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Are you feeling some tension in your body and mind? Do you get easily stressed because of office work or never-ending traffic congestion? Maybe you need to take a break and spare some time to meditate.
A 2011 research from Harvard University found that meditation can help you increase your ability of learning, memory, self awareness, introspection and even compassion.
According to the research, meditation is proven to help increasing the density of the grey part of our brainsthe one in the hippocampus. The improvement will make a healthier and sharper mind. The best part is meditation can make our brains as good as new in only eight weeks. Seems like its the habit that we'd need, right?
Here are some tips to meditate and make it your habit.
1. Find a peaceful place
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Find a place where you can be alone and free from distraction, like an area with a total silence, for a perfectmeditation venue. If you feel some light music can help you to relax, you can play them during meditation. Studies found white noise will help relieve stress and increase concentration. Turn off TV, mobile phone, radio or anything that may distract you.
2. Have enough time
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Meditation should take a minimum of 15 minutes. If the time is too short, you wont be able to enter the 'meditation zone' and take the full benefit of meditation. But if 15 minutes is too challenging, you can start small, like five minutes, then you can increase it step by step.
3. Find yourself a comfortable position
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Most of the meditation practices weve seen are done in sitting position, cross-legged, but it turns out that meditationshouldnt always be done in those position. You can either sit, stand or lie down as long as it's comfortable for you. You also need to keep your back straight along the process, dont slouch and remember to stay awake otherwise it's a nap, not a meditation anymore.
4. Close your eyes, or open them if you prefer.
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Meditation can be conducted with youreyes closed or open. But as a beginner, it will be easier to concentrate when your eyes open.
5. Follow your breathing
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As a basic technique of meditation, breathing practice is a good start. Breathe slowly and deeply, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. There are some mental images that will help you to focus on your breathe, such as a floating buoy in the ocean, a coin sitting above your navel, et cetera. Always aim for longer inhales and exhales. You can use counting numbers method to do this. For examples, count one to three when inhaling and one to seven when exhaling.
6. Clear your mind
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As a beginner, you can clear your mind by focusing on one thing, such as mantra or visual object. To help you focus, you can repeat a word, or a mantra, you choose. Some people use mantra Om to calm their minds and let them focus. The word represents ubiquitous consciousness. Or maybe Sanksrit words Sat, Chit, Ananda which mean Existence, Consciousness, Bliss.
Otherwise, you can use an object that will help you concentrate, such as a lit candle. It works just the same as mantra, as it helps you to reach a deeper level of concsiousness.
7. Visualize
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It's not necessary, but visualizing isone of the most popular meditation techniques.It involves creating a place in your mind where things are exactly what you want it to be. The place shouldnt be physically real, but its kind of a sanctuary where you can find peace and relieve. Explore the place in your mind until you reach a divine calmness.
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