What Is Meditation?
| Meditation is the act of sitting quietly and focusing on a word or object or sound or your breath. This sounds simple, but it takes practice. When most people first meditate, they find it hard to still the mind and stay focused. View the meditation tape or CD as your coach, a tool to remind you to return to your focus when your mind starts to wander. It is recommended that you do this exercise sitting in a comfortable position with your spine relatively straight. If possible, close your eyes. The meditation experience is different for everyone. The breathing meditation is the most likely of all meditations to be immediately relaxing. After a few introductory statements, you are instructed to bring your attention to your breathing and be aware of the physical sensations that you feel as you inhale and exhale. You may be most aware of the feel of air moving in and out of your nose or mouth. Or you may be more aware of the sensation of your chest rising and falling. Or you may feel your breath in your diaphragm. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to experience your breathing. You notice your breathing without trying to control it. There will be periods of silence where you practice focusing attention on your breathing. Because of the mind's tendency to wander, there are regular reminders to return your focus to your breathing. Studies show that at the end of a meditation session, your body is measurably more relaxed, even when it was one of those frustrating sessions when your mind was everywhere but where you intended it to be. With the Body Awareness meditation there is an introduction reminding you to get comfortable and that you will be guided to focus on each body part in turn. Notice what you feel and try to notice without judgment. If you notice thoughts of concern about specific parts of your body, notice that you have these thoughts and include that in the meditation. There is approximately one minute of silence after each reminder to focus on a specific body part. Many people feel immediately relaxed when doing these meditations, but some people do feel frustrated by the difficulty of stilling the many unrelated thoughts that occur while they are trying to focus on their breath or parts of the body. Do not let this difficulty stop you. You are practicing focusing. You are learning to quiet your mind. At the end of the time spent working with the tape or CD, ask yourself if you feel more relaxed than you were before you started. Usually the answer will be 'yes'. There is an additional benefit to observing your breathing and consciously not controlling your breathing. When people are stressed, they tend to hold their breath. Over time, the habit of holding your breath and breathing shallowly can negatively impact health. When you consciously do not try to control your breathing, your body will take over and you will breathe in a more natural and healthy way. |
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