Introduction to Meditation

Meditation is the training of your mind to filter out the noise that distorts your perspective. Meditation strengthens your awareness. The more you meditate the greater the benefits. Studies show meditation may result in many health benefits for your body and mind. Meditation can lower blood pressure and other physical ailments, as well as improve your memory and help you focus. Long term meditation practice has also been shown to make positive changes to the parts of the brain that affect stress and anxiety.

Turn meditation into a ritual. Find a time that you can dedicate to yourself each day. All it takes is 10 or 15 minutes. When you start off try 5 minutes. You can do it whenever it works best for you; after you first wake up, after lunch or before you go to bed. Find a time and try and put that in your schedule every day. Some people find meditation best after working out or to start their day. At first, try meditating at different times to determine which is best for you. Have a relaxed mind and body before you meditate. Drinking coffee then meditating might be cause your mind to race and counter the benefits.

You want to be in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted. That might be difficult for some of us but be creative. Use the back of your bedroom, your car, a walk-in closet or a quiet park bench near work.

Use a totem in your meditation. During the process of meditation your mind may wander. If your thoughts begin to become disrupted and your mind goes to your “to do list”, move your focus to a totem. Something that will allow you to return to relaxed place without trespassing thoughts. It can be a physical object a memory. Something that can act as your restart button on your thoughts.

Meditate without judgment. Do not fight your thoughts, simply observe as if they were images on a movie screen. Do not judge these thoughts, but rather recognize them for what they are.

Let go of expectations. Approach every meditation session with a sense of curiosity, letting go of specific anticipations. Let your thoughts float on the current of your mind. If every meditation is different, that is alright.

4 Popular Types of Mediation

1. Mindfulness meditation

This is one of the most straightforward types of meditation. the goal is to keep the mind calm and focus on the present. Be aware of your breathing, and relaxing your inner thoughts and emotions.. Take notice of how it feels going in through your nose, expanding into your lungs, and how your belly rises and falls.

2. Body-scan meditation

During this type of meditation, you’ll mentally scan your body and examine how you’re feeling. You can monitor how each section of your body is feeling.

3. Mantra Meditation

Mantra meditation focuses your attention and staying tuned in to the present moment. Unlike mindfulness meditation, mantra meditation adds a “mantra” to the equation. A mantra is a phrase that you can repeat to yourself, either in your head or out loud, that can keep you in the present.

4. Moving meditation

This type of meditation can be done with any type of movement and is meant to connect your thoughts with your body as you move. Concentrating on the movement of your body you can attain a special awareness of yourself. Thinking of the movements and the accompanying sensations. Take a walk in woods or the beach and focus your thoughts on the sounds of nature.