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Do Yoda Proud: Meditation 101
Meditation refers to a state where your body and
mind are consciously relaxed and focused. Practitioners of
this art report increased awareness, focus, and concentration, as
well as a more positive outlook in life.
Meditation is most commonly associated with monks,
mystics and other spiritual disciplines. However, you don’t
have to be a monk or mystic to enjoy its benefits. And you
don’t even have to be in a special place to practice it. You
could even try it in your own living room!
Although there are many different approaches to
meditation, the fundamental principles remain the same. The
most important among these principles is that of removing
obstructive, negative, and wandering thoughts and fantasies, and
calming the mind with a deep sense of focus. This clears the
mind of debris and prepares it for a higher quality of
activity.
The negative thoughts you have – those of noisy
neighbors, bossy officemates, that parking ticket you got, and
unwanted spam – are said to contribute to the ‘polluting’ of the
mind, and shutting them out is allows for the ‘cleansing’ of the
mind so that it may focus on deeper, more meaningful
thoughts.
Some practitioners even shut out all sensory input –
no sights, no sounds, and nothing to touch – and try to detach
themselves from the commotion around them. You may now focus
on a deep, profound thought if this is your goal. It may seem
deafening at first, since we are all too accustomed to constantly
hearing and seeing things, but as you continue this exercise you
will find yourself becoming more aware of everything around
you.
If you find the meditating positions you see on
television threatening – those with impossibly arched backs, and
painful-looking contortions – you need not worry. The
principle here is to be in a comfortable position conducive to
concentration. This may be while sitting cross-legged,
standing, lying down, and even walking.
If the position allows you to relax and focus, then
that would be a good starting point. While sitting or
standing, the back should be straight, but not tense or tight.
In other positions, the only no-no is slouching and falling asleep.
Loose, comfortable clothes help a lot in the
process since tight fitting clothes have a tendency to choke you up
and make you feel tense.
The place you perform meditation should have a
soothing atmosphere. It may be in your living room, or
bedroom, or any place that you feel comfortable in. You might
want an exercise mat if you plan to take on the more challenging
positions (if you feel more focused doing so, and if the
contortionist in you is screaming for release). You may want
to have the place arranged so that it is soothing to your
senses.
Silence helps most people relax and meditate, so you
may want a quiet, isolated area far from the ringing of the phone or
the humming of the washing machine. Pleasing scents also help
in that regard, so stocking up on aromatic candles isn’t such a bad
idea either.
The monks you see on television making those
monotonous sounds are actually performing their mantra. This,
in simple terms, is a short creed, a simple sound which, for these
practitioners, holds a mystic value.
You do not need to perform such; however, it would
pay to note that focusing on repeated actions such as breathing, and
humming help the practitioner enter a higher state of
consciousness.
The principle here is focus. You could also
try focusing on a certain object or thought, or even, while keeping
your eyes open, focus on a single sight.
One sample routine would be to – while in a
meditative state – silently name every part of you body and focusing
your consciousness on that part. While doing this you should be
aware of any tension on any part of your body. Mentally
visualize releasing this tension. It works wonders.
In all, meditation is a relatively risk-free
practice and its benefits are well worth the effort (or non-effort –
remember we’re relaxing).
Studies have shown that meditation does bring about
beneficial physiologic effects to the body. And there has been
a growing consensus in the medical community to further study the
effects of such. So in the near future, who knows, that
mystical, esoteric thing we call meditation might become a science
itself!
This article can only be a limited introduction to
the subject of meditation as the nature of the subject is so vast.
There are libraries of information on meditation, both offline and
online, and it is recommended that you pursue your studies in these
areas if interested in increasing your knowledge of the
subject.
Further Self Improvement resources are
available from
The Freedom
Seed
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