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
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