How do you start doing meditation?

There is nothing mysterious in meditation, everyone is capable of doing it. Moreover, you have often been in a meditative state, even if you have never aspired to this. Remember how many times, while on board the aircraft, you did not look away from the porthole, watching the movement of cirrus clouds.

And your last vacation? You walked along a deserted beach, bathed in the rays of the setting sun, felt the warmth of sand, pleasantly warming your bare feet, and looked at shells in the surf band. Surely you will remember a lot of similar situations, when you did not look at yourself from the side, did not think about serious problems, did not analyze your emotional state. They did not think about anyone and about anything. At these moments, for you, there was neither the past nor the future – there was only “here” and “now”, and you completely dissolved in the current time. So this, in fact,

But is it really that simple? After all, we are used to imagine a meditating person sitting in the pose of the Lotus, in absolute silence, with closed eyes. He completely ignores what is happening around him, his gaze and thoughts are directed to nowhere, to unknown distances.

We believe that all meditation is a kind of autism, withdrawal into oneself. And we are wrong. Meditation can be similar to the way to combat insomnia, which my mother advised in childhood: “One white sheep, two white sheep, three white sheep …” You are focused on yourself, instead of empty, vain thoughts there is a feeling of satisfaction and peace.

And sometimes meditation can demand attention immediately to a lot of things, as if you are preparing a five-course dinner. Its essence is not in detachment, on the contrary – we are so involved in what is happening that we merge with it. That is why meditation charges with optimism, because with our whole being we feel unity with the world around us.

It is worth starting to meditate regularly, and suddenly you feel much better, the fatigue that was before you, which was before you, was overwhelming. Meditation removes stress, adds strength and energy. Today almost every psychologist will advise you a few simple meditative properties of exercises to relieve tension. This is understandable even at the physiological level: breathing becomes deeper, heart rate slows down, blood pressure decreases. We need this kind of relaxing techniques, for in the years to thirty years even the most successful and happy of us have accumulated so many fears and obligations that we even physically feel where they concentrate – about the same place where osteochondrosis starts.

Meditating, you are at the same time completely relaxed and very focused – a dual, contradictory state, but only at first glance. As a result, problems that were previously considered insoluble can be easily overcome and, as it were, by themselves – or they are not at all yours, or not as fundamental as you thought. Meditation offers the opportunity, time and effort to try to understand yourself. The question “what do I want?” Seems to be very simple. But many people do not have the whole life to find an answer to it. And meditation helps in this. Thanks to it, we can better understand ourselves and realize our place in the world. Meditation rejuvenates, and often does it better and faster than any cosmetic procedures. Suppose in the morning you, sitting on the floor, watched for a quarter of an hour a clot of energy – a ball that is two fingers below the navel, in the most important energy point. Believe me, when you come to the office, you will be surprised at the number of compliments and kind words spoken to you.

And if you disclose your secret to colleagues and the question: “How do you do it?” – answer: “I meditate in the morning”, few of them will treat you with suspicion and twist your finger at the temple. Because the surrounding people will certainly notice that you have become calmer and happier, but at the same time they have not turned into a “freak with weirdness”. In meditation, there is nothing from shamanism and the evocation of spirits. These are the most real spiritual exercises that help to live. The time you spend in total solitude, learning to combine relaxation with maximum concentration. And you can achieve this state in many different ways.

Wealth of choice

If you decide to learn meditation, try starting with the following basic techniques. Once you start practicing, you will immediately feel that it is simple, there is nothing supernatural about this.

Choose any of the techniques and practice one to two weeks before moving on to the next. Do not rush to conclusions, continue to engage, even if there are negative feelings and it seems that something does not work and this option does not suit you. Then try another technique. As a result, you will choose the most suitable method and will be engaged in meditation with pleasure.

Conscious breathing. One of the main methods of limiting concentration. Just keep a close eye on how the air enters and exits through the lungs. Observe the duration of each inhalation and exhalation. And do not panic if attention suddenly jumps to something else, just bring it back. If you do not get distracted at all, you can count breaths and breaths: once – inhale, two – exhalation. Any extraneous thought that has arisen in your head, put it aside until better times. Try not to control breathing, just watch your feelings.

The chanting of mantras. Another effective way to achieve maximum concentration, it is used in many religions, although it has different names. Mantras can consist of one syllable, a word or phrase. Christians often repeat the prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Praying Jews repeat: “Shema” (“Hear”). The most common mantras are “Om, amen” and “Om mani padme hum” (which means “Treasure in the lotus”). If to you such variant does not approach, take for a basis simply a word “world” and look, that will turn out. The mantra can be repeated aloud, and to yourself – synchronizing it with breathing.

Visualization requires the development of inner vision. To begin, carefully consider a simple geometric figure, such as a circle or a triangle. Then close your eyes and try to imagine it in your mind. When this is easy for you, go to yantras and mandalas (intricate geometric figures that have been used for meditation for centuries.) Buy books with their image, for example Mandalas for Meditation by Rudiger Dahlke, Ruediger Dahlke, you can visit amazon. com). You can use other images that are of special importance to you. Imagine, for example, a quiet cozy place in which you would be comfortable to indulge in meditation.

Mettabhavana. Meditation, not only developing concentration, but also generating a comprehensive love for all life. “Metta” in translation from the ancient Indian language Pali means “love”, and “bhavana” is translated as “development, education.” This meditative practice was taught by the Buddha. It is reflected in Theravada, the oldest school of Buddhism.

Mettabhavana presupposes the education of love first to oneself, then to relatives, then to strangers, to enemies and eventually to all living beings in the world. To succeed in this practice, first concentrate on breathing. Then open your heart to the world and repeat to yourself: “Let me be happy,” “May I be calm,” “May I be free from suffering.” Having devoted yourself for a while, imagine a person close to you and pay your love to it with the words: “Let you be happy”, “Let you be free from suffering” and so on. Then go to other people’s people, then – to difficult in communication and hurting you. In conclusion, wish good to all living beings.

Vipassana. Meditation of inner insight. She calls attention to feelings as such, and not to thoughts and emotions caused by them. Find a convenient place where you can sit 45-60 minutes. To perform it, it is important to keep your back straight. The eyes should be closed, and the body – as motionless as possible. Use what is convenient for you: a low bench, cushions, chair. No special breathing equipment – just flat, natural breathing. Watch your every breath and exhalation.

Focus on the area where the sensations are most vivid – in the nose, the diaphragm or in the solar plexus area. But do not close the world. When you hear some sounds, feel a new smell or a whiff of wind, do not be afraid to pay attention to them. In order not to react emotionally to thoughts that at first will inevitably swarm in your head, you can hang labels on them, for example frightening. To everything that worries you, treat as clouds that float in the sky – you do not become attached to them and do not reject them. Treat the problems as a detective story, watching the development of which can turn out to be funny.

Meditation on the Vedanta. Observation of the mind, which is engaged in self-study. This practice helps you feel like a part of the universe, thanks to it your “I” becomes a part of the universe. As soon as absolutely any thought arises in my head, for example, “I’m bored” or “I have a lot of pressing problems,” I must ask myself: “Who takes this thought? For whom does it arise? “The answer seems obvious:” For me. ” And then you ask yourself the following question: “Who am I? Where and in what are my origins? “As a result of such a chain, you will come to liberation from your own ego and to a community with the world.

Meditation in motion manifests itself in a variety of forms. You can practice during Hatha Yoga classes, Tai Chi, Walking, etc. Suitable if you find it difficult or just do not like to sit for a long time. While meditating while walking, you breathe in and out with your steps. On inhalation, you gradually tear one foot off the floor, beginning with the heel and ending with the toes, and rearrange it forward. Then, with an exhalation, lower the foot to the floor, transfer the weight to it and prepare to lift the other foot on the next inspiration. Remember, this is not just an extra exercise in walking, but the use of movement to achieve greater concentration and greater self-awareness.

Without fear and reproach

Meditation is available to all. Remember this, because you will certainly at some point seem that nothing happens and, apparently, it’s not about you. When you meditate, the thought process gradually slows down, everything within you should become more measured and calmer. But the mind opposes rest – in response to an unusual compulsion of thought, they begin to run about in your head with even greater speed. As soon as you realize that this restlessness is a normal state and that in the beginning such things happen to everyone, you will immediately become much easier. Start with 5-10-minute daily lessons, gradually moving to a longer practice.

If you regularly meditate, you stop wasting time and energy, exchanging trifles and reacting sharply to things that you can not change. You no longer take offense at life, but instead start taking what is happening as a reality. You are approaching harmony with the world. And this is not just getting rid of stress and gaining extra energy. The more you improve in meditation, the more dramatic changes in your desires and aspirations you will find. You will know yourself.