Five Ways to Meditate
Meditation has been used as a spiritual staple for thousands of years in almost every religion. Because it has origins in India, China, and Africa; dozens of different forms of the practice exist; and the physical and mental effects are still being studied, it can be difficult to define. However, the fluid, playful, and varied nature of the practice makes it tailorable to any person or situation! These five methods of meditation pull heavily from Buddhism and Taoism but also incorporate some Western concepts that are geared toward health and wellbeing rather than spirituality.
1. Mantra Meditation
The Sanskrit translation of mantra is 'sacred utterance.' Mantra meditation is commonly used in and associated with Hindu and Buddhist teachings, but it is also prevalent in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Mantra meditation involves the repetition of a sound, phrase, or word. If you are easily distracted or particularly overwhelmed, it may be easier for you to focus on your words rather than your breath. Spiritually or personally significant mantras can act as a great way to set your intentions for the meditation; however remember the goal is to clear your active mind and fall into a rhythm with your environment. As you repeat your mantra, it can be helpful to feel the reverberations of the utterance inside your own body.
2. Movement Meditation
Depending on how you chose to practice it, movement meditation can be incredibly structureless and freeing. While you can participate in a guided or structured session of yoga, tai chi, or qi gong, movement mediation aligns with many of the leading principles of Taoism. Taoist meditation has no set rules, techniques or steps; rather it focuses on unblocking and moving Qi (universal energy) in the non dualistic body and mind. Walking, gardening, dancing, even doing the dishes can be opportunities for movement meditation that can help connect you with the present and your physical body. As always, remember your breath!
3. Focused Meditation
If you wish to challenge your attention skills, focused meditation may be a natural next step after familiarizing yourself with mantra meditation. Using any of your senses, pick one point of fixation: the sound of a singing bowl, the flame on a candle, the feeling of the sun on your skin. Let your focus narrow and deepen so other influences that usually crowd your mind may disappear, soften, or perhaps just pass more slowly, with less judgment and more care. It may be hard to practice focused meditation for more than a few minutes at a time, but being extra attentive to your breath can be helpful. If you stick with it, focused meditation can be an incredibly powerful tool for joining the body and mind in a state of peace and awareness. The Journal of Neurophysiology supports this idea, writing, "Several brain regions linked to emotion, attention, and body awareness are activated when we pay attention to our breath."
4. Progressive Relaxation
When you need to unwind and destress both physically and mentally, take a few minutes out of your day or at the end of the night to try progressive relaxation or body scan meditation. To help alleviate and learn how to manage your stress and tension, slowly scan your body starting at the feet and working your way up to your head. Pause at each muscle group, joint, or chakra to notice how you feel. If you sense any discomfort, take note of it and breathe into using visualisation to break apart and release the tension with your exhale. You may also choose to slowly tighten and then relax each part of your body at a time. Body scan meditation can be a great way to end a workout session or taxing day.
5. Mindfulness Meditation
Withstanding the tests of time and rigorous scientific inquiry, this Buddhist form of meditation quite literally has the ability to change your brain structure for the better. A 2011 study conducted at Harvard discovered that just eight weeks of mindfulness meditation could increase cortical thickness in the hippocampus and decrease brain cell volume in the amygdala. Such changes can assist in learning, memory, and emotional regulation while simultaneously reducing fear, anxiety, and stress at their source. In mindfulness meditation, you pay attention to your thoughts without interacting with them. When you begin noting your thoughts rather than judging them, you may be able to discern patterns in your thinking or behavior. Mindfulness meditation is directly linked to having more self compassion, improved mood, less stress, and minimized anxiety.
If you wish to challenge your attention skills, focused meditation may be a natural next step after familiarizing yourself with mantra meditation. Using any of your senses, pick one point of fixation: the sound of a singing bowl, the flame on a candle, the feeling of the sun on your skin. Let your focus narrow and deepen so other influences that usually crowd your mind may disappear, soften, or perhaps just pass more slowly, with less judgment and more care. It may be hard to practice focused meditation for more than a few minutes at a time, but being extra attentive to your breath can be helpful. If you stick with it, focused meditation can be an incredibly powerful tool for joining the body and mind in a state of peace and awareness. The Journal of Neurophysiology supports this idea, writing, "Several brain regions linked to emotion, attention, and body awareness are activated when we pay attention to our breath."
4. Progressive Relaxation
When you need to unwind and destress both physically and mentally, take a few minutes out of your day or at the end of the night to try progressive relaxation or body scan meditation. To help alleviate and learn how to manage your stress and tension, slowly scan your body starting at the feet and working your way up to your head. Pause at each muscle group, joint, or chakra to notice how you feel. If you sense any discomfort, take note of it and breathe into using visualisation to break apart and release the tension with your exhale. You may also choose to slowly tighten and then relax each part of your body at a time. Body scan meditation can be a great way to end a workout session or taxing day.
5. Mindfulness Meditation
Withstanding the tests of time and rigorous scientific inquiry, this Buddhist form of meditation quite literally has the ability to change your brain structure for the better. A 2011 study conducted at Harvard discovered that just eight weeks of mindfulness meditation could increase cortical thickness in the hippocampus and decrease brain cell volume in the amygdala. Such changes can assist in learning, memory, and emotional regulation while simultaneously reducing fear, anxiety, and stress at their source. In mindfulness meditation, you pay attention to your thoughts without interacting with them. When you begin noting your thoughts rather than judging them, you may be able to discern patterns in your thinking or behavior. Mindfulness meditation is directly linked to having more self compassion, improved mood, less stress, and minimized anxiety.
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