A very simple way to apply different meditation methods in your daily life

A mind is made dull by a method. Because there is a seeking for something which the mind would judge to be either spiritual or extraordinary or peaceful. So if one has tried all the methods and come upon learning that no authority can give this to you, this thing which the mind is seeking, then the mind stops where it is. 

 

There is no longer any seeking. The mind is alone; aloneness in which there is beauty, peace, and tranquillity. To such a mind, meditation is not a practice. There is a quality of virtue in such a mind which is not brought about by suppression, control, and seeking. It happens when the mind is alone and hence free. Such a mind then, is in a state of meditation.

 

To be in a state of meditation implies to see very clearly. It is not possible to see clearly or be very involved in that which is seen when there is space between the observer and the thing observed. That is, when you see a flower in a garden or the flight of an eagle, when you see it, there is space, not only physically but psychologically, between you and the flower, between you and the eagle there is that space - psychologically. 

 

That space is made by thought, which is the observer. And so this division between you and the flower inwardly, in that division there is no perception. But when there is no thought, when there is no botanical information about that flower, when there is no like or dislike but only complete attention, then you will see that the space disappears, therefore you are in complete relationship with that flower, with that bird on the wing.

 

And when there is such quality of mind in which the space between the observer and the thing observed disappears and therefore the thing is seen very clearly, most passionately and intensely, then there is that quality of love and with that love there is beauty. When you love something greatly, not through the eyes of pleasure or pain, when you love, space disappears, both physically and psychologically. 

 

There is no me and you. It is only then, in that silence, which is of quite a different quality than the silence brought about by thought, it's only in that silence there is quite a different dimension, quite a different state, which you have to find out for yourself, nobody can open the door for you, nobody and no word, no description can measure that which is immeasurable. Unless this silence happens, life has very little meaning. And when it happens, there is a meditating mind and not ‘me’ meditating or ‘you’ meditating.

 

By using various meditation methods we are aiming to reach a state of relaxed alertness. One Tibetan master instructed her disciples learning meditation:

 

“Alert, alert yet relax, relax”

 

This state of mind is the goal of various meditation methods as well as the way to reach there. It is both the path and the goal of mindfulness meditation practices.

 

So this is an important tip to keep in mind when practicing any of the meditation methods. It is also one of the Tibetan Buddhism beliefs that has made their tradition so powerful.

 

 

TYPES OF MEDITATION

Here are some well-known ways to meditate on the following seven examples:

1. Loving-Liberal Meditation- Loving-Meditation is also known as Metta Meditation. The goal is to develop a person's love and compassion for everything, even the source of his enemies and stress.

While taking deep breaths, the practitioners express their sympathy for them. They then send messages of love to the world, to certain people, or to their loved ones. In most forms of this meditation, the key should be repeated over and over again, until the practitioner feels a loving-kind attitude.

Loving-generous meditation is designed to promote empathy and feelings of love both for others and for oneself.

2. Body Scan or Progressive Relaxation - Progressive relaxation, sometimes known as body scan meditation, is a meditation that encourages people to scan their bodies for arousal. The goal is to notice the tension and allow it to manifest.

During a progressive relaxation session, practitioners usually start at one end of their body with their legs and work through the whole.

Some types of progressive relaxation require people to stimulate and then relax the muscles. Others encourage a person to imagine a wave, flowing over their body to release tension.

Progressive relaxation can help promote a sense of serenity and relaxation. It can also help with chronic pain. Since it relaxes the body slowly and steadily, some people use this form of meditation to help them sleep.

3. Mindfulness Meditation - Mindfulness is a form of meditation that asks practitioners to be aware and present in the moment.

The attitude of the mind encourages a person to be aware of the existing environment instead of concentrating on the past or fearing the future. It lacks serious justice. So, instead of reflecting the annoyance of a long wait, a practitioner will simply note the wait without judgment.

Mindfulness meditation is something that people can do almost anywhere. While waiting in line at the grocery store, for example, a person can quietly notice the places around them, with the sights, sounds, and smells they experience.

One type of mindfulness involves most types of meditation. Breath awareness encourages practitioners to be aware of their breathing, while progressive relaxation draws attention to areas of arousal in the body.

Since mindfulness is a common subject of various types of meditation, it has been extensively studied.

4. Breath Awareness Meditation - Breath awareness is a form of mindfulness meditation that encourages the breathing of the mind.

Practitioners breathe slowly and deeply, counting their breaths or otherwise centering their breaths. The goal is simply to concentrate on breathing and to ignore other thoughts that enter the mind.

As meditation forms of mindfulness, breathing awareness offers many of the same benefits as mindfulness. These include reduced anxiety, improved concentration, and greater emotional flexibility.

5. Kundalini Yoga - Kundalini Yoga is a physically active form that combines deep breathing and movement with mantras. People usually learn or take classes from a teacher. However, one can learn poses and mantras at home.

Similarly in other forms of yoga, Kundalini yoga can improve physical strength and reduce pain. It can also improve mental health by reducing anxiety and depression.

For example, a 2008 study of elderly people with chronic low-back pain found that yoga reduced pain, increased strength, and improved overall mental health.

6. Zen Meditation - Zen meditation, sometimes called zazen, is a form of meditation that may be part of Buddhist practice. Many Zen practitioners study under a teacher because this type of meditation involves specific steps and gestures.

The goal is to find a comfortable position, to focus on breathing, and to observe one's thoughts without judgment.

Again, this form of meditation is similar to mindfulness meditation, requiring more discipline, concentration, and practice. So people may like it if they are looking for both relaxation, flexibility, and a new spiritual path.

7. Transcendental Meditation - Transcendental meditation is a spiritual form of meditation where practitioners sit and breathe slowly. The goal is to transcend or rise above the present state of the individual.

During meditation sessions, practitioners focus on a mantra or repetition of a word or a sequence of words. A teacher determines mantras based on complex steps, sometimes including the year of birth of the practitioner and the year of teacher training.

An alternative lets people choose their mantra. This more contemporary version is not technically trans central meditation, although it is seen as similar in most cases. A practitioner may decide to repeat “I am not afraid to speak in public” while meditating.

People who practice transcendental meditation report both spiritual experiences and fun attitudes.

 

Learning meditation and mindfulness - the challenges

 

These are some of my reflections as regards learning meditation and mindfulness that occurred to me as I was going through my day to day life over the past few days. I was disturbed because I was not practicing mindfulness and awareness as I went through the day the way I would have liked. I did some thinking and the following are the thoughts that came to me as I was practicing and learning meditation.

 Those of you who are interested in practicing awareness in your day to day life may find this useful. Practicing awareness takes us out of the mind and our habits of compulsive thinking; it helps users experience life more intensely; takes us out of the ego with its pain and problems and helps us to be sane. This is the connection between mindfulness and mental health.

 

Others can just read it anyway. You might find it interesting. This is I think essential in practicing and learning meditation in daily life.

 

Here then are my thoughts:

 

First one of the quotes by Confucius. This is one of the Confuciusquotations that I have found most useful and inspiring.

 

"From the age of fifteen I have been interested in learning, from the thirties I have established myself; from the forties, I have not strayed; from the fifties, I have known the commandments of heaven; Without violating it. "

 

It took Confucius 70 years of effort before he could follow his heart's desire without breaking the precepts.

 

Now some reflections on why I am finding it difficult to be aware, to be mindful.

 

I have had 40 years of being distracted, 40 years of being lost in the mind, 40 years of too much thinking, and going in the wrong direction completely.

 

For the past three years, I have taken an interest in eastern philosophy. In this time I practiced Vipassana regularly for about6 months. I was also regular in my mindfulness practice for a short period. So I have been practicing and learning meditation only for a short period.

 

I have a feeling of condemnation or judgment about myself because I am not being aware and mindful or not attempting to do so for a major part of the day. It is best to be aware of this feeling of condemnation and be free of it. This is a skillful means to encourage mindfulness for beginners.

 

Another reason why it is difficult to avoid being caught up in thoughts is that I am up face to face with unpleasant memories, my feeling of condemnation, and pain when I stop my compulsive thinking. But it is necessary to face this. The art of mindfulness, the path to awareness lies through this.

 

Aim for 5 seconds of mindfulness. You will have dropped the mind, for those 5 seconds you will have lived. The art of mindfulness requires repeated efforts to be aware after you catch yourself being distracted.

 

Right now I am looking at and remembering the times that I am not being aware and condemning myself for it. Instead of that shift your focus and congratulate yourself for the times that you are aware. 

 

Aim for 5 seconds of mindfulness and keep repeating every time you catch yourself being distracted.

 

It will need an effort but if you are free from your feeling of condemnation and do not feed it and distract yourself from it then it will become easier.

 

This is the way to practice mindfulness in daily life. You will be aware of and be practicing mindfulness. Relaxation will also follow as you are not being caught up in the mind and the ego. Beginning mindfulness is difficult as you are learning a new skill. As you develop the skillet will become easier.

 

Confucius said that it took his continuous efforts over a lifetime before he could follow his heart's desire and not break the precepts. And he started young. And he was Confucius.

 

This again goes to show that it is not at all surprising that you should be lost in your mind so frequently and for so long.

 

It will take a long time. Deal with the condemnation and start again when you suffer a relapse and find yourself distracted. Do this without getting discouraged. Focus on your successes and not on your failures. Expect to fail and start again repeatedly. This is the key to learning meditation in daily life.

 

You may never reach a point where you can follow your heart's desire without breaking the precepts (that is being aware without effort). You may never reach your goal (of being aware all through the day every moment of the day).

 

But the journey is important and you will be living while you are on that journey. Every moment, every second that you are mindful of is a moment that you have lived and lived well. Be happy with that, think of that congratulate yourself for that. It is not that you will start living only after having achieved the goal.

 

 

Meditation and alternative medicine

 

Meditation and yoga have always been one of the most effective ways of treatment. And now many doctors use it as an alternative method of treatment. In many cases, our specialists combine yoga classes with meditation techniques which help a lot.

 

They provide care for people who have to undergo rehabilitation and long treatment after they have broken their spinal column or legs. In this case, yoga and meditation can help a lot. Find out more about our meditation classes here. Yoga helps to regain motion again. Many doctors offer their patients yoga classes because they cannot move their legs and hands. And meditation helps to relieve pain and keep of stress.

 

When people suffer from pain they do not see the ways to solve their problem. They get into a stressful situation. And in this case, the unity of body and mind can help a lot. Also, yoga and meditation should be used alongside with proper nutrition. What we eat and drink matters a lot. 

 

Proper nutrition helps to keep the body in good condition. Proper diet and nutrition will help to avoid a lot of problems with health in the future. You should eat only healthy food. Yoga teaches us about the unity of body and mind. And proper nutrition keeps your body in good form. 

 

People who suffer problems with health required additional force to help them. And we help other people change their life for the better. That is our mission. That is our job and we like doing it. Everything will be over in the future. And there will be a better life in the future. 

 

 

Five top tips on how to meditate - meditation guide for beginners

 

Five top tips on how to meditate - meditation guide for beginners To develop a meditation skill it is necessary to practice a lot. You think that you know everything about what meditation gives us. And you sure you're ready to meditate. 

 

However, you may be disappointed from the start. Our mind is in a constant stream of idle talk. Thus, it becomes impossible for us to sit still even for a short period. Meditation is the way to mind clarification. This is the practice of silence.

 

Restore your sleep. If you don't sleep enough, it's better to rest before to proceed to meditation. It is difficult to achieve progress in meditation if you want to sleep all the time.

 

Meditate in a favorable environment. Choose the place where you'll feel yourself in the element. Avoid loud music, it will distract you, especially if you are new to meditation.

 

Do not eat a heavy meal before meditation. After a heavy meal, blood flow is directed to the digestive organs. Blood diverted from all parts of the body - including the brain - for better digestion. Therefore, you tend to feel sleepy.

 

Avoid pain. Meditation doesn't have to be a painful exercise. It is a practice for quieting your mind, do not be too strict to yourself. It is not necessary to sit on the bare wooden floor meditating for a few hours to learn how to meditate.

 

Concentrate. To stop thoughts in your mind it is important to choose the object on which you can concentrate at the beginning of meditation. Some people use a rosary, other candles. Experienced people use breathing techniques.

 

For those who have not learned to meditate before but want to learn, here is an easy way to follow. Stay here and forget about the past and the future all the time now just concentrate on the present moment. Forget about all the places where your body is focused on.