he benefits of meditation are countless; physically, mentally and emotionally, including the regain of self-worth and self-esteem.
Meditation is the art of stillness, awareness and the knowledge of the self. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of meditation and imagine it being practiced only by monks at the top of the Himalayan mountains, think again.
There are no requirements for getting the benefits of meditation, apart from silence and dedication. In its simplest form, equally effective as any other, meditation is a precious tool, completely free and accessible to all who wish to learn more about it. There are so many meditation benefits that it is a shame that most people don't know anything about it and can't really imagine what a difference
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It's no wonder, really, that this is the century of mental breakdowns and diseases like anxiety, depression, chronic stress, phobias, etc.
Stop and Breathe. This is how meditation starts. It is the ability to take a break to recover by clearing your mind of all thoughts.
All you need to do, to start improving your life with the benefits of meditation is, first of all, to dedicate a few minutes of your day to it (even 10 minutes will do) and find a quiet place to be. Dim the lights and sit down comfortably. If your mind is racing, don't worry, it will soon calm down. Focus on one of the most basic functions of your body: breathing.
Breathe deeply. Feel the air going in and out of your lungs. Picture it while you do it. 5 minutes later you'll probably feel your body finally starting to relax, even though your thoughts are still working against you. That's OK, just allow them to flow, but don't let them grab your attention. With some practice, you'll be able to relax completely and control what comes to mind, breaking the loop of negativity. Visualize each part of your body relaxing. Stay there, in silence. Enjoy.
Benefits of Meditation - What are
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
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
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
"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).
Concentration and mindfulness are also considered fundamental components in mindfulness meditation. Concentration is the ability to focus on an object be it external or internal, without interruptions. In simple terms, this can be achieved by literally forcing our minds from attaching to any one thought or sensation. Mindfulness is more of a gentle awareness of what is occurring in the present moment. In union, these two techniques allow the self to center in on the true nature of reality. Of course this is no simple task and requires a lot of patience, persistence, consistence, and mental
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 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.
OK. So you’ve heard, that meditation is beneficial for you, maybe you’ve read lists about the advantages of meditation. A ton of different kind of meditations are on-line, and you found several resources, articles, blog posts about the theme to select from. These articles state, that the meditation has countless benefits, which are also proven by scientific research. You can believe them, since eminent scientists carried out extensive research on this subject. And they suggest, you should try them, and of course you should practice it each day. Every day - or you won’t have those benefits.
From personal experience, mindfulness meditation gives me a feeling of obtaining a healthy mind and body from the attention and peace I obtained. Such feelings resulting from proper practice of mindfulness meditation is not limited to my own testimony though. According to the Satipatthana Sutra, those who practice such in-and-out breathing become “ardent, aware, and mindful” (“Satipatthana Sutra,” Accessed on 2010). However, it is unclear whether such reported experience is genuine or has effect, or if such mindfulness meditation is similar to a placebo effect.
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.
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.
Well, that can be a good issue for debate, but then what about Buddhism? And other disciplines which also talk about the importance of meditation. Work Citation 1) Bhagvad Gita as it is. Bangalore: ISCKON, 2001.
Stop what you are doing, clear your mind, and focus only on your breath. When your thoughts begin to wonder, refocus and bring them back to your breath. This seems like a simple task, but most of us struggle to clear our minds for more than a few moments. Today’s fast-paced and technology driven culture constantly bombards our senses and more importantly, our thoughts. Our thoughts are constantly commandeered by fantasies, anxieties, and worries. We spend most of our time reliving past events and pondering the future. We spend work days feeling resentful, wishing we were anywhere else. We sit through family dinners thinking about all the chores that need to be finished. We worry about attending the class reunion because we aren’t sure what everyone will think. We do all of these things rather than focus on the experiences happening right here and now. Most of us are aware of this behavior, and yet we do it anyway. We spend very little time in the present moment, not for lack of want
Meditation is not a time devoted to thinking or reflecting about oneself, but a time to redirect one’s thoughts and emotions away from the outside world and onto something simple, such as the wind or one’s own breathe. By learning how to meditate, an individual can learn how to react appropriately to “the circumstances one finds oneself in, i...
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.