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Recommended: Meditation easy
During earlier times Buddhist monks practiced almost constant meditation as they believed that it would help transcend their well-being and reach the state of Nirvana (the highest state of calmness or happiness). This practice continues to exist until this time. Meditation is actually a good form of relaxation because not only will it relax your physical body but also will it help you relieve the tension accumulated from a stressful day. So let us begin the steps on how to meditate properly.
First, you may adopt the atypical posture of someone who meditates. The posture is important in meditation because it provides stability and steepness to the flow of energy. Position yourself comfortably in such a way that you will not feel any pain or aches as this might disturb the meditation process. It is best to cross your legs and interlock your fingers to promote continuity of energy flow. You can meditate anywhere you feel comfortable (on the
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Whilst some experienced meditators keep then open and focus on an object but for beginners it is normally best to close them to prevent different thoughts from entering. The eyes are considered as the windows or entrance to the mind. The mind contains a lot of thoughts as it is considered as the creator and container so when one tries to meditate it should be cleared and emptied.
Third, relax yourself by starting to lighten the muscles of your forehead then your eyebrows, your cheeks, your mouth, your jaw and your entire face and head. Then continue relaxing your muscles on your shoulders, your arms, feel your back lighten, release the tension felt by your thighs and legs then let the aches and pains flow out. Remember not to allow inner chattering or chanting of mantras as this will lead to formation of thoughts. Your goal is to block thoughts from forming. This step may be difficult especially for beginners but as you constantly meditate you will observe that it will become
However, meditation is not as common within Buddhism as most believe. There is a large assumption “that Buddhism and meditation go hand in hand”, but the majority of Buddhists have focused on “cultivating moral behavior, preserving the Buddha’s teachings (dharma), and acquiring good karma”(Braun 2014, p.1). Meditation and Buddhism are often assumed to be one and same, but this is also not true. As Buddhism has gained popularity among lay people it’s practices have changed Buddha’s teaching of the middle path has adapted to meditation being “possible in the city” rather than with monks in jungles and caves (p.4). As seen in Burma, in less than 75 years Buddhism and meditation were able to grow “from a pursuit of the barest sliver of the population to a duty of the ideal citizen” (p.5). While meditation is not the core of Buddhism it has encouraged the growth of Buddhism as it’s practice of mindfulness has been inspiring an approachable model (p.6). Meditation and mindfulness are easily manipulated to secularization, but still have significance in Buddhism and following the patterns of your
In Eastern cultures, meditation has been practiced for over two thousand years. Through this training a culture has developed in which an individual is empowered to engaged in preventative behaviors, which reduce stress and morbidity, resulting in a general state of wellbeing, with stability and mental peace in the face of everyday challenges (Richardson and Lutz, 2008). Over the last half-century, the western-scientific community has begun to evaluate the efficacy of the eastern methods of meditation. In the modern western world there is an over abundance of stress, pressure and over stimulation. These conditions often result in stress-related morbidity, high levels of anxiety and mental illnesses. This cause and effect relationship is well established, and typically emphasis is placed on symptom control and less on preventative behavior modification. There are clinically documented see table 1, meditation practices that can be taught over a short period of time to an individual which have been shown to have positive results. Meditation can be used preventatively in supporting immune function and during illness as a method to aid healing and wellbeing for nominal costs. This paper will make an literary examination of a variety of studies of which examine the role of meditation training in regards to promoting immune function in athletes, recovering cancer patients, in addition to reducing stress and promoting well being in business professionals, cancer patients and seasoned meditation practitioners.
If you can sit down in the meditation (lotus) position, that's great, if not, no worries. Either way, all you have to do is be still and focus on your breath for just one minute. Start by breathing in and out slowly. One breath cycle should last for approximately 6 seconds. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, letting your breath flow effortlessly in and out of your body. Let go of your thoughts. Let go of things you have to do later today or pending projects that need your attention. Simply let thoughts rise and fall of its own accord and be at one with your breath. Purposefully watch your breath, focusing your sense of awareness on its pathway as it enters your body and fills you with life. Then watch with your awareness as it works work its way up and out of your mouth and its energy dissipates into the world. If you are someone who thought they’d you would never be able to meditate, guess what? You are half way there
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
Without practicing meditation, we do not reflect on or pay attention to our everyday actions, mostly acting on habit. The world is full of defilements and everyday we are infatuated by them, sensual desires, and delusion, although we often do not know it. Meditation weakens these unwholesome temptations and desires by making us aware that they are arising, and by revealing that they are truly unwholesome. The temptation only ceases when the concentration we obtain from meditation results in greater happiness than sensual pleasures can ever provide. While the satisfaction gained from sensual pleasures is fleeting, the clarified, focused state of mind of the meditator accumulates into a constant tranquil state. Only when we have stilled the mind’s incessant wandering and momentarily abandon the attraction to sensory experiences can we become truly aware of our hidden motivations and unconscious feelings that shape our thoughts and behavior. It is also necessary for changing our views of the world and ourselves. Through confronting these delusions, desires, and feelings we are able to renounce them. “During meditation we learn to drop from the mind what we don’t want to keep. We only want to keep in mind the meditation subject. As we get more and more skilled at it, we start to use the same faculty in our daily lives to help us drop thoughts that are
These three areas are divided into eight steps to attain enlightenment, which ends suffering and escapes from the cycle of rebirth. Concentration is important in meditation as it is observed to clear the mind. The main three steps for concentration are; right effort, concentration and mindfulness, which concentrates on mental development, develops good thoughts and enables them to gain calmness. Thus, these steps develop insight into the true nature of phenomena or reality, eliminates greed, hatred and disbelief. The pathways are different, but help them to change from superfluous to good decent
When one thinks of meditation, what comes to mind? Does one think of group of 1970’s hippies sitting in a circle singing about peace? How about relaxing music being played? How about trying to form one’s body into a pretzel-like shape? What if meditation has nothing to do with the background music being played or what position one’s body is in? Meditation is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the act or process of spending time in quiet thought” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meditation). Meditation is just simply sitting in a quiet room and thinking about one’s life. The act of meditating is much simpler than many people think. Through deep concentration and relaxation, meditation becomes an altered state of consciousness.
"Sit with your hands resting in your lap or on your knees, keeping your back straight. Your neck should be relaxed, with your chin slightly tucked in. [..] Take five deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. On the last exhalation, allow your eyes to close. Slowly settle into your body" (Puddicombe, 2013, para. 5).
This type of mindfulness meditation is known as shamatha in Buddhism. It basically forces you to focus on the present because you have to continue to follow the inhale and exhale of your breath. You can be mindful of the way you eat, taking a shower, driving to work or enjoying quiet time with your spouse. Every moment in every day is an opportunity to practice mindfulness. In Buddhism, the Buddha realized that focusing on just his breath allowed him to accurately perceive reality and attain enlightenment.
The studies showed that while meditated, the subjects showed signs of thought processes slowing down and changes occurring in the brain. The purpose of meditation, and mindfulness meditation as mentioned in this course, is to increase awareness while calming the normal thought processes that often overcrowd the mind with ideas that are deemed not-true by Buddhism. These brain scans clearly show that the purpose of meditation is achieved in doing so.
When these and other questions and uncertainties emerge, you need to flip thorough hundreds of blog posts or books to unearth what you want to know. Several concerns, and doubts awaken in our minds when we start meditating. Unfortunately, there is no book to answer them all. Especially this can be a problem, if you live in an area, where no qualified consultant or mentor is available to help you. On the other hand, it is possible, that you discover a meditating course close to your place, but you don’t have time or you don’t find enough commitment to go there and try
Meditation aims to develop and master mindfulness, insight, and equilibrium. It allows its followers to obtain indifference to worldly attachments, experience the mind as it is and its original nature. The mind continuously engages with internal and external stimuli, constantly at work. Meditation is a way in which one can gain control over this constant flow of stimuli, by focusing the mind. Within the practice of Theravada Buddhism, meditation is seen as the most crucial way of reaching enlightenment, escaping samsara, and gaining the full understanding of what nature is. Whereas Mahayana buddhism utilizes mantras and incantation as a form of buddhism that also allows its practitioners to use this form of meditation to reach enlightenment. Despite its origination in religious practice, it has been loosely defined as a self regulating technique of having control over one's physical and mental
Steps for concentrative meditation, (1) find a quiet place, (2) sit in a comfortable position upright, (3) find an object to dwell on, for example your breathing, or on a particular word that is repeated, (4) a passive attitude, meaning do not get upset when distracting thoughts
It is well known and proven that over time the benefits of meditating on a regular basis promotes the development of inner calmness, connectedness, focus, flow, a clear clarity of mind, a focused and more stable grounded concentration, along with coherency of thought, increased creativity, being more open and receptive to receive insights, solutions to problems and new ideas, a balanced and harmonious centred inner equilibrium, a relaxed happy body, mind and spirit, which in turn assists as a preventative tool that creates and maintains positive overall vibrant health and wellbeing.
Meditating on a daily basis is crucial to our overall health and well-being. The World Health Organization defines health as, “The absence of illness or maladies but also as a psycho-dynamic state consisting of people 's physical, mental, social and spiritual aspects.” Oshita, D., Hattori, K., & Iwakuma, M. (2013) Studies have shown that regular mediation sessions reduce high blood pressure and stress. Another wonderful side effect of meditating is feeling an overwhelming sense of peace and happiness. Everyone should meditate!