For thousands of years, people have practiced meditation for spiritual, emotional and physical well-being. Initially, meditation was intended to help extend the understanding of the mythical and sacred forces of life, but now in the modern era, it is used as a medium to reduce stress and attain relaxation and tranquility of mind. Meditation fine tunes your mind enabling you to get rid of the disturbing, stress causing thoughts and induce emotional positivity.
The practice of meditation can prove to be a daunting task for beginners, but with regular practice, you can reap maximum health benefits of meditation. Enlisted in this article are six important tips that will help you to understand the basics of meditation.
Choose a Convenient Time
The major aim of meditation is to provide relaxation to both mind and body, therefore, in order to reap maximum benefits, you should choose a time that is most convenient for you. A time in which you are free from all the worldly tasks and your mind and heart are eager to enjoy and relax is the best time for you. The hours of sunrise and sunset, when the light is dim, and there is a natural calming and cool effect of nature itself is an ideal time for practicing meditation.
Start Small
There are a wide range of meditation techniques available ranging from the beginner level to the expert level. Some of the techniques can do wonders for you in just a five-minute session whereas others demand more hard work and a time constraint. You should not force yourself to meditate longer if you are not ready to do that. Start with 3-5 minutes and then gradually increase the time span. It’s not about how much time you spend meditating, but it’s the commitment of doing it with consistency that counts.
Remove Distractions
We are often unable to free our mind from the clutches of tangled thoughts, and this serves as a barrier to perform effective meditation. A quiet and peaceful environment is a pre-requisite to achieving the true essence of mindfulness. Therefore, in order to enjoy the meditation exercise, it is imperative that you get some time for yourself away from all the distractions and disturbing noise as they affect your level of concentration and derail your progress.
All you need to do is allocate a proper time to this practice in your daily routine as this will help you to achieve your highest targets. The best time to meditate is early in the morning when you are about to take a fresh start of your day or the night time when you are done with your daily tasks, and you aspire for some relieving and relaxing touch that alleviates your fatigue.
Don’t Take a Large Meal Before Meditating
Meditating with a full stomach is not advisable as you are unable to focus and can fall asleep easily. Therefore, it is recommended to meditate before having a meal. But this does not mean that you have to meditate with an empty stomach because then you will suffer from hunger pangs making it difficult for you to concentrate.
You will get easily distracted thinking about eating your favorite food hence to carry out effective meditation the best practice is to meditate after two-three hours of having food.
Focus on Your Breathing
Paying attention to your breath is an excellent way to anchor yourself in the present moment. Notice your breath streaming in and out. Once you get the rhythm of breathing, concentrate on the passage of air through your nose all the way to your lungs and then out of your body through your nose.
You can make your breath the focal point of your concentration by counting the inhaling as one and exhaling as two, continue till ten then start again at one. Moreover, gentle smile on your face will make your meditation practice more pleasurable and joyful.
Good Posture is Important
Lastly, the thing that matters in meditation is identifying the right posture. Achieving a right position as a beginner may prove to be a difficult task. In order to maintain a good posture make sure that your back, neck, and head are aligned in an upright comfortable manner, and your muscles are relaxed.
Secondly, let go of all the stress from your arms and place your hands on your lap or your knees. Make sure that you follow the rule of stillness without stressing your body as this helps you to keep your body physically stable. To conclude it would not be wrong to say that good posture is the key to master the art of meditation.
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