The beauty of meditation extends beyond helping the body to relax — it also improves focus and encourages living life with positivity and optimism.
Meditation allows for the body and mind to become one, helping the individual to foster a friendship with their mind that promotes self-awareness and awareness of one’s surroundings.
The health benefits associated with meditation are plenty:
- Keeps the brain engaged
- Enhances memory
- Boosts feelings of optimism and positivity
- Alleviates pain
- Reduces stress
- Strengthens the immune system
- Improves the mood
If you have ever felt a little lost and stressed out, meditation might be a useful practice to help you focus on yourself as you get in touch with your feelings.
Meditation Techniques
If you’re looking to start your practice of meditation, the following techniques are helpful to induce calmness and stabilize the mind.
Deep Absorption Technique (Yogendra Laya)
Directions:
- Sit in an easy seated position or a meditative pose and close your eyes.
- Focus on your inhales and exhales and ignore everything else around you.
- Feel your body and mind relax.
- Try to maintain this pose for 10 minutes.
No-Movement Pose (Yogendra Nishpandhbhava)
Directions:
- Find a wall and lean against it, touching your head to the wall.
- Sit in a comfortable and relaxed position with your legs extended out in front of you. Keep your legs about 2-3 feet apart.
- Gently place your hands on your upper thighs, palms facing upwards, and drown out all the nearby sounds as you focus on the sound of vehicles in the distance.
- Hold this pose for 5 minutes as you concentrate on any sound in the distance.
Bee Breath (Bhramari)
Directions:
- Sit in an easy seated position or a meditative posture.
- Inhale deeply through the nostrils.
- As you exhale, let out a deep hum like a bee.
- Repeat this breathing technique five to 10 times.
Tips for Effective Meditation
Some helpful tips to ease you into your practice:
- Make sure to be in a relaxed and comfortable position.
- Breath normally and naturally — don’t try to control or hold your breath.
- Develop your focus and concentration skills.
- Try to look at life with more optimism.
- Practice gratitude often.
- Join a community.
- Reflect on your day from start to finish.
The content of this Website is for informational purposes only, is general in nature and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and does not constitute professional advice. The information on this Website should not be considered as complete and does not cover all diseases, ailments, physical conditions, or their treatment. You should consult with your physician before beginning any exercise, weight loss, or health care program and/or any of the beauty treatments.
References:
Courtesy The Yoga Institute, Santacruz (E), Mumbai
Yogendra, S. H. (2014, November 29). How to meditate. Retrieved from http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/how-to-meditate/
Zen habits : Breathe. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://zenhabits.net/meditation-guide/
