Meditation is an approach to developing
the mind, similar to the way that fitness is an approach to training the body.
But many meditation techniques exist — so how do you learn how to meditate?
“In the Buddhist tradition, the word ‘meditation’ is equivalent to a word like ‘sports’ in the U.S. It’s a family of activities, not a single
thing,” University of Wisconsin neuroscience lab director Richard J. Davidson,
Ph.D. told The New York Times. And different meditation practices require
different mental skills.
Although it's very difficult to sit for hours and shun your mind
from any kind of thinking. In general, the easiest way to begin meditating is
by focusing on the breath — an example of one of the most common approaches to
meditation: concentration.
CONCENTRATION MEDITATION
Concentration meditation involves focusing on a single point.
This could imply following the breath, repeating a single word, staring at a candle flame, listening to a repetitive gong, or counting beads on a mala.
Since focusing the mind is challenging, a beginner might meditate for only a
few minutes and then work up to longer durations.
In this form of meditation, you simply refocus your awareness on
the chosen object of attention each time you notice your mind wandering. Rather
than pursuing random thoughts, you simply let them go. Through this process,
your ability to concentrate improves.
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
Mindfulness meditation advocates the practitioner to observe
wandering thoughts as they drift through the mind. The intention is not to get
involved with the thoughts or to judge them, but simply to be aware of each
mental note as it arises.
Through mindfulness meditation, you can see how your thoughts
and feelings tend to move in particular patterns. Over time, you can become more
aware of the human propensity to quickly judge an experience as good or bad,
pleasant or unpleasant. With practice, an inner balance develops.
In some schools of meditation, students practice a combination
of concentration and mindfulness. Many disciplines call for stillness — to a
greater or lesser degree, depending on the teacher.
OTHER MEDITATION TECHNIQUES
There are various other meditation techniques. For example, a
daily meditation practice among Buddhist monks focuses directly on the
cultivation of compassion. This involves envisioning negative events and
recasting them in a positive light by transforming them through compassion.
There are also moving meditation techniques, such as tai chi, qigong, and walking meditation.
BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
If relaxation is not the aim of meditation, it is often a
result. In the 1970s, Herbert Benson, MD, a researcher at Harvard University
Medical School, coined the term “relaxation response" after conducting
research on some people who practiced transcendental(nonnatural) meditation.
The relaxation response, in Benson’s words, is “an opposite, the involuntary response that causes a reduction in the activity of the sympathetic nervous
system.”
Since then, studies on the relaxation response have documented
the following short-term benefits to the nervous system:
·
Lower blood pressure
·
Improved blood circulation
·
Lower heart rate
·
Less perspiration
·
Slower respiratory rate
·
Less anxiety
·
Lower blood cortisol levels
·
More feelings of well-being
·
Less stress
·
Deeper relaxation
·
Awareness of the surrounding
Contemporary researchers are now exploring whether a consistent
meditation practice bears long-term benefits and noting positive effects on
brain and immune function among mediators. Yet it’s worth repeating that The purpose of meditation is not to achieve benefits. To put it as an Eastern
philosopher may say,” The goal of meditation is no goal. It’s simply to be
present.”
In Buddhist philosophy, the ultimate benefit of meditation is the liberation of the mind from attachment to things it cannot control, such as
external circumstances or strong internal emotions. The freed or “enlightened”
practitioner no longer needlessly follows desires or clings to experiences, but
instead maintains a calm mind and a sense of inner harmony.
HOW TO MEDITATE: SIMPLE MEDITATION FOR
BEGINNERS
This meditation exercise is an excellent introduction to
meditation techniques.
1.
Sit or lie comfortably.
2.
Close your eyes.
3.
Make no effort to control the breath; simply breathe naturally.
4.
Focus your attention on the breath and on how the body moves
with each inhalation and exhalation. Notice the movement of your body as you
breathe. Observe your chest, shoulders, rib cage, and belly. Simply focus your
attention on your breath without controlling its pace or intensity. If your
mind wanders, return your focus back to your breath.
Maintain this meditation practice for two to three minutes to
start, and then try it for longer periods.
