taking slow, deep breaths. Pay attention to each breath. Let the air flow in and out in a slow, steady rhythm. There’s nothing mystical about this process. The reason that breathing is very important in meditation is that adding the extra oxygen to your body will help you relax.
Continue to focus on your breathing. Take long, slow breaths. Watch your breath coming in…and going out. Coming in…and going out.You’ll notice that those tightened areas of your body will begin to loosen. Focus on your breath and continue your deep breathing.
Sometimes your mind can try to get in the way. You begin to think of what you need to do later, someone you forgot to call, an errand that needs to be run. Don’t worry. It’s quite normal for thoughts to come up while you’re meditating, especially when you’re first learning how to do it. It takes practice to let go of these random thoughts that dash around in your head, a process that is often called “monkey mind.”
When thoughts try to interrupt your process, here’s what I recommend. Don’t try to suppress the thoughts. Instead, witness them. Then simply bring your mind back to your breathing each time a thought tries to distract you. Just acknowledge that you’re having a thought and let it go. In time you’ll find that you will have fewer and fewer thoughts to distract you. But for now, don’t worry about it. Simply acknowledge each thought and then go back to your deep breathing. Your goal in this very basic meditation is, through breathing, working towards a thought-free state.
Don’t try to force things. You don’t need to have any expectations. Just flow with your breath. It’s easy. After a few minutes of that gentle following of the breath, you’ll find that your mind gets still. When you eventually reach that state, you’ll find that it’s very peaceful.
Try to meditate twice a day. I do it for about an hour in the morning and an hour before I go to bed. You may want to start with a shorter time and then build up to thirty minutes or more. Find what’s comfortable for you and do it consistently.
OKAY, LET’S REVIEW
These are the key techniques of meditation:
1. First, get comfortable by sitting on a chair with your back straight and your legs uncrossed. You can also sit on a mat.
2. Begin by taking slow, deep breaths.
3. Then focus on your breathing, coming in and going out.
4. Don’t suppress your thoughts or follow them. Instead, just witness them. Simply acknowledge the thoughts, and then get back to focusing on your breathing.
With practice, you will become better and better, able to reach a deeper state more quickly and with fewer thoughts and distractions. Good luck as you practice one of the world’s oldest methods of bringing mental, spiritual, and even physical health.
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To get more help with meditation visit www.DoctorPuff.com for more info.
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