If you’re wondering how to meditate, it’s most likely because you’ve heard all sorts of things about how good it can be for you.
People love to suggest meditation for a variety of reasons: to reduce stress and anxiety, to relieve depression, to sleep, to make you feel more present, to magically transform you into a better and more grounded human being.
The claims are endless, as well as their benefits. Many people consider it a worthwhile practice, and we agree.
With everything that’s going on in the world, it’s a good time to explore meditation and find out if it can be helpful for you too.
Meditation may seem simple – and in many ways it is – but people are often not sure where to start and whether they are doing it correctly.
That is why there are meditation classes, such as those offered by Sadhaka Space, so you can learn to meditate with the guidance of a teacher or instructor to help you clarify all the doubts that meditative practice is raising.
What is meditation?
The first thing is that there are many types of meditation.
Meditation is generally used as an umbrella term covering a wide range of contemplative practices, many of which are drawn from Buddhist traditions, but have often been adapted and secularized for application in Western society.
With this in mind, the questions about what meditation is and how to meditate are not exactly simple.
It’s like asking how sports are played. Just as different sports have important things in common (such as competition and physical activity), meditation also has basic principles.
Meditation is not about becoming a different person, a new person, or even a better person.
It’s about training awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective.
You don’t try to turn off your thoughts or feelings. You are learning to observe them without judging them.
Benefits of Meditation
If relaxation is not the goal of meditation, it is often a result. In the 70s, Dr. Herbert Benson, a researcher at Harvard Medical School, coined the term “relaxation response” after conducting research with people who practiced transcendental meditation.
The relaxation response, in Benson’s words, is “an opposite, involuntary response that causes a reduction in sympathetic nervous system activity.”
Since then, studies on the relaxation response have documented the following short-term benefits for the nervous system.
- Decreased blood pressure
- Improved blood circulation
- Decreased heart rate
- Less sweating
- Reduced respiratory rate
- Less anxiety
- Decreased blood cortisol levels
- Greater sense of well-being
- Less stress
- Deeper relaxation
In Buddhist philosophy, the ultimate benefit of meditation is the liberation of the mind from attachment to things it cannot control, such as external circumstances or strong internal emotions.
The liberated or “enlightened” practitioner no longer unnecessarily follows desires or clings to experiences, but maintains a calm mind and a sense of inner harmony.
How to Meditate: Simple Meditation for Beginners
This meditation exercise is an excellent introduction to meditation techniques.
- Sit or lie down comfortably. You can even use a meditation chair or cushion.
- Close your eyes.
- Don’t make an effort to control your breathing; Just breathe naturally.
- Focus your attention on the breath and how the body moves with each inhalation and exhalation. Watch your body move as you breathe. Look at your chest, shoulders, rib cage, and belly. Simply focus your attention on the breath without controlling its rhythm or intensity. If your mind wanders, refocus on the breath.
Hold this meditation practice for two to three minutes to start, and then try it for longer periods.
Why meditation should not be missing in your daily life
Don’t get frustrated if meditation doesn’t work right away. If you keep falling asleep or no images appear in your mind’s eye.
As so often in our lives, the saying “practice makes perfection” also applies here. So, learning to meditate takes time.
Therefore, our advice is to incorporate meditation into your daily routine as a fixed ritual.
Because when you meditate, you establish a positive anchor and direct your self-perception and thoughts along a different path.
New synapses form in the brain. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could realign your life? Finally getting answers to so many questions, getting more and more clarity…
Your brain is programmed for good things, like more compassion and less anxiety.
