Years ago, during a tough patch in life, We started seeing a behavioral psychologist to deal with some anxiety problems and insomnia. Part of his sessions frequently contains a guided meditation, where he'd speak to me in gentle tones while I lay on the sofa, inhaling and exhaling deeply. The meditations had been probably a good 20 minutes or so, and frankly, I wondered if perhaps these sessions were only a method for my therapist to get a break from listening to my life non-sense, but I came across them extremely relaxing and left later on feeling calm and refreshed, two feelings that didn't come naturally to me.
After one session, my therapist complimented me on my breathing. He mentioned that I could sluggish my breath down and take very long, deep breaths that helped me reach a different state. Higher consciousness? Probably. Calm and relaxed? Definitely, at least during and for a little after the meditation. He asked easily had learned this someplace. I told him about the years I acquired spent taking Kundalini Yoga exercise from a prominent LA instructor. It wasn't daily training, just a course or two a week with a bunch of other college students in a studio or in the instructor's living room.
"Breath of Fire" (very rapid in and out breath through the nose and controlled by the diaphragm) and methods that included filling your lungs with as very much air as possible (or blowing All of the air out http://jaredcqby302.huicopper.com/6-books-about-psychic-readings-near-me-you-should-read of your lungs and keeping them empty - constantly much harder), and then doing yoga while keeping the surroundings in or out is the kind of training that can improve breathing technique. There were also gong meditations, lying on your own back, eyes shut, and breathing deeply as the instructor bangs on a huge gong, which you hear and also feel (sound waves) throughout the meditation.
My therapist then suggested, that as a therapeutic massage therapist and massage therapy instructor, I might also train people how exactly to breathe. So, knowing that, here are a few thoughts for anybody who want to incorporate a meditation practice into your life to reap its proven positive http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=psychic readings benefits, including:
· When to meditate and how often
· Creating a good mediation environment
· What you ought to meditate
· Mantra or zero mantra?
· Deep breathing techniques
· Clearing your brain (what to consider... or not)
· Benefits of Mediation
· "Mindfulness." What will it really mean?
1. PICK A GOOD TIME AND BEGIN SMALL
Did you know the Buddha sat beneath the Bodhi tree (ficus religiosa in Latin, which sounds like a Hermoine spell from Harry Potter) with the intention of remaining 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 have to do that.
Start small. Most people who meditate "religiously" (it really is spiritual, sometimes, however, not necessarily spiritual, although actually the Big 3 religions refer to silent or personal prayer as "meditation") do so each morning upon waking (and some do, in reality, 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 strong), and again in the past due afternoon or early night (before or after dinner is great).
Yoga breathing before bed is an excellent way to relax, but a complete meditation right before bed is not advisable because that may trick your body and brain into thinking you've slept enough currently. Even though early morning meditation appear to be amazing for many, be reasonable about yourself. Don't make your self get right up at 5 or 6 to meditate if you hate getting up early. Do it when it's convenient and possible for you, and after that you'll be much more likely to maintain doing it!
For meditating for a week (or more) without water and food like the Buddha, this isn't recommended for newbies or even the experienced. For many people, 15-20 a few minutes is a great session, but even 5 minutes is beneficial, and some long-time practitioners will do longer mediations. Starting out, five mins is a great number because it's easy to accomplish and will also provide a novice a taste of the positive benefits. Try that for a few days, or weekly, then move to ten minutes, 15 minutes and lastly 20 a few minutes. For me, and most meditators, 20 a few minutes seems to be the lovely spot.
2. BEST Areas TO MEDITATE
Experienced meditators can meditate in an airport, a subway station, or a Trump marketing campaign rally. But many prefer a peaceful, not-too-bright location. Light isn't a concern, but many find a darkened or dimly lit room (candlelight is great) more calming. Of program, 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, total noiseless (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 designs say to keep carefully the eyes slightly open and focus on an area a few inches in front of your eye. I'm of the "eye's wide shut," school. Experiment for yourself.
3. EQUIPMENT FOR MEDITATION
No special apparatus is needed. All you need can be you and a spot to sit or lie down. Most meditate seated up with a good, grounded posture. Lying down is fine, though it is certainly easy to fall asleep in this manner, and sleeping isn't meditating. Deep breathing isn't a nap. Not that there's anything incorrect with a nap.
You might just like a pillow to take a seat on. Some meditators prefer to sit up direct with an excellent posture, while some lean against a wall structure or cushion behind them, and might even meditate in a chair or couch. Some Buddhists use a flat, cushioned mat, and on that another pillow that is shaped kind of like a chocolate level cake, maybe 8-10 inches across. Sitting on this cushion, with hip and legs crossed on the mat or in a kneeling can feel very steady, comfortable and position.
Some sit in lotus or fifty percent lotus (cross legged with one ankle about the opposite knee for half lotus or both ankles on the contrary knee for full lotus). This is not possible for many, and also those who can sit this way will see that after a couple of minutes the foot gets uncomfortable or falls asleep. The main what to achieve in seated position are comfort, which means you are not distracted by distress, and good posture. Whatever position allows this, including lying down, is fine.
Candles, incense and music can enhance meditation. If you would like music, it is best to pay attention to something non-melodic, like chimes or bells or random flute and character sounds. Or nothing at all. Music with phrases or melody or rhythm is definitely distracting and should be avoided. Nature sounds, like the sea or a stream or rain can be wonderful, particularly if you reside in an urban area with traffic noises, sirens, people's music, garbage trucks, etc., because the sounds might help mute the environmental aural clutter.
A great investment is a kitchen timer. You may also make use of a timer on your own smart phone (or actually your dumb phone unless you have a good one). I use a kitchen timer that I acquired before smart cell phones were a thing. I punch in the amount of time I want to meditate (usually 20 minutes, although I put in a minute to permit myself time to settle in), and that is it. Why a timer? Then you won't need to check the clock. So when you start out, you'll want to check the clock a whole lot, and when you perform, after sense like you've meditated for a half-hour and look to see it's been under four moments, you'll see what's so great in regards to a timer.
4. MANTRA OR NO MANTRA?
Good question. I've tried both. Kundalini practitioners make use of, among various other mantras, "ong namo gurudev namo," which means "I bow to the teacher within me." I love that because it feels nonreligious. And you will find loads of others. You don't have to know very well what they mean, because it's really about the word or thinking of the mantra. The sound. The repetition. It can help you obtain in the proper mindset. Not knowing this is is probably better. Those reared on praying in Hebrew or Latin might agree.
Remember: in case you are a spiritual person and do not feel comfortable getting involved in religious ceremonies apart from your own, mantras aren't prayers. Some do sound like prayers, however. If that is an concern for you, either find a mantra that's completely secular, or repeat a short prayer from your religious practice.
Some orgainized meditation movements or groups have been around for decades and cost a good deal of cash. One had gone up to almost $2,500 (to get your customized mantra and training), but now is more like $1000. I know those who have carried out this for 40 years and swear because of it. Howard Stern, King of All Press, is a life-long practitioner (following his parents' business lead) and says it's among the best stuff he ever do and he practices each day. If you have the money and need to go that path, great. If not, do a Google search and I'm guessing you can easily find a mantra hack you can use, for free. Don't tell anyone I informed you this.
I never payed for a mantra. I have chanted with associates of the Buddhist Church of America (linked to the Buddhist Church of Japan), and 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 cup of green tea extract. I found it an excessive amount of work to keep up the chanting and it didn't help me concentrate just how I liked. THEREFORE I never went back, even though the individuals were wonderful and the after-meditation refreshments had been delicious.
But you won't need to be Buddhist to meditate, and several Buddhist groups welcome practitioners of all faiths. While I occasionally make use of a mantra to get started, my main mantra is usually my breath, which I will describe next. If you want a mantra, the books of the great Buddhist monk and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh are full of what he telephone calls "gathas" or little poems that work well. Most were written in Vietnamese, but he offers translated them to French and English. My favorite also uses inhaling and exhaling, and goes like this:
Breathing in, I calm my body
Breathing out, I smile
Sucking in, I dwell in the present moment
Breathing out, I know it is an excellent moment
Nice, right? Not really a prayer. You do that with in-breath and out-breath for some minutes. You don't need to state (or think) this through the entire meditation. Ultimately, you can shorten it to "In - relaxed, out - smile, in - present moment, out- wonderful second." And adhere to the breath and smile when you state it.
In fact, Thich Nhat Hanh highlights that a lot of renditions of the Buddha show him smiling in meditation, and that you should usually smile when meditating. Not only does this loosen up the muscles in your face, but it also makes you feel good. Yes, smiling even when you feel bad makes you feel good. He also says meditation is normally 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 certainly breathing; breathing is normally meditation. Breathing is consuming air and then allowing it to out. You breathe in by contracting your diaphragm. Outbreath happens when your diaphragm relaxes. The elasticity of your lungs and diaphragm provides them back again to an at-rest position, 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 we want to perform in meditation or deep breathing is slow the breath down and take in as much air flow as possible without straining. You will want deep breath, not really a strained breath.
Sitting (or lying) comfortably, take slow, long breaths, but don't drive it. Keep it relaxed. Breathe only through your nose (of course, when you have a frosty, mouth-breathing is fine, plus some meditation techniques demand exhalation through the mouth area). Use your typical breath to start out, and keep increasing the space 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 try to let out the majority of your breath before inhaling once again. Remember, don't press or strain or control. Just deepen and lengthen the breath.
This can be 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 thoughts. Eventually, you will just be breathing rather than even thinking about the mantra, or around anything.
The best thing to do (which also helps clear the mind) is to focus on two things: your abdomen pushing out with each inhale and attracting with the exhale (right around and slightly below your navel, the area referred to as "dan-tien" in a few Eastern teachings, which also just is actually the anatomical center of the body), and also focus on the cool feeling of air entering your nostrils near the tip of your nose.
Focusing on these two physical sensations could keep you from holding on too long to thoughts that come and go during the meditation. Thoughts like, "do I remember to get milk" (or soy milk if you're a Vegan). And speaking of thoughts...
6. CLEARING THE MIND
We are creatures of thought. We think all the time. Even asleep. Even when doing something absorbing (like watching a movie or speaking with a friend), we might suddenly remember we left the stove on. That is part of being human.
Contrary to popular perception, meditation or yoga breathing doesn't require an empty mind. Thoughts and concepts will come to you while meditating. Some may even be inspirational. You could get an idea for a hit song, in which particular case, stop meditating, jot down the song, and start again. Don't quit 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, keep it to your center, and let it go. Back again to your breath. To the feeling of your tummy rising and falling, the cool air entering your nostrils. The idea will go away as surely as it emerged. And another will enter to end up being acknowledged and released. This 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 going in invert. If you're doing a good job, you may never get completely to 10. That's great. Just start again.
Once you have been doing this for some time, you will find that your brain does clear, that thoughts come less frequently and so are of shorter duration. You might be able to have that experience of "leaving the body," where you feel exactly as though you are beyond yourself, looking down from above or from over the area at yourself meditating. Another experience is of going deep within yourself, to experience the center of your brain. It's almost such as a control center, deep within the brain, where your awareness resides. Is usually this a real place? Probably not. Nonetheless it feels like it. It's like riding in an area capsule in the universe of your awareness. Whoa.
7. GREAT THINGS ABOUT MEDITATION AND YOGA BREATHING
There have been many studies worldwide that show meditation and deep breathing to be extremely beneficial. The effects and benefits are more pronounced and profound cumulatively, as the practice builds on itself. Just know that the benefits have been shown to help with hypertension, insomnia, depressive disorder, anxiety, eating disorders, discomfort management, and even side-effects of cancer treatments, and also addiction and rehabilitation. And that's an extremely short list.
Some meditation teachers including Thich Nhat Hanh encourage visitors to form a sangha or community of some individuals who may meditate together. Guided meditation classes can be found all over. Yoga studios frequently have yoga classes or guided sessions, as do many universities and houses of worship. For beginners, meditating with a group could be instructive, enjoyable, and less complicated 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 Assets, below, for just one example.
Remember, there is no one way to meditate. Do what feels to you. You'll just do it frequently if it makes sense for you and feels great. Where you do it, by itself or with people, the time of time or night, music or no music, mantra or no mantra, sitting or lying down -- go with your instincts and emotions. Whatever works best, is best.
8. MINDFULNESS
Presently, the most over-used term in the "whole being" world is "mindfulness." Everything is mindful nowadays, from purchasing to uncoupling. Or is that conscious? Regardless of. It's a bit much. There's even a "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. It means being present. Here. Now. Aware. Focused on what you're doing.
If you're eating an orange, keep an eye on the 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 tongue. Chew slowly 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. Concentrate on what you're performing, what it feels like, and doing it well. Don't wash the dishes and consider what's on TV later. Just wash the laundry. That is mindfulness. And if you are mindful plenty of, you can meditate WHILE washing the dishes or eating the orange. This is actually the accurate meaning of mindfulness.
This is simply not work. It is said to be enjoyable. It is supposed to feel great. It is not a chore. It isn't like "oh I better work out today or I'll obtain fat," or a thing that we need to do rather than want to do. So smile when you perform it, and try to do it every day, or twice a time.
You will need not spend a lot of time. And you may find after a short time period (it varies with the individual, but I'd say within a month) that it is easy to do and that you don't desire to miss it. So when that happens, you will realize why so many people world-wide have made meditation part of their day to day routine, and why therefore many doctors, therapists and others involved in physical and emotional wellness feel that meditation is among the best ways to achieve true wellness and peace.
Breathe in happiness, health and peace. Breathe out illness,