Modern people are facing more and more diseases caused by various psychological factors, and these diseases are becoming increasingly complex. So, a new way of staying healthy is gaining popularity—meditation.
There are two common types of meditation: focused attention and open monitoring.
Let’s start with focused attention. This is a widely practiced Buddhist exercise that requires the practitioner to continuously concentrate on a specific target. The target can be external or internal—it could be sensing your breath or the beats of a metronome.
Open monitoring, on the other hand, doesn’t have a specific target for attention.
Practitioners’ awareness can follow anything, regardless of its origin or reason.
This openness can extend to practitioners’ thoughts—although they don’t actively try to think, sometimes thoughts can arise uncontrollably.
At this point, open monitoring doesn’t try to stop these thoughts; instead, it observes them objectively—without reacting, criticizing, suppressing, or attaching attention to any particular object.
Dealing with these thoughts is like dealing with a friend who comes in and out of your house—we acknowledge their presence but don’t necessarily respond, acting as observers.
Of course, for many who have not practiced meditation, there may be misconceptions.
Fact: This is perhaps the most common misconception. In reality, meditation is not about emptying the mind; in fact, trying to do so can make stress and inner noise worse. We often can’t stop or control our thoughts, but we can decide how much attention we give them. Meditation is not about thinking, daydreaming, spacing out, or trying to think about anything. Emptying the mind may be one aspect of meditation practice, but not all meditation involves emptying the mind.
The benefits of meditation can be immediate or long-term. When you sit down and start meditating, you can already experience its benefits. A study by Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital found that after just eight weeks of meditation, practitioners experienced a decrease in anxiety and an overall increase in calmness. The research also found that meditation can promote growth in areas of the brain related to memory, empathy, self-perception, and stress control.
You might always find countless reasons to postpone meditation if you’re busy. Однако, when we meditate, we’re saving time. This might sound contradictory, but consider this: during meditation, our breathing and heart rate slow down, our blood pressure decreases, and the production of stress hormones and other substances that accelerate aging in our bodies decreases. After meditation, our attention becomes more focused, and we may become more efficient. Even if your schedule is packed, just a few minutes of meditation practice each day is much better than not doing it at all.
Many people might think of meditation as a spiritual or religious ritual. While it’s true that there are some connections to spirituality or religion, not everyone who practices meditation has religious beliefs. This practice is not in conflict with any faith.
If you’re interested in meditation, you can start with these basic exercises. Of course, there are many forms of meditation, and the following exercise is just a reference for you:
Use counting to keep your attention on your breath. Take a deep breath, relax your shoulders, and expand your belly. After exhaling, count one before taking the next breath. Repeat this step, counting two. Keep counting up to ten, then start the next cycle. If you forget where you’ve counted to during this process, simply start counting from one again.
Keep your breathing the same as before, but this time, place the counting before inhaling and consciously anticipate the next breath. Count up to ten, then start the next cycle.
Keep your breathing the same, but in this phase, you no longer need to count. Instead, focus on the breath in your chest, belly, and nose. If you’re distracted by sensations from other parts of your body, gently bring your attention back to your breath.
In the final phase, narrow your attention even further—perceive the breath entering and leaving your body, focusing on the sensation at the tip of your nose with each inhale and exhale.
In conclusion, I hope everyone can get plenty of relaxation during meditation, bringing health and joy to both body and mind.
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