Monday, July 20, 2009

Calm and Focus the Mind with Meditation

By Keira Adams

You likely are aware of the practice of meditation, but do you know exactly what it involves? Meditation is an exercise that requires intense focus on a particular thought or object to help direct the mind. Awareness is turned inward to the spirit.

It's thought that meditation techniques come from Vedic Hinduism origins, and it's a regular part of many eastern faiths. However western society has now taken up this practice wholeheartedly.

Individuals want to practice meditation for a number of reasons. There are people who engage in it to help them focus more on God; others aim for personal development. Many people notice better well being and peace of mind during this practice. There are also those who seek to achieve enlightenment through the practice of meditation.

Maybe you believe that meditating is simply another activity you should be doing to get healthier, sort of like dieting or exercising. Just about everyone who starts something new will have a vague awareness of what this activity will do for them. However, if you don't know what you expect to achieve, you probably won't keep on meditating in the long run.

Not having clear goals can make it difficult to know where to start. You might also become more easily discouraged when your results fall short of your expectations. The best thing to do is to begin by discovering what you hope to achieve from practicing meditation. Learn as much as possible about the best means by which to achieve that objective. Then, just jump in.

Theoretically, the practice of meditating is pretty easy. You just sit silently and focus on a certain object or thought. Actually, this is much more challenging than it seems. But your mind is always jumping from thought to thought, even if you may not be aware of it. And that makes it difficult to concentrate on only one idea at a time.

It's best, therefore, to start out slowly. Start by practicing your breathing. This is the secret to meditation. Settle yourself in a relaxed pose, then breathe in and out deeply and steadily for several minutes. Steady breathing helps you become more focused, a required skill for a successful meditation experience.

When you notice yourself thinking about other things while meditating, concentrate again on your breathing. Meditating is really just about focus. If you become aware that you've gone off target, simply guide yourself gently back to the right mental state. Don't get discouraged; learning to meditate takes time, so continue practicing.

Meditation can help you attain peace of mind. With all the difficulties we cope with every day at work, at home, and the world overall, it's vital that you regularly experience a few minutes of serenity. - 14130

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