The practice of meditation of any kind can have significant benefits for our mental and physical health. There are literally hundreds of different meditation techniques and philosophies behind each to support the different practices.
Meditation offers time for relaxation and heightened awareness in a stressful world where our senses are often dulled. Research suggests that meditation has the potential for more than just temporary stress relief.
Now, more than ever, knowing how to slow down and take the time to contemplate our lives and the situation we now find ourselves in, may be of benefit to all of us. Meditation can fill that space.
Making a choice as to which form of meditation technique you choose to follow really comes down to what you believe in and what you are seeking to discover or change about yourself. No one but you can answer those questions and dilemmas. All meditation can do is, hopefully, point you in the right direction on your personal path to enlightenment.
Meditative practices are to be found in cultures throughout the world and may or may not be linked to a specific religion, doctrine or philosophy. Some practices have the intention to raise awareness, spiritual or otherwise, or to enhance physical or mental well-being. Some try to help a practitioner change their lifestyle. Other techniques and disciplines may encourage a devotee to assimilate a particular kind of knowledge.
Where Meditation Can Help
If you’re intent on tackling goals such as those that come simply because you’re now retired and are searching for other meaningful ways to fulfill your life, learning to meditate may help you with your personal quest.
On another note, you may have some physical challenges and personal aspirations to address, which you believe that by taking care of your mind you’ll be more likely to find some answers. That’s another reason why learning to meditate may be of benefit to you.
3 Meditative Practices for the Novice
If you do your research you will find an unlimited variety and type of meditative practices to explore. We cannot know which would be the right one for you, however we can try to give you a little start with these three basic ideas.
Zen Meditation
Zen (Zazen) meditation is a Buddhist practice. This kind of meditation involves specific steps and postures and therefore most Zen practitioners study under a teacher.
Practice involves finding a comfortable seated position, and the goal is to focus on specific breathing techniques as well as mindful observation of one’s thoughts without judgment.
Zen meditation requires much discipline and practice. People may prefer it over other kinds of meditation if they are seeking both relaxation and a new spiritual path.
We recommend you do your own research to find a teacher whom you trust and are comfortable with. There are usually Zen Buddhism centres in most large cities where you can get more information.
Mindfulness
Probably the simplest form of meditation anyone can do, ‘mindfulness’ encourages the practitioner to remain aware and present in the moment, wherever they are. This means that rather than dwelling on the past or dreading the future, the person who practices mindfulness is always ‘in the moment’, aware of their surroundings and resists projecting judgements on the situation(s) they find themselves in. Being non-judgemental is crucial.
For example, rather than focusing on the annoyance of a long wait in a traffic jam, someone who is mindful will simply take note of the situation they are in without casting judgment.
Ways in which being mindful can help, especially in stressful situations:
- Reduce or eliminate a person’s fixation on negative thoughts and emotions
- Improve someone’s focus and enhance memory
- Can help fulfill satisfaction in a person’s relationships
- Lessen impulsive, emotional reactions and provide a calming effect
Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a spiritual form of meditation where practitioners adopt a seated position, learn techniques to regulate their breath and to breathe slowly, and focus on a mantra or a repeated word or series of words. Traditionally, those who take TM follow a course and are given a personal Mantra not to be shared ever with anyone else by their teacher on completion.
People who practice Transcendental Meditation report not only spiritual experiences but also a heightened sense of mindfulness.
Meditation Basics for the Beginner
Just to clarify: What you’ll be doing here is simply aiming for a state of mindfulness. This isn’t an exercise whereby you are magically going to be wiping your mind clear of the zillions of thoughts that continuously course through your head. You’ll simply be trying to focus your attention on your breathing, and to notice when your attention wanders from this exercise and bring your thoughts back to your breathing.
It’ll astonish you how quickly your brain starts to go off on its usual tangents and how you’ll have to refocus on your breath and breathing to get back on track.
Here’s what one website called mindful.org suggests you consider doing as a trial. You can then read their response to your efforts. Keep in mind that this is just one of many sites you can visit to figure out what works best for you.
So, how about we all take a time out and try what they suggest doing:
- Get comfortable and prepare to sit still for a few minutes. (After you finish reading these three points, you’re going to simply sit quietly and focus on your own natural inhalation and exhalation of breath for a while.)
- Focus on your breathing. Where do you feel your breath most? In your belly? In your nose? Try to keep your attention focused on your inhale and exhale.
- Follow your breath for two minutes. In other words, take a deep inhale, expanding your belly, and then exhale slowly, elongating the out-breath as your belly contracts. Repeat this over and over for the two minutes.
And So? What Happened?
Were there lots of little conversations and narratives running through your head? Did your mind wander off and all of a sudden you noticed you’d stopped concentrating only on your breathing?
Well, that’s normal and eventually, with practice, that continuous random thought pattern and endless mental chatter will not interrupt your meditation at all! And relaxation and peacefulness will prevail.
Discover More
Tibetan Buddhism, Tantric meditation, Kundalini yoga and Qigong are four other practices that may be of interest to you too. Discover more here.