In today’s world where science and technology are leading the human race, people are compelled to live a life full of stress and unhappiness. Every second a person is suffering from physical and emotional problems in one way or another. People look for ways to live a calm, contented and peaceful life. A very simple and easiest way of living a stress-free life is by practising meditation.
What is Meditation?
Meditation can be defined as a set of techniques that bring our awareness to the present moment, bringing our mind to an emotionally calm and stable state. Someone has perfectly quoted “Meditation is a simple tool to bring you back to the present in stressful situations.”
(Image of meditation quote is recommended)
“Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom” – James Allen
Origin of Meditation
Meditation is an ancient practice that is believed to have originated in India several thousand years ago. Since ancient times till today numerous spiritual Gurus of India have shown the world the path of self-awareness and consciousness. Swami Vivekananda, ParamhansaYogananda, B.K.S. Iyengar, BikramChoudhary, ShriShri Ravi Shankar, Sadhguru are few to name amongst others who brought meditation to a new level and gave it a well-deserved recognition in the world.
Types of Meditation
With time, ways and techniques of meditation have also evolved. Though the goal and purpose of all types of meditation is same, still one can adopt other techniques based on their needs, demands and comfort. Let’s list out few popular types of meditations.
. Mindfulness Meditation
. Spiritual Meditation
. Focused Meditation
. Movement Meditation
. Mantra Meditation
. Transcendental Meditation
. Progressive Meditation
. Loving-Kindness Meditation
. Visualisation Meditation
As we can see that meditation and its types is a vast area to talk about, here we’ll discuss about the most popular one i.e. Mindfulness Meditation.
There are a number of books and Apps available to guide beginners about the technique and benefits of Mindfulness. Several YouTube channels and Podcasts are easily accessible that make it easy and convenient to follow mindfulness. These guided programs help in keeping records too of day to day progress and the journey towards a calmer state of mind.
Mindfulness Meditation
- What is Mindfulness Meditation?
Mindfulness is an ability to be present and aware of the physical body and surroundings without reacting on what’s going around us. Almost every task we do in a day can be done more mindfully – be it eating breakfast, taking shower, cooking food or talking with friends. When we become mindful of our actions, we pay more attention to what we are doing.
- How to do Mindfulness Meditation?
The simplest way of meditation practice is mindfulness.
- Take a comfortable sitting.
- Pay attention to the breath.
- Return back, when your attention wanders.
Once mindfulness is built in our daily life, we can practice it even when we are too busy to meditate.
- Ways to practice Mindfulness
Most of the time a person lives in his mind, rather than connecting with the world around. Mind is always pre-occupied with memories, thoughts and worries, which can be emptied and deeply settled through mindfulness. Here are a few easy ways of practicing mindfulness in daily life.
- Observe breathing
- Connect with the senses
- Eat mindfully
- Listen whole-heartedly
- Lose yourself in doing things that you love
- Observe thoughts and emotions
- Meditate daily
Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
Increased popularity of meditation is a result of its innumerable health benefits. Its benefits are not just discovered by ancient spiritual Gurus but are proven scientifically as well. Some of the important benefits of Mindfulness are:
- Improved Physical Health
Mindfulness techniques help in improving physical health of a person. It helps in relieving stress. It treats heart diseases by lowering down the blood pressure. It also aids in reducing chronic pains and illnesses, and solves the problem of insomnia too, thus contributing in increased physical health of a person.
- Improved Mental Health
Mindfulness cures number of mental health issues like anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, eating disorders etc. Psychotherapists are using mindfulness as an important tool in treating these mental issues effectively.
- Improved Overall well-being
Mindfulness contributes in living a satisfied life by allowing a person to get fully involved in activities he does. It helps in reducing worries and keeps the mind calm, stable, free of random thoughts.
Beginners Guide for Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness Exercises
Apart from mindfulness meditation, there are various interesting games and activities that one can try to gain mindfulness. Let’s have a look at few of these activities.
- Mindful Coloring
- Go on a Nature Walk
- Yoga Practice
- Read Positive Affirmations
- Listen to Music
- Do Craft and Creative things
- Smell Scents
These exercises will not only help in cultivating inner peace but also will enhance the mindfulness of a person. Thus, Mindfulness is a key to have good physical, mental and emotional health. Practicing it regularly makes a person more content and focused, helps increase patience and reduces negative emotions and makes you a better person!