Years ago, during a rough patch in life, I started viewing a behavioral psychologist to handle some anxiety issues and insomnia. Component of his sessions often contains a guided meditation, where he would talk with me in gentle tones while I lay on the sofa, inhaling and exhaling deeply. The meditations had been probably an excellent 20 minutes roughly, and frankly, I wondered if perhaps these sessions were simply a way for my therapist to obtain a break from listening to my life nonsense, but I found them very relaxing and left later on feeling relaxed and refreshed, two emotions that didn't come normally to me.
After one session, my therapist complimented me on my breathing. He observed that I could gradual my breath down and take lengthy, deep breaths that helped me reach a different state. Higher consciousness? Maybe. Calm and relaxed? Certainly, at least during and for a bit after the meditation. He asked if I had learned this somewhere. I told him about the years I had spent taking Kundalini Yoga from a prominent LA instructor. It wasn't daily teaching, just a class or two a week with a bunch of other college students in a studio or in the instructor's living space.
"Breath of Fire" (very rapid in and away breath through the nose and managed by the diaphragm) and techniques that included filling your lungs with as very much air as feasible (or blowing All of the air out of your lungs and keeping them empty - always much harder), and then doing yoga while keeping the surroundings in or out is definitely the type of training that can improve breathing technique. There have been also gong meditations, lying on your own back, eyes closed, and breathing deeply as the instructor bangs on a large gong, which you hear in addition to feel (sound waves) throughout the meditation.
My therapist after that suggested, that simply because a therapeutic massage therapist and therapeutic massage instructor, I might also train people how to breathe. So, with that in mind, here are some thoughts for those of you who want to incorporate a meditation practice into your daily life to reap its proven positive benefits, including:
· When to meditate and how often
· Creating a good mediation environment
· What you need to meditate
· Mantra or zero mantra?
· Deep breathing techniques
· Clearing the mind (what to consider... or not)
· Benefits of Mediation
· "Mindfulness." What does it really mean?
1. PICK A GOOD TIME AND BEGIN SMALL
Did you know the Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree (ficus religiosa in Latin, which appears like a Hermoine spell from Harry Potter) with the intention of staying there until he achieved enlightenment? How lengthy he actually sat is not entirely clear, but might have been weeks. Without food.
Good news flash: you don't need to do that.
Start small. A lot of people who meditate "religiously" (it really is spiritual, sometimes, but not necessarily spiritual, although even the Big 3 religions make reference to silent or personal prayer as "meditation") do therefore each morning upon waking (and some do, in truth, get right up at 4:30 for "sadna," a pre-dawn meditation practiced by some Sikhs, when the spiritual energy is supposed to b especially solid), and again in the past due afternoon or early evening (before or after dinner is great).
Yoga breathing before bed is a great method to relax, but a complete meditation right before bed isn't advisable because that may trick your body and human brain into thinking you've slept enough currently. Even though early morning meditation seem to be fantastic for many, be practical about yourself. Don't make your self get up at 5 or 6 to meditate if you hate waking up early. Do it if it is convenient and easy for you, and then you'll be more likely to keep doing it!
As for meditating for a week (or more) without food and water like the Buddha, this is not recommended for newbies or even the experienced. For most people, 15-20 moments is a great session, but even five minutes is beneficial, plus some long-time practitioners can do longer mediations. Getting started, five a few minutes is a great number because it's simple to accomplish and can also give a novice a taste of the positive benefits. Try that for a couple days, or weekly, then move to 10 minutes, 15 minutes and finally 20 moments. For me, & most meditators, 20 moments appears to be the sweet spot.
2. BEST Areas TO MEDITATE
Experienced meditators can easily meditate in an airport, a subway station, or a Trump marketing campaign rally. But many prefer a tranquil, not-too-bright location. Light isn't an issue, but many look for a darkened or dimly lit room (candlelight is fantastic) more calming. Of training course, the Buddha meditated outside, and many enjoy doing this on a stump in the woods or a rock on a mountain best or the sand on the beach. Whatever the locale, comprehensive calm (or soothing music or character sounds) is best.
Thich Nhat Hanh famously says he does walking meditations in airports and on crowded city streets to the bemusement of the locals. Some meditation styles say to keep carefully the eyes slightly open and focus on an area a few inches before your eyes. I'm of the "eye's wide shut," school. Experiment for yourself.
3. EQUIPMENT FOR MEDITATION
No special apparatus is needed. All you need is normally you and a spot to sit or lie down. Many meditate sitting up with a good, grounded posture. Prone is fine, though it is easy to drift off in this manner, and sleeping is not meditating. Deep breathing is not a nap. Not that there's anything wrong with a nap.
You might such as a pillow to sit on. Some meditators choose to sit up straight with an excellent posture, while some lean against a wall or cushion in it, and might also meditate in a chair or couch. Some Buddhists use a set, cushioned mat, and on that another pillow that's shaped similar to a chocolate coating cake, maybe 8-10 inches across. Sitting upon this cushion, with hip and legs crossed on the mat or in a kneeling position, comfy and can feel very stable.
Some sit in lotus or fifty percent lotus (cross legged with one ankle in the contrary knee for half lotus or both ankles in the opposite knee for complete lotus). This is simply not easy for many, and also those who can sit in this manner will find that after a few minutes the foot gets uncomfortable or falls asleep. The primary what to achieve in sitting position are comfort, so you are not distracted by pain, and good posture. Whatever position allows this, including prone, is fine.
Candles, incense and music can enhance meditation. If you would like music, it is advisable to pay attention to something non-melodic, like chimes or bells or random flute and nature sounds. Or nothing. Music with terms or melody or rhythm is distracting and really should be avoided. Character sounds, like the ocean or a stream or rain can be wonderful, especially if you live in an urban area with traffic noises, sirens, people's music, garbage trucks, etc., because the sounds might help mute environmentally friendly aural clutter.
A great investment is a http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/?action=click&contentCollection®ion=TopBar&WT.nav=searchWidget&module=SearchSubmit&pgtype=Homepage#/Maryland kitchen timer. You may also make use of a timer on your https://www.funadvice.com/spiritualinsightbyjoyce smart phone (or even your dumb phone unless you have a good one). I use a kitchen timer that I got before smart mobile phones were a thing. I punch in the quantity of time I wish to meditate (usually 20 minutes, although I add a minute to allow myself time to stay in), and that is it. Why a timer? You then won't need to check the clock. So when you start out, you'll want to check on the clock a whole lot, and when you perform, after sense like you've meditated for a half-hour and appearance to see it's been under four minutes, you'll see what's therefore great in regards to a timer.
4. MANTRA OR NO MANTRA?
Good question. I've tried both. Kundalini practitioners make use of, among additional mantras, "ong namo gurudev namo," this means "I bow to the teacher within me." I like that because it feels nonreligious. And there are tons of others. You don't have to know very well what they mean, because it's actually about the saying or thinking of the mantra. The sound. The repetition. It helps you get in the proper mindset. Not knowing this is is most likely better. Those reared on praying in Hebrew or Latin might agree.
Remember: if you are a spiritual person and don't feel comfortable getting involved in religious ceremonies other than your own, mantras aren't prayers. Some do sound like prayers, however. If this is an concern for you, either find a mantra that is completely secular, or repeat a short prayer from your own religious practice.
Some orgainized meditation motions or groups have already been around for decades and cost a good deal of money. One had gone up to almost $2,500 (to really get your personalized mantra and training), but now is more like $1000. I know individuals who have done this for 40 years and swear because of it. Howard Stern, King of most Press, is a life-very long practitioner (following his parents' business lead) and says it's one of the best factors he ever did and he practices each day. If you have the money and wish to go that path, great. If not, execute a Google search and I'm guessing you can simply look for a mantra hack you can use, for free. Don't inform anyone I told you this.
I never paid for a mantra. I've chanted with users of the Buddhist Church of America (linked to the Buddhist Church of Japan), plus they chant through the entire meditation (the well-known "nam-myoho-renge-kyo"). It had been a nice experience, sitting in a room with 20 people at someone's house, chanting, nonetheless it wasn't my glass of green tea extract. I found it an excessive amount of work to keep up the chanting and it didn't help me concentrate the way I liked. THEREFORE I never went back again, even though the people were fine and the after-meditation refreshments were delicious.
But you won't need to be Buddhist to meditate, and several Buddhist groups welcome practitioners of most faiths. While I sometimes make use of a mantra to begin with, my main mantra is definitely my breath, that i will describe next. If you prefer a mantra, the books of the great Buddhist monk and instructor Thich Nhat Hanh are full of what he phone calls "gathas" or small poems that work well. Most were written in Vietnamese, but he provides translated them to French and English. My favorite also uses breathing, and goes such as this:
Breathing in, I calm my body
Breathing out, I smile
Breathing in, I dwell in today's moment
Breathing out, I understand it is a wonderful moment
Nice, right? Not really a prayer. You do that with in-breath and out-breath for a few minutes. You don't need to say (or believe) this through the entire meditation. Eventually, you can shorten it to "In - calm, out - smile, in - present moment, out- wonderful instant." And adhere to the breath and smile when you state it.
Actually, Thich Nhat Hanh points out that a lot of renditions of the Buddha show him smiling in meditation, and that you need to always smile when meditating. Not only does this rest the muscles in that person, but it also makes you feel great. Yes, smiling even when you feel bad makes you feel great. He also says meditation is definitely wonderful which means you should smile. If you cannot smile when meditating, when is it possible to?
5. BREATHING TECHNIQUE
This brings us to the most important thing, breathing. Meditation is breathing; breathing is usually meditation. Breathing is consuming air and then allowing it to out. You breathe by contracting your diaphragm. Outbreath happens whenever your diaphragm relaxes. The elasticity of your lungs and diaphragm brings them back again to an at-rest placement, pushing out the air. The body does this by itself (so that you can keep sucking in your sleep), nevertheless, you can control it to an extent. What you want to do in meditation or deep breathing is slow the breath down and ingest as much air as feasible without straining. You want a deep breath, not really a strained breath.
Seated (or lying) comfortably, take slow, long breaths, but don't force it. Keep it calm. Breathe only through your nose (of course, when you have a chilly, mouth-breathing is fine, and some meditation techniques call for exhalation through the mouth). Use your normal breath to start out, and keep increasing the length of each breath by firmly taking the air in just a little much deeper with each inhale. When exhaling, perform the same. Slow down the exhale and make an effort to let out most of your breath before inhaling once again. Remember, don't drive or strain or control. Just deepen and lengthen the breath.
This is often done while saying a mantra if you work with one (breathe and exhale the mantra), or simply while thinking the mantra, or gatha, in your mind. Eventually, you will just be breathing and not even thinking about the mantra, or around anything.
The best thing to accomplish (which also helps clear your brain) is to focus on two things: your abdomen pushing out with each inhale and pulling in with the exhale (right around and just under your navel, the region known as "dan-tien" in some Eastern teachings, which also just is actually the anatomical center of your body), and also focus on the cool feeling of air entering your nostrils near the tip of your nose.
Focusing on both of these physical sensations could keep you from holding on too much time to thoughts which come and go during the meditation. Thoughts like, "did I remember to get milk" (or soy milk if you are a Vegan). And speaking of thoughts...
6. CLEARING THE MIND
We are creatures of thought. We think continuously. Even asleep. Even when performing something absorbing (like watching a movie or talking to a friend), we would suddenly remember we still left the stove on. That is part to be human.
Contrary to well-known perception, meditation or yoga breathing doesn't require an empty mind. Thoughts and suggestions will come to you while meditating. Some may even be inspirational. You can get an idea for a hit song, in which case, stop meditating, write down the song, and start again. Don't give up a top-40 strike single just because you're a disciplined meditator!
When a thought like "maybe I'll have Chinese food tonight" or "My coworker Michael is such an a-hole" enters, that's fine. Acknowledge the thought, hold it to your heart, and let it go. Back to your breath. To the sensation of your tummy rising and dropping, the cool air entering your nostrils. The idea will go away as surely as it came. And another will enter to be acknowledged and released. That is area of the process. If you get stuck on a thought, go back to your breath. Whether it's very difficult, try counting your breaths, 1 to 10, and then going in invert. If you're doing a good job, you'll never get all the way through to 10. That's great. Just start again.
Once you have been doing this for a while, you will find that the mind does clear, that thoughts come less frequently and so are of shorter duration. You may be able to have that connection with "leaving the body," where you are feeling exactly as if you are outside of yourself, searching down from above or from over the room at yourself meditating. Another experience is of heading deep within yourself, to feel the center of your brain. It's almost such as a control middle, deep within the brain, where your awareness resides. Is normally this a real place? Probably not. Nonetheless it feels as though it. It's like riding in a space capsule in the universe of your consciousness. Whoa.
7. BENEFITS OF MEDITATION AND YOGA BREATHING
There have been many studies worldwide that show meditation and yoga breathing to be very beneficial. The consequences and benefits are more pronounced and profound cumulatively, as the practice builds on itself. Just understand that the benefits have been shown to greatly help with hypertension, insomnia, unhappiness, anxiety, eating disorders, discomfort management, and also side-effects of cancer as well as addiction, rehabilitation and remedies. And that's an extremely short list.
Some meditation teachers including Thich Nhat Hanh encourage visitors to form a sangha or community of a few people who can meditate together. Guided meditation classes can be found around. Yoga studios frequently have yoga classes or guided classes, as do many schools and homes of worship. For beginners, meditating with a group can be instructive, enjoyable, and easier than starting alone.
Another way to go is guided meditation apps or CDs or DVDs or downloads. There are excellent (instructive and guided) on YouTube. Please see Resources, below, for just one example.
Remember, there is nobody way to meditate. Perform what feels right to you. You'll only do it regularly if it makes sense to you and feels good. Where you perform it, alone or with people, enough time of time or night time, music or no music, mantra or no mantra, sitting or lying down -- go with your instincts and emotions. Whatever is most effective, is best.
8. MINDFULNESS
Currently, the most over-used term in the "full being" world is "mindfulness." Everything is mindful these days, from purchasing to uncoupling. Or is usually that conscious? No matter. It's a little much. There's a good "mindful dating" sight. Aaaauuugghhh! I first noticed the word in the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh (a long time ago), and that for me is the real meaning. This means being present. Right here. Now. Aware. Centered on what you're doing.
If you're eating an orange, keep an eye on your skin as you peel it, the texture of the fruit, the juiciness, the sweetness as you bite, the feel of the little sacs of juice on your own tongue. Chew gradually and for a long period to completely grind the fruit and taste it before swallowing.
Thich Nhat Hanh says, if you're washing the laundry, WASH THE DISHES. Focus on what you're carrying out, what it feels as though, and carrying it out well. Don't wash the dishes and consider what's on TV afterwards. Just wash the dishes. That is mindfulness. And if you are mindful plenty of, you can meditate WHILE cleaning the dishes or eating the orange. This is actually the true meaning of mindfulness.
This is not work. It is said to be enjoyable. It really is supposed to feel good. It isn't a chore. It isn't like "oh I better work out today or I'll obtain fat," or a thing that we need to perform rather than want to do. Therefore smile when you do it, and try to do it every day, or twice a day time.
You need not spend a lot of time. And you may find after a brief time period (it varies with the average person, but I would say within a month) that it's simple to do and you don't need to miss it. And when that happens, you will understand why a lot of people worldwide have made meditation part of their day to day routine, and why so many doctors, therapists and others involved in physical and emotional wellness believe that meditation is one of the best ways to achieve true wellness and peace.
Breathe in happiness, peace and health. Breathe out