How To Practice Breath Meditation

This simple meditation is like the foundation to the practice of meditation. It's also one of the simplest yet most powerful practices. 

Meditation Benefits

• Stills the mind
• Creates mindfulness*
• Reduces mental chatter
• Lowers Anxiety
• Increases concentration
• Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
• Increases ability to focus
• Helps control anger/ useful for anger management
• Reduces and controls negative thoughts 
• Calms you down
• Provides a solid base for spiritual and meditative practice

* Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. It's achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them as good or bad. 

About the practice

The practice of meditating on the breath is one of the oldest. It dates back thousands of years. The ancient Hindus and Buddhists used this as the base for their mediative practice and it helped them  control their thoughts, create internal still, and an increased awareness of themselves, the world and spiritual truths. Meditating on your breath gives you a sort of anchor in your practice. Each time your mind starts jumping from thought to thought, bringing your awareness back to your breath creates an anchor that stops you from floating away with the distractions. This creates mental discipline and sharpens your concentration abilities. It also has a calming influence on your mind and body, thereby helping control anger and negative emotions, reduce anxiety, lower heart rate and blood pressure. This form of meditation is very useful for mental, emotional and physical health, as well as personal and spiritual growth.

When to meditate

Mediate daily  for ten to fifteen minutes in the morning and evening. If any other time suits you, that is fine as well.  Slowly increase the duration of each meditation session. It's important to be regular in order to reap the benefits of meditation.

Preparation

• Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed
• You can also mediate in a car, provided you are being driven
• Switch off your phone or put it on silent mode
• If indoors, ensure the temperature is comfortable & the lighting is soft
• If you are outdoors, dress for the weather and wear clothing that keeps you comfortable
• Wear loose, comfy clothes
• If you are not in a vehicle, get a meditation cushion or a straight backed chair

How to practice

• Sit cross legged on the meditation cushion. If you can't then sit on the chair.
• Keep your back straight, your shoulders level and relaxed and your chin parallel to the floor
• Rest your hands gently on your knees, with the palms facing upwards, and the thumb and the index finger touching one another
• Close your eyes or lower your eyes and focus on any point about 3 feet away from you
• Loosen your muscles and relax your body
• Breathe normally through your nose
• Expand you stomach each time you inhale, and pull it in when you exhale. 
• Each time you exhale, let go of all the tension in your body. 
• Do this a few time still it gets into an easy rhythm.
• Increase the length of each breath in and out (inhale and exhale). Start with a count of 4 for each inhale. Then 4 for each exhale. Slowly increase it to 10.
• Thoughts will keep coming. Just let them pass. Don't go with them. Just like a mother gently returns a crawling baby back to it's warm blanket, gently take your awareness back to your breath. Start counting the duration of your breaths again.
• Once you get comfortable with the practice, you can stop counting as you will get a better idea of the length of your breath without having to do so.
• Then just keep your awareness on how the breath travels in and out of your body. Follow its path and notice how your body moves and reacts to it.
• At the end, with your eyes closed, just sit still for a few moments.
• Finally with your eyes closed, rub your hands together till they feel war. Gently place them on your eyes and fell the warmth from your hands. Slowly remove your hands from you eyes and open them.

Try not to immediately jump back into hectic activity and noise. Ideally keep a "buffer zone" of at least 10 minutes before and after your meditation to ease in and out of your practice. 

Love,
Bindiya
www.healinghideaway.in


#healinghideaway #meditation #bindiyamurgai #meditationguide #therapist

How to Overcome Meditation Challenges & Hurdles

Meditation. The answer to health problems, emotional problems and a score of related issues. One simple word that conjures up images of serenity, soothing music, people with benign and blissful faces, straight backs, legs arranged in the perfect lotus pose, oblivious to the world, including pesky mosquitoes, flies, noise and the hard floor.

Wonderful as all of this is for them, if you are struggling with simply sitting still and calm for a few minutes and that seems as unlikely as having dinner on Jupiter, then the first thing you need to know is that IT'S FINE. You are not alone. Most people have felt the same way in the start and I for one, struggled for years before I could even have a minor engagement with #meditation. In fact, my first few flirtations with meditation were like a series of blind dates gone horridly wrong. I was so eager, so enthusiastic, so keen, so willing...so everything. But I was  totally wrong in my approach and my guides were too rigid in theirs. 

One  evening, I organized a session at home. I invited a meditation guide and few friends over. Although the latter had no interest in meditation, they came along to humor me. The guide began his lesson which was just a couple of words long. We had to relax, breathe and focus on our breath. A few minutes later, my friends (the disinterested ones!) were all looking like the epitome of the stereotypical "meditators." Focused, lost in their world, calm and the rest of it. As for me, I was looking at them and crying. Tears were rolling down with the sheer frustration of wanting something, an experience so desperately and not having it. While the so called "side liners", seemed to be were enjoying what thy did not even want!

I finally quit. Meditation was clearly not for me. And I did not want to give it any more shots. I silently sulked for a few years over my absolute lack of ability on this front. And then, in the midst of a particularly challenging phase in my life, I discovered that meditation had quietly "come to me." It was not anything dramatic -- no visions of light or God or voices. Just a stillness that gently swept over me as I sat in the the clamor of a bustling metropolis, watching the waves from my window and listening to the birds, as they made their way home. My awareness was just on those two sounds and for a few moments, nothing else existed. Or mattered. 

This was my first conscious meditative experience. One that lead to many more wonderful paths and discoveries, all converging to my becoming a Meditation Facilitator and Guide. It became such a fulfilling practice, that with time I started holding Meditation Retreats in India. 

Over the years, I found that most people encounter a few common challenges and hurdles on their path to embracing the practice of meditation. Here, in the post, I am addressing the most common ones. If you have one that's not included here, feel free to write to me or leave a comment, and I shall be happy to address it.

Challenge 1: I can’t control my thoughts
Do you have incessant mental chatter? Thoughts flooding your head? You are not alone! Thoughts are a natural activity of your mind. You simply notice them more when you sit quietly to meditate.

Solution
Trying to stop thoughts is like trying to stop the wind. It’s impossible. So stop resisting and trying to make your thoughts go away. Notice them as they come and treat them like passing clouds. But don’t let your mind float away with them. Or imagine the thoughts coming in from one ear and exiting from another. If a particular thought keeps coming back, make a mental note of it and pay attention to it later.

Challenge 2: I have too many distractions
Too many distractions or noises in your ambience? Welcome to the 21st century! Escaping distractions can be tough, but embracing them need not be.

Solution
First of all, remember meditation helps you quiten you mind. Not the environment you live in. You do not need a soundproof room to meditate. Though it helps to find a relatively quiet and peaceful meditation corner. If that is not possible, invest in a good pair of earplugs. And deal with the remainder sounds and distractions around you. Let them fade into the background.  One participant in my workshop told me that somehow his wife would always land up using the pressure cooker when he sat to meditate. He could not change his timing, nor could he convince her to change hers. So he decided to integrate and follow the sound of the pressure cooker in his meditation. It worked quite well for him!

Challenge 3: This does not work for me

Tried a meditation technique that did not work for you? Or joined a group where everyone was in a deep meditative state while you wondered what you are doing wrong?

Solution
This is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for new meditators and one that I feel is not sufficiently addressed by teachers, facilitators and guides. I find that there is no one common technique that is perfect for everyone. But there is a technique that is perfect for you! There are hundreds of ways to get into a meditative state. If one is not working for you, try another. If you have too much restless energy, try a technique with movement, like dance or dynamic meditation. But make sure you sincerely stick to one technique for at least two weeks before changing to another one.

Challenge 4: Results-Driven Fallacies
You live in a competitive, result-oriented environment. You are used to deadlines, tangible outputs. You get frustrated when they don't see results. After all, if you can't see results, why continue doing something, right? Wrong!!

Solution
Meditation is not a quick fix and there is no fast-over-the-counter version of it. Establishing a regular meditation practice can take some time. Just because you don't see results right away,doesn't mean nothing is happening. Have faith in the outcome ... and it will come. I find that Guided Meditation works wonderfully well for people who are just beginning and having trouble with their practice. Get a good Guide or Facilitator. Have a chat about your temperament and the hurdles you are facing. Devise a program that works for you. Start with 3-6 Guided sessions a week and then taper them down as your personal practice becomes smoother.

Challenge 5: Social Meditator
Do you find that you can only meditate during your yoga class or with a meditation group? Anytime you break the routine or miss a class you also skip meditating?

Solution
Here’s the great thing about meditation. One you have begun the practice, you don't need to rely on anyone or anything other than yourself. It’s fine to combine meditation with yoga (#YogaMeditation), but the two are not interdependent. While you can continue meditating in a group, there is no reason to stop meditating if you miss a session, or two, or even leave the class altogether. After all, you can meditate wherever you find a quiet place to sit. You don’t need to get to anywhere, wear special clothing, or stick to a timetable. Just sit! 

Challenge 6: Sitting in an uncomfortable posture
Do you find it really uncomfortable to sit still for too long? Does sitting cross- legged on the floor create physical discomfort that is so distracting that you cannot meditate?

Solution
Trying to sit crossed legged on a hard surface can be challenging. If you are physically uncomfortable this will dominate your awareness and it will be impossible to relax. Sitting with back support and with the feet flat on the floor works best for most people. If you are still uncomfortable, try a moving meditation, which can be just as beneficial.

Challenge 7: Does meditation music (#MeditationMusic) really help? I often feel more distracted when listening to it.

Solution
Music is in no way necessary for meditation. However, some people find that the right meditation music helps them go into a deeper state of relaxation. This can have a flip side though. In my experience, if the music has certain sounds that don't match my personal vibrational frequency, or in plain words, if I don't like a certain voices or sounds, it can become more of an impediment or distraction. Certain chants or music could make the listener feel a bit spooked, or irritable even. I recommend listening to and filtering your meditation music before you begin your meditation session. Pick something soft, unobtrusive and devoid of too many highs and lows.

With so many solutions at hand, do give meditation another chance. But remember to be gentle on yourself and make an honest, sustained effort. After all, everything that’s really worth it takes some time and effort.

Love,
Bindiya Murgai
www.healinghideaway.in

Read more on #Meditation,  at #HealingHideaway

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Meditation For Beginners

Bindiya Murgai at a Meditation Session In Bhutan

We live in exciting yet challenging times and one of the inescapable realities of this century is that most of us are living with increasing levels of #stress in our daily lives. These are intruding into every part of our being and are gnawing away at precious moments of #peace and #relaxation. We are working harder and for longer hours. We seem to need more and more money to fulfil our ever growing needs. We are constantly wired, always connected. Constantly toggling. Restlessly punching the TV remote. Glued to our new lifeline, the mobile phone. Or the universal trap of the internet, now also proudly available to us while flying -- which until now was our mandatory “time out”. What’s more, we can even make a cell phone call from the Everest!! There is no escaping.

This constant barrage of stimulus and stress often leaves us bewildered. Our body starts to function on hyper drive that leads to a slew of physiological reactions – #anger, fear, #depression, #mood swings, #panic attacks, heart problems and headaches being just some of them. So what do we do? How do we cope? Thankfully, the answer is simple. We meditate!

Now here’s the difficult part . . .

When I first tried to meditate, it was a frustrating experience. But I tried again. This time, it was even more frustrating. The story went on for a while (actually a “long while” spread over a few years). Each time lead to more frustration, because I wanted the “experience” so badly. I wanted to connect with my higher consciousness, tune into the universe, experience astral travel and have an out of body experience. I wanted to live out all those fantastical tales that I had heard happening to people who meditated.

Resolute and after multiple attempts, I finally got somewhere. I got to a point where I just gave up trying! It was too much work and left me wondering what was wrong with me. Why could I not meditate? As it turned out, there was nothing wrong with me, but there was something wrong in my approach and the method.

Its been quite a few years since that experience. Today, I am a #meditation and #InnerWork facilitator and I run #workshops and #retreats. Ever so often, I meet people who tell me that they have tried to give “meditation a shot” at some point in their lives but never managed. Thankfully, due to my own initial struggle, I can now genuinely empathize with them, but more importantly, offer solutions that suit their personalities, lifestyles and ecosystems. It’s actually all quite easy. If one technique does not work for you , even after repeated attempts, change it! Just like there are multiple routes to climb a mountain, there are multiple methods to meditate. But first, what does meditation really mean?

What is meditation?

Science has proven that each of us has 50-70,000 thoughts every day. We live in a thought world. Imagine each thought as an aeroplane, and our mind, an airport. Now imagine what would happen to the “mind’s airport” when it has so many “thought planes” flying around all the time. Imagine the crazy noise, the hectic activity. Get the idea? Here is where meditation comes in. It’s sort of like the “Chief Operations & Traffic Controller” of the mind, giving it some “down time” by quietening and pausing its incessant internal chatter. It guides awareness, makes it mindful and is the doorway to higher states of consciousness.

How will meditation help me?

Promotes #BetterHealth

Meditation #ReducesAnxiety and stress. It lowers blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety. Studies show that meditation boosts the immune system and rewires our brain to reduce stress. It can prevent and help us heal from various illnesses, relieve pain and accelerate post surgical recovery. It also promotes inner peace, joy and equilibrium, which in turn increases our life span.

Sharpens the mind

Meditation helps us enhance our ability to focus and be productive even under high stress situations. It gives us clarity of thought and increases our output. Applying this focused attention to our personal life makes our relationships more positive and enriching.

Reboots your brain

ADD or #AttentionDeficitDisorder is becoming an increasingly common problem in urban society, where the constant bombardment of stimulus leaves us grappling with our attention span. We become forgetful, absentminded and impatient. It’s like a machine shutting down due to overheating. Or a computer crashing, due to overloading of data. Meditation makes us more mindful---it reboots our brain, and brings our awareness to the present moment, increasing concentration and making us more appreciative of our lives.

Creates emotional balance

The stresses of our daily life take their toll and often come out as negative emotions such as anger, irritation, jealously and resentment. Meditation makes us more conscious of these emotions. It enables us to monitor them and even transform #NegativeEmotions into positive ones. It calms us down and makes us less emotionally reactive and balanced, thereby creating a more tranquil mental ecosystem.

Helps deal with psychological problems

Meditation also helps heal many psychological problems such as overcoming trauma, loss, depression and grief. It also helps us understand ourselves, the people and the universe around us better. Once we begin the journey, the benefits unravel before us in ways we least expect.

Meditation myth busters

1. Meditation is not something religious or associated with a particular faith. In fact, it can be practiced by anyone, at any age, irrespective of their age, culture, gender or religious beliefs. It can even be practiced by people with no faith in any “higher power”.

2. It does not necessarily involve uncomfortable, jalebi-like postures only meant for those with flexible bodies. You don’t have to sit in the lotus position with your legs crossed if it does not suit you. As a matter of fact, you should actually find a position that is comfortable for you. One that causes no pain, discomfort or distraction. But avoid something that is so comfortable that it makes you fall off to sleep.

3. Not all meditation techniques require you to sit or be still. You can also meditate while walking, running, swimming, dancing and believe it or not, even while sweeping or washing dishes.

4. There is no “right” time or rigid rule involved in meditation. Although certain times of the day, especially early mornings are considered to be the great time to meditate, don’t be put off if your mornings are already too packed. Or if you just can’t pull yourself out of bed early. Simply pick another time that suits you.

5. Meditation is not a pursuit meant only for people with a serious disposition (though it can help sombre individuals see some humour in life). It’s actually a pursuit of peace and joy, one that everyone can enjoy and benefit from it.

6. Meditation is not a prescription drug but it is a self-prescribed prophylactic. Regular practice has numerous health benefits, however do not use it as a substitute for any ongoing medical treatment, unless you have discussed it with your physician.

7. Meditation is not an instant fix. Be patient. Give it time. Don’t expect to see results right away. If you are an ill tempered, volatile personality, it’s most unlikely that you will turn into a gentle pool of serenity overnight. But with regular practice, it WILL happen. Remember, no flower blooms in a single day.

8. Meditation is not produced in Hollywood. If you expect to go on fantastical journeys and fly across other galaxies and planets, watch Star Trek! Meditation opens doors to many inner and outer journeys, better experienced than explained, but none of them are produced in Hollywood. Or even Bollywood for that matter!

There are innumerable ways to meditate, and it’s only after trying out a few, that you will know what method works best for you. Here are a few relatively unconventional methods to get you started.

1. Healing the #MindBodySpirit: Tapping Your Worries Away

How to practice:

• Sit crossed legged on the floor or on a cushion. Or on a straight backed chair or sofa, with your feet on the ground and your hands resting on your thighs.

• Bring your focus on the situation or the person who has caused the anxiety and try to visualize it or them as clearly as possible. Replay every detail in your mind as though you are rewinding a movie. Let yourself feel all pain, anger, anguish and distress.

• Now start tapping you index finger gently on you left thigh and do the same on the right one. Keep alternating and make a gentle rhythm that feels comfortable and that you can continue for 3-6 minutes. As you keep tapping, keep your attention on the source of your stress.

• After about 3 minutes you will feel your anxiety level going down. You can continue for up to 6 minutes. Feel free to put an alarm so that your mind is not distracted with keeping track of time.

• End with 10 slow, deep breaths.

• If at the end you still feel anxious or stressed, repeat all the steps after a gap of an hour.

• If there are any traces of anxiety left after the second time, repeat the same steps, but instead of tapping your fingers, move your eyes from left to right for 3 minutes.

Benefits: This is a simple and quick stress busting method that will reduce anxiety and help you deal better with your problems. It’s also very useful for people who get panic or anxiety attacks. The best part is that it can be practiced anywhere, anytime.

Principle behind it: Tapping both sides of your body, alternately for a sustained period of 3-5 minutes significantly reduces stress and anxiety, by engaging both sides of your brain.

When: Anytime when you feel anxious or stressed about a something or someone from your past or present. It could be a work situation gone bad, a broken relationship or anything else that triggers stress.

2. #MovingMeditation: Walking

How to practice:

• Stand with your back straight. Keep your body relaxed. Make a soft fist with your hands, wrapping your fingers lightly around your thumb. Place your right hand over the left, with your right thumb on top of your left hand. Place your hands together just below your sternum and keep your elbows slightly extended outwards from the sides.

• Begin walking slowly on a predefined route, either indoor or outdoor. This can be a circle, square or even back and forth down the same line. But it’s important to follow the same route.

• Begin with talking half step with every cycle of breath (inhalation and exhalation). The first half of the step is to place your heel first and the second half is to place the ball of the foot. Your pace must be extremely slow. As you walk, focus on your breath. Keep your eyes lowered and directed at the path ahead of you. Don’t look from side to side.

• You can start by doing this for ten minutes every day and slowly increase it in increments that suit you.

• Towards the end, slowly increase your pace till it is back to your normal walking speed.

• Walk normally for a few minutes. Keep focusing on your breath. Breathe naturally. End your mediation when you are ready to do so.

Benefits: It calms the mind and is good for people who do not enjoy sitting still for long. It also helps in becoming more efficient and precise at work and clearer in relationships.

Principle behind it: This helps integrate movement with a focused mind by bringing your concentration to walking.

When: Anytime you want to get a clearer perspective of things and when you need to slow down and be calm.

Where: You can practice this in a room which has enough space to walk around without obstruction. Or you can pick a terrace, a garden or a park. But choose a place that is not crowded or noisy.

3. #MindfulMeditation: Media Watch

This is an important meditation and very relevant to the current times, as your mind is bombarded by a barrage of information that you are consciously and subconsciously assimilating through the various media you are exposed to. Be it TV, radio, internet, newspapers, movies or even computer games , every thing you read, watch or hear, plays a key role in shaping your thoughts, moods and behaviour. And you mostly don’t even notice it!

How to practice:

• Sit on a cushion or a chair in a quiet room away from others. Recall some images from any media that you have been exposed to in the past few days or hours.

• Note how the material makes you feel. What emotions do you experience and how does your body react to it. Notice if you heart beats faster, is there tension in the muscles, do you breathe faster, feel restless or sweaty?

• Ask yourself if the material you took in is positive in nature or if it evokes negative emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, irritation, helplessness or frustration. How did the violent thriller you watched on the weekend affect you? Or the news story about the recent killings? What about the soap where every character is vile and vicious? Or the one about a group of happy friends? What about the beautiful documentary on penguins? Or the one on Quantum Physics?

• Now ask yourself why you allowed that media into your life? Did you really want to read or watch it? Or was it just surfing apathy that made you sit through it? Were you trying to understand something better? Were you seeking excitement? Or release from the daily pressures of life?

• Make a mental note of all the media that created a negative response in you and also what made you feel happy or positive.

• Take a deep breath and as you exhale, imagine breathing out the negative images and information from your mind and consciousness. Repeat this exercise at least ten times. Then simply focus on your breath for a few minutes.

• Before you end, make a conscious resolve to filter the information that you subject yourself to from here on. Be mindful of your media intake. And be clear about what’s good or bad for you. Deliberate on your choices and work on eliminating negative media influences from your life.

Benefits: Reduces #MediaAddiction, which is on a rapid rise, and stress from #InformationOverload. Makes you mindful of the information you expose yourselves to and how it shapes your thought process, responses and personality.

When: Ideally at least once a week or on days when you feel you have taken in too much information. Or when something you have watched heard or read alters your mood in a negative manner. It could be a piece of news you saw on TV or a book you read.

Preparation: Make a list of all the content that you have been exposed to in the past few days. Stuff you have been watching, reading, surfing or hearing. Highlight everything that is negative, violent or disturbing in nature. Note that TV soaps where characters constantly conspire against one another or where evil always prevails, are also included in your “negative stimulus” list.