Meditation is a way to heal ourselves.
Meditation helps people relax their minds and bodies, find themselves, and achieve a sense of peace, clarity, and focus through self-regulation exercises. This overall leads to a feeling of mental well-being.
Meditation involves various psychological and behavioral practices that help individuals develop a special focus. It leads to an overall improvement in mental well-being and a conversation with their inner selves.
Today, Let’s talk about how to meditate in 4 easy ways.
The “Breath Awareness Meditation”
It is a fundamental and essential part of learning meditation. It’s the foundation for advanced meditation practices and the first step for beginners. Doing this meditation daily can help reduce stress in your mind and body and establish a good state of well-being.
Here’s how to do it:
- Find a comfortable sitting or lying position, relax your whole body, place your hands in a specific posture, or simply rest them on your knees, relax your facial muscles, close your eyes, and focus your attention on your breath, breathing in and out through your nose. Initially, just observe your breath without trying to change it – notice its rhythm, speed, depth, and the tension or relaxation you feel while breathing. Also, pay attention to the sound of your breath.
- Let your breath flow naturally and calmly. If you enjoy this meditation method, try to relax more, and after a few minutes, your breath will naturally become more steady, and you will feel calmer. Keep observing your breath, its rhythm, and its state. Your inhalations and exhalations will become quieter and more even.
- You can think to yourself, “I am slowly inhaling, I am slowly exhaling.” As you inhale, imagine receiving energy from nature into your body, and as you exhale, feel all tension and impurities leaving your body.
- If your attention drifts away from your breath, don’t worry. Just gently observe this distraction and slowly bring your focus back to your breath. With practice and familiarity with this meditation, you will become more and more comfortable and serene over time as the sessions get longer and more frequent.
- Adjust the length of your meditation session according to your comfort. So, Start with a shorter time, around 5 minutes, and then gradually increase it to 10 minutes, 15 minutes, or even longer as you become more experienced and at ease.
The “Voice Meditation”
- Mantra in Yoga:
- Also known as Mantra, it’s a widely practiced meditation method within the yoga system.
- Utilizes sound as a special form of energy within the human body.
- Believed to guide the mind towards purity and alleviate mental stress and illnesses.
- Characteristics of True Yoga Sound Meditation:
- Passed down from accomplished yoga teachers who have attained high states of self-awareness.
- Composed of specific syllables or phrases in Sanskrit with a particular rhythm and melody.
- Represents spiritual essence and cosmic forces, enhancing mental focus and leading to pure consciousness.
- Establishes a specific pattern of meditation in the practitioner’s mind over time.
- Recommended Practice: “OM” Meditation:
- “OM” is one of the oldest and fundamental sounds in the world.
- Described as similar to saying “HOME” with the mouth closed.
- Repeating “OM” creates a sense of belonging and peace, according to Indian yogis.
Here’s how to practice it:
- Choose a comfortable and relaxed sitting posture. Let your body gradually relax, and focus on your breath. Take a deep breath in and exhale slowly while singing or chanting this sound.
- Let the “O” sound come naturally from deep within your heart, and then transition slowly to the “M” sound. Allow this sound to resonate and flow through your entire body and head, helping your body and mind completely relax. You can start with a 5-minute “OM” voice meditation at first and gradually increase it to 10 minutes, 20 minutes, or even longer.
- When you first start practicing voice meditation, it’s best to sing or chant the sound out loud. As your ability to concentrate and your attraction to this sound increase, you can start silently repeating or chanting it in your mind.
- Over time, these sounds will often arise in your mind, even during your work, study, or relaxation. You will feel the incredible power of this mystical Sanskrit sound. It’s not connected to any religion or mysterious mysticism, but it can truly bring unexpected calmness to your inner self.
- “OM” (sometimes written as AUM) is a sacred Sanskrit syllable, representing the oldest of all Sanskrit sounds. It signifies “the journey of the soul towards eternal peace.”
The “Candlelight Meditation”
- Candlelight Meditation:
- A bedtime meditation technique aiding in relaxation, sleep regulation, and sleep quality improvement.
- Can potentially treat insomnia and is beneficial for overall mental well-being.
- Benefits for Vision:
- Draws the attention of eye specialists due to its potential to enhance and adjust vision.
- Some individuals use candlelight meditation to address various eye issues, suggesting its therapeutic effects on vision.
Here’s how to practice it:
- Choose a comfortable sitting position. Place a candle on a stool or a small table in front of you, positioning the candle flame at eye level or slightly below. Allow your breath to naturally relax. Keep your eyes open and focus your gaze on the center of the candle flame for as long as you can, trying not to blink.
- Close your eyes and attempt to hold the image of the candle flame in your mind for an extended period. If the image gradually fades away, don’t get discouraged. Concentrate, refocus on the image, and maintain regular breathing.
- After about 2 minutes, when the image of the candlelight has gradually become blurry and disappeared, open your eyes. Use the same technique to refocus on the candle flame and gradually extend the duration. With your eyes closed, visualize the candlelight image for as long as possible, starting with 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or even longer.
Tips:
- Post-Practice Reflection:
- After practicing the gazing and visualizing method 3 to 5 times, continue with eyes closed to reflect on the experienced sensations.
- Evaluate comfort levels: If the meditation feels comfortable and beneficial, consider incorporating it into daily practice for enhanced calmness and spiritual fulfillment.
- Considerations for Visual Impairments:
- Initial discomfort: Individuals with visual impairments may experience sensations like teary eyes or eye strain during initial practices, which is normal.
- Adaptation: If discomfort persists and affects concentration, consider exploring alternative meditation methods better suited to individual needs.
Remember: Do not force yourself.
The “Blueprint Meditation”
- Imaginative Meditation:
- Overview: This meditation practice involves utilizing imagination to cultivate peace and tranquility by visualizing beautiful scenes or scenarios.
- Self-Guided Mental Imagery: Participants create a mental blueprint tailored to their needs and creativity, engaging fully with their imagination.
- Positive and Pleasant Imagery: Emphasizes the creation of positive, pleasant, and beautiful mental landscapes to evoke joy and inner harmony.
- Benefits:
- Inner Balance: Helps individuals find a sense of balance and grounding, particularly in challenging circumstances.
- Self-Discovery: Facilitates introspection and self-awareness, guiding individuals towards a deeper understanding of themselves.
- Relaxation: Promotes relaxation and stress relief through immersion in calming and uplifting mental imagery.
Here’s how to practice it:
- Choose a comfortable sitting or lying position. Close your eyes, relax your spine, relax your facial muscles, and take slow, steady, and rhythmic breaths. You can imagine the picture very relaxed, with a smile on your face, feeling joy while breathing.
- Relax your entire body from head to toe. Imagine yourself lying or sitting by a beautiful lake. A gentle breeze caresses your face and body, and your skin is breathing in the moist air. Your body and mind are profoundly relaxed, and you are absorbing the energy that nature offers you in this place.
- Continue to let your body and mind feel this relaxation and the lightness of the beautiful lake. When the wind gently blows, the lake’s water is gently pushed, and ripples form. A beautiful bird flies across the lake, playfully dropping a small pebble from its beak, creating ripples in the water, one circle after another. Then, the lake gradually becomes calm, clear, and still. Imagine your body and mind becoming as calm and peaceful as the lake.
- Imagine the warm sunlight shining on the lake, warming everything, including your body. Let your body and mind experience this warmth and tranquility.
- Shift your focus to your breath. Breathe calmly and deeply. With each inhale, imagine yourself absorbing sunlight, warmth, and the vitality of nature. With each exhale, imagine your body becoming heavier, sinking down, and all tension and fatigue dissipating. Your entire body and mind become as peaceful and serene as the environment around you.
- Maintain this state for 5 to 10 minutes or longer.
When you are in stressful situations, you can also choose a supine or comfortable sitting position and imagine yourself in a state of success or a state of resolution after solving various problems.
Imagination is a psychological adjustment method for modern people to achieve success. Many successful individuals have rich imaginations, which play a crucial role in their careers. It is also a manifestation of a positive, optimistic, and confident attitude.
So, give this meditation technique a try, and you will undoubtedly experience a refreshing feeling.
More to read:
What Is Ba Duan Jin? The Most Complete Tutorial For You.
What Should Qigong Beginners Know? Quick Ways To Start
Do You Know How To Meditate? The Easy Way To Do It
How To Learn Qigong? 12 Things Beginners Must Know
What is Qi Gong? How to understand it easily?
