What comes to mind when you hear the word “Meditation?”
I used to think of meditation and picture someone sitting with legs crossed, fingers clasped, while saying “OM.” I would think of sitting in a room with lit candles and incense burning while trying to clear my mind or think of nothing.
Dictionary.com defines the word “meditate” as: to engage in thought or contemplation; reflect.
As the definition states, meditation can be defined very broadly.
You can meditate while at the office, washing the dishes or mowing the lawn. When you shift your and attention to one thing, you are meditating.
Research shows that there are many benefits that come from meditating. To gain the most from meditating, experts suggest a practice done everyday for several months.
Here are some of the most popular meditation techniques used today:
- Breathing – bringing your attention to your breath, counting the number of breaths you take and concentrating on deep breathing.
- Mantra – repeating a word or phrase that is meaningful or significant to you.
- Visualization - using your imagination to create a peaceful place that you can go to.
- Body Sensations – paying attention to the sensations that you are feeling in your body.
- Nature – spending time contemplating while surrounding yourself with nature. This could be a long walk through a nature trail or simply sitting on a park bench and enjoying a beautiful day.
- Mindfulness – becoming aware of the present moment, letting go of the past and taking a break from your anticipation of the future.
- Audio Tones/Binaural Beats – listening to recordings that have certain tones embedded in them that create brain wave patterns of desirable states.
- Guided Meditation – following the instructions of an expert while they talk you through a meditation session either in person or on a recording.
Using any of these techniques can be beneficial to you. They will have a calming effect on your mind and increase overall feelings of well-being and happiness.
I will go into further details on the benefits of the different types of meditation in future posts.
For now you can begin to think about what it is you want to get out of a meditation program. This will help you select the best program for your specific goals from better health to personal improvement, to living a more balanced life.
Best,
Scott Whitlock
