Insight Meditation

Meditation is the art of focusing 100% of your attention in one area. The practice comes with a numerous of well-publicized health benefits including increased concentration, decreased anxiety, and a general feeling of happiness. Meditation can also be referred to as a method of training the mind, similar to the way that fitness is an approach to training the body. Similarly, Meditation is about training your brain to bring your thoughts and feelings into awareness; it’s about examining who you are and your place in the world; it teaches you to appre ciate every moment for what it really is. Although a great number of people try meditation at some point in their lives, small percentage actually sticks with it for the long-term. This is unfortunate, and a possible reason is that many beginners do not begin with a mindset needed to make the practice sustainable. It’s extremely difficult for beginners to sit for hours and think of nothing or have an “empty mind.” But in general, theeasiest way to begin meditating is by focusing on the breath. There are many approaches to meditation and each one of them has effect on the mind. They include, Concentration meditation A concentration meditation technique involves focusing on a single point. This could entail watching the breath, repeating a single word or mantra, staring at a candle flame, listening to a repetitive gong or counting beads on a rosary. Since focusing the mind is challenging, a beginner might meditate for only a few minutes and then work up to longer duration. Mindfulness meditation Mindfulness meditation technique encourages the practitioner to observe wandering thoughts as they drift through the mind. The intention is not to get involved with the thoughts or to judge them, but simply to be aware of each mental note as it arises. Benefits of meditation include stress reduction, sharpened concentration, and improved circulation to start. Once you begin to practice, you’ll soon experience a quieter mind,a more open heart, and a sense of inner freedom. Sound good? The following are techniques for Beginners on how to get started with Meditation. Be relaxed in a silent place Look for a quiet place where there will be no disturbance. It doesn’t really matter whether you sit down as long as you are comfortable, you can get started. It will be very nice if you can sit erect. It is essential to have your body in a somewhat stable position, and then you can have your palms face the sky. Be present You have to be totally aware of your current surroundings, what you hear and how it feels to sit. You also have to know if you feel any tension, and where your thoughts are.  Pay attention on your breath As you take long and deep breaths, feel your breath move from your lungs and out through your nostrils or your throat. Try your best to pay attention as possible as you can. Feel your body Once you’re focused, take notice of your body and how each body part feels. Start with the toes and work yourway up to your head. If your mind continues to wonder then bring your thoughts back to your breath. Breathe 5 to 10 times with full concentration on each breath.  Practice, practice, practice! As we all know, practice makes perfect. Make sure to carve out a time each and every day to practice. You’ll hopefully find all your practice totally worth it as meditation can be life-changing! Share this: Like this: Like Loading...