Meditation sounds intimidating to many people. What they’ve seen of it is people twisting themselves into contortionist positions while burning incense and talking about spiritual concepts that don’t interest everyone. But meditation doesn’t have to be like that at all. You can make it what you want.
The basics
Meditation is simple, and it can be done as simply or elaborately as you want. There are a few basic things you need to get right, and then the rest is up to you.
- Find a comfortable place to sit. You can lay down, but you’ll probably fall asleep.
- Minimize distractions. If a cell phone beeps, it’s going to pull you right out of your meditation, especially at first.
Can you meditate on a crowded subway on your way home? Absolutely. But at first, this may be difficult to impossible, so get some practice somewhere comfortable and distraction free when you’re starting out.
Meditation techniques
There are many meditation techniques taught in the world, and you can invent your own. The following should give you some ideas as starting points:
- Either close your eyes or keep them open but not fixed on anything. Let your mind go. As thoughts come into your mind, imagine a bubble around them. The bubble floats off into space, taking the thought with it. This is a method for letting go of thoughts so you can clear your mind and give it a rest.
- Mantras – phrases you repeat to yourself aloud or in your head – can be powerful. For example, if you lack self-confidence and it’s holding you back, you could spend your meditation session repeating “I can do it” over and over. The reason this is effective is that our minds start filling up with negative messages in childhood, like, “I’m too stupid – I can’t do this.” The mantra counteracts those negative feelings with a positive one.
- Envision a place where you feel at peace. It can be somewhere real or imaginary. Imagine it in great detail and focus on it, and imagine being there. What does the air feel like? What are the scents? How does the floor or ground sound when you step on it? By creating this place in the mind, you create a refuge you can visit briefly when you’re overwhelmed with stress or negative feelings.
These are just a few possible ways to spend a meditation session. Anything that elevates your good feelings is a good way to meditate.
Filed in Yoga/Meditation
Updated: August 20, 2010
Copyright: August 25, 2010
