The practice of meditation is an activity that produces
essential benefits for all kinds of people. Indeed, an enormous multitude of
people who meditate frequently testify to the usefulness of this exercise in
their daily lives.
Each person has a particular and distinct motivation for
practicing meditation, and in the end, any reason is perfectly valid.
What is important is that you
meditate. You can do it daily; you can do it with the rhythm that you believe
convenient but, the important thing is that you do it.
Meditation will be helpful for many purposes: from the necessary
relaxation of your daily activities, which is usually called
"de-stress," to achieve the old Socratic maxim that says "know
yourself".
There is no single reason to
decide to meditate as a regular discipline. And all reasons are good for making
this sensible decision. It would help if you discovered yours and get started.
Now, for anyone new to meditation
for the first time, the same question always comes to mind: how to start meditating?
And perhaps, not having an answer at hand will make you
unmotivated, but nothing to see, do not lose your desire to meditate. There are
many ways to start your meditation exercises.
First of All, Focus Your
Attention on The Reasons You Have for Meditating
As you have just seen, the
reasons for starting your meditation exercises can be very varied.
The first actual reason to think about meditating is stress.
Because of the states of tension that daily life generates (work, studies,
suffering from a nervous disease, etc.), many people seek meditation to get out
of this kind of situation.
However, some people have
spiritual concerns that they know they can address by approaching them through
meditation. It may be that you want to increase your creativity, or control
your inner self, or develop a smooth and continuous connection between your
mind and your body.
But the simple need to be at peace with yourself, achieve a
sense of mental balance, or relax are reasons enough to do it.
In reality, you don't need
complex motivations, and you don't have to look for them to start meditating.
In short, this exercise will be helpful to you, even if it is only to calm your
moods, your anxieties, your obsessions.
How to Start Meditating?
It would help if you chose a quiet place where you can begin to do your meditation exercises; it is vital to avoid all kinds of distractions.
It would be good to start by turning off the
TV and the cell phone because you need silence.
Close the door of the place where you are to isolate yourself
from the noises of the environment.
If you wish, you can help
yourself by lighting some incense sticks or perhaps a scented candle.
If it is at night, it would be better if you turn off the lights
to reach a better concentration.
Use A Meditation Cushion (Zafu)
In more than a few cases and for
people who are new to meditation, getting the help of a meditation cushion has
helped them.
These cushions known as zafus help you maintain the correct
posture and get the energy to flow correctly between your body and mind.
You already know that there are two basic types, the classic
round (or circular) and the crescent-shaped, you have to choose the one that
best suits you.
Meditation cushions give you the
advantage of not having a backrest to rest your body on, forcing you to remain
upright and thus making it possible for your energy to move freely and keep you
focused on the exercise.
In case you do not have one and do not want to buy one because
of indecision of any kind, you can use a pillow or the cushion of an armchair.
This unobtrusive gadget will help
you sit for a long time without cramping your legs. It may be that a cushion is
not the support you need; if so, do not hesitate to use an ordinary chair.
In principle, take your torso off the back of the chair, but try
to keep your back straight and free of tension. If necessary, let your torso
rest on the back of the chair until you can start meditating again.
The upright position on the chair
will help you to achieve good concentration, starting with your breathing. You
should inhale and exhale the air being fully aware of every moment of the
process.
Try to Do Your Meditation at A
Precise Time
What is necessary is that when
you start meditating, you are not interrupted by anything or anyone, so
choosing a suitable time is very important for you and your exercise.
In some cases, the morning hours are the best; in others, it is
the evening hours. If you are a beginner, choose when you are pretty relaxed,
calm, and above all alone.
Don't Worry About Anything Else
When you sit down to meditate,
the only thing that should be on your mind is the meditation itself, the
breathing, and keeping your back straight.
The position in which you should have your arms and legs is
secondary. If you are sitting on a zafu, your legs should be folded close to
your body. If you are sitting on a regular chair, leave your arms and hands
where they feel comfortable.
The Position of The Head
Generally speaking, the head
should be aligned with your spine; this position's purpose is that the energy
can flow freely between your body and your head. Some people recommend tilting
the head forward a little.
For them, this facilitates the opening of the chest and favors
full breathing. On the other hand, it is indifferent whether you have your eyes
closed or open, although some recommend closing them to avoid distractions.
Keep Your Attention Focused on
Breathing
The critical element of
meditation is breathing. In fact, for quite a few people, meditation consists
precisely of this. Thinking or not thinking about specific things should be out
of your objectives when meditating.
There are even times when trying to "think" about a
particular item capable of producing a completely adverse effect on meditation;
it can create tension.
If you focus your attention only
on the breath, after a short time, your thoughts will disappear without any
effort; your thoughts cease to be the object of your attention.
The procedure consists of observing the whole breathing process:
the inhalation and exhalation of air, just that, from the moment it begins to
enter your nostrils until your lungs are full. And then the opposite process,
nothing else is needed.
The purpose of this is for you to
live the breath, to feel it in the present tense, or to analyze or describe it.
Neither (at least for the moment) put words to name each instant, each thing
you perceive from the breath. Just live it, experience it in each of its phases.
When it happens that you realize
you are thinking about your everyday things again, don't worry either.
When that happens, simply resume your observation and perception
of the breath. After a short while, you will be back to concentrating on your
own until your exercises are finished.
Put A Time Limit on Your
Meditation
Suppose it is true that advanced
meditators (mainly yogis) can meditate for hours and hours, in your case. In
that case, you are an urban person with hundreds of activities to complete each
day, and with a lot of responsibilities, this is not recommended.
On average, you can do your meditation exercises for about 20
minutes daily.
To set this limit to your meditation, you can help yourself with an alarm clock, your cell phone, or other accessories that can give you a discreet notice of when those 20 minutes of your exercise are completed.
The day will come when those 20 minutes will be
extended, or you will come out of your meditation naturally without any external
warning.