We have all heard the importance of meditation and it’s positive affects on a person’s health and mental well-being. So how do you meditate? How do you keep those thoughts from racing in your mind? Well there are several different techniques you can use.
Here are 8 tips for your meditation success.
Meditate either early in the morning when you first wake up, or late afternoon before you eat dinner. When you meditate in the morning, you are rested and it helps to give you energy for your day ahead.
Early evening meditation can help you to resolve and calm your mind for what may have occurred during your day out in the world.
You can meditate anywhere that you feel comfortable.
It is better to be in a sitting position to meditate.
An effective mantra (a word or phrase used over and over again in meditation) to use during meditation is “I am” or “ So Aum”. The “Om” is the sacred sound of Hinduism and is said to mean: It Is, Will Be, or To Become. Say this mantra mentally to yourself as you say “So” on the inhale and the “Om” on the exhale.
If you want something to listen to during meditation, choose sounds of nature or soft music.
Observe but do not manipulate your breath.
Don’t try to silence your thoughts, leave them alone and they will notice that no one is observing them.
A 5-Minute Mindful Breathing Practice to Restore Your Attention
Here are some great tips from our friends over at mindful.com:
1. Start by sitting comfortably on a cushion or in a chair. Close your eyes if you like, or leave them open and lower your gaze toward the floor.
2. Just breathe. Breathe as you normally would. There’s nothing special to do, or make happen. And then draw your attention to the physical sensation of each breath. You might notice the rising and falling of your abdomen or chest. Or you might notice the air moving in and out through your nose or mouth. With each breath, guide attention as best as you’re able back to your breathing. Breathing in… and breathing out.
Our attention will always wander—that’s what it does. That’s normal, and always going to be part of our experience—both in meditation, and in life.
4. When your mind wanders, gently return it to noticing your breathing. If something grabs your attention—a bird singing, a noise in the room—notice that happened, and then let it go as best as you’re able. Come back to the breath without expecting anything more. For a few moments, give yourself an opportunity to settle.
5. There’s nothing to do or fix. Sometimes, our mind remains busy and caught up during meditation. Noticing that, practice patience. We cannot force our minds into stillness, and that’s never the intention. Right now, in this moment, there’s nothing to fix or do. Whether you find the experience pleasant, unpleasant, or otherwise, allow everything to be for a few moments.
6. Return to the breath. Breathing in and breathing out, return your attention to the breath once again.
7. When you’re ready, gently open your eyes. Pause for a moment, and then decide how you’d like to continue on with the rest of your day.
We encourage you to try meditating. Stay with it and don’t judge whether you are doing it right or wrong, just be. The tips above are just thoughtful ways we want to support you in your practice of daily meditation. To help our NotTied Community, we will post when the next FREE 21-Day Meditation Experience with Deepak Chopra is happening.
Remember: Just breathe!
