Many people believe that meditation is a hard practice to develop. The truth is that it’s easy to do provided you follow a few simple rules and make the effort to try do it regularly for 5 to 20 minutes a day.
Meditation offers many health benefits, and relieves a range of physical and mental issues, such as
- stress
- lack of focus and concentration
- mood disorders such as depression and anxiety
- high blood pressure
- respiratory issues
The main goal of meditation is to calm the mind so it is better able to focus. This is done by watching the breath, and by watching your own mind, the thoughts as they rise and fall.
Start with the breath
Long, deep breaths improve circulation, and send oxygen-rich blood to every part of the body, nourishing it and helping to heal. It allows you to relax and focus.
Start by sitting comfortably in a chair or cross-legged on the floor. Your spine should be straight. If you are sitting in a chair, make sure your feet are flat on the floor.
Begin the meditation by breathing deeply five times, feeling your lungs expand, filling your belly and abdomen with each inhale. When you exhale, use all your muscles to release the air and push it out of your lungs in a controlled manner.
Visualization
After 5 rounds of breathing, picture the next breath you draw in as warm, healing white light. Picture your exhale as black smoke, your negativity, toxins and anything else you want to get rid of because it’s holding you back from living your best life. Take one last inhale and hold it. Feel the positive energy flow through you.
Concentration
Now imagine a fast ocean in front of you. Enjoy how still and peaceful it is. You will probably notice at this point just how busy your mind is, chattering away at you about work, your grocery list, the fight you had with your mom when you were 10 over piercing your ears, or what you are going to have for dinner.
As these thoughts arise, try not to engage with them or follow them. Just observe them. Picture them as ripples or waves on the surface of the ocean. If you don’t ride the wave, the thought will simply disappear as suddenly as it came.
Observing your thoughts in this manner is one of the best ways to stop your ‘monkey mind’, as Buddhist meditators call it, from swinging everywhere and can help you increase your focus and inner peace.
