Permanent Zen Blog: How to Meditate MIndfully
THE BASICS
Setting aside time for formal meditation is an important way to establish a routine and get comfortable with the practice. Although many people attempting to meditate complain about taking time out of their day, a few minutes a day can make a big difference. Meditation is a tool you can use anytime, anywhere to bring yourself back to the present in stressful situations.
Before you begin, you should decide how long you are going to meditate. While many seasoned meditators recommend 20 minute sessions twice a day, beginners can start by doing as little as 5 minutes once a day. You should also try to meditate at the same time each day—whether it's 15 minutes first thing in the morning or 5 minutes on your lunch hour. Whatever length of time you choose, try to make meditation a regular part of your daily routine. Set a gentle alarm to alert you when your time is up. Once you have decided on a time frame, try to stick to it. Don't just give up because you feel like it isn't working. It will take time and practice to achieve successful meditation. Right now, the most important thing is to keep trying.
The purpose of mindfulness meditation is to pay closer attention to the present moment (especially our own thoughts, emotions and sensations) throughout all parts of our life, not just when you’re sitting on the cushion.
Follow your breathing
The most basic and universal of all meditation techniques, breathing meditation, is a great place to start your practice. With your eyes opened or closed, breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Put your attention to the sensation of the breath going to your nose and the sensation of the breath going out of your mouth. Focus in particular on the sensation that the breath causes on the skin on the tip of your nose on the way in and the sensation that the breath causes on the skin of your lips on the way out. The focus is on the sensation of the breathing, not the breathing itself.
Don't pass judgement on how you’re breathing, the breathing pattern and don’t count your breathes. Just breathe normally. Just attempt to know your breath and be aware of it.
Body Scan
Instead of training your attention on the breath, the body scan involves systematically focusing on different sensations and areas, from the head to the toes. Start at the top of your head. Slowly and deliberately, bring your attention to the surface of your skin, one inch at a time. See if you can feel your scalp, your ears, your eyelids and your nose. Continue in this manner, moving across the face, over the ears, down the neck and shoulders and all the way down to your toes.
At first, it might seem as if you don’t feel anything at all. But as you progress, you might begin to notice a whole world of new sensations. Some of the feelings might be pleasant, a gentle warmth, a comfortable weight. Some feelings might be neutral — tingling or itching. And some might be unpleasant. Your feet might feel soreness somewhere.
Whatever the sensation is, just note it. If you need to move to relieve real pain, do so. But try not to react — labeling the experience good or bad — even if it’s unpleasant. Instead, just acknowledge what it is you’re feeling, and continue with the body scan. And of course, if you realize your mind has wandered, simply note the thought, and return your attention to the body
Concentrate on a simple visual object
In a similar way to focusing on a sensation, you can use a simple visual object to focus your mind and allow you to reach a level of deeper consciousness. This is a form of open-eye meditation, which many meditators find helpful.
The visual object can be anything you wish. The flame of a lit candle can be particularly pleasant. Other possible objects to consider include: crystals, flowers, or pictures of divine beings such as the Buddha. Place the object at eye level, so you don't need to strain your head and neck to view it. Gaze at it until your peripheral vision starts to dim and the object consumes your vision.
When the Mind Wanders
It’s inevitable: During meditation, your mind will roam. You may notice other sensations in the body, things happening around you, or just get lost in thought, daydreaming about the past or present, possibly judging yourself or others.
There’s nothing wrong with this — thinking is just as natural as breathing, as it’s natural conditioning of the mind to wander.
When this happens, simply notice what it is you were thinking about or what was distracting you, then take a moment and pause, let go of whatever it was you were thinking about, reopen your attention, then gently return your awareness to the breath, being present for each inhalation and exhalation.
Building the skill of meditation is in the practice of coming back again and again. Notice the thought and then pause, and then come back to the present moment.
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To overcome the root cause of depression or anxiety, Reiki in New York, as well as Spiritual Counseling can prove to be powerful solutions.
Reiki is a technique of transferring the universal energy to the patient by the practitioner to area of the body where it is needed. Turning to Individual Reiki Sessions NYC can help you regain the natural flow of energy that our bodies need to be relaxed, happy and healthy.
Namaste!