Meditation for a Healthier You
Meditation can lead to a more balanced life, a sharper mind, greater patience, mindfulness, improved physical health, and energy. We can learn to see beyond life’s illusions, thus changing our attitudes about life, people, and ourselves. We become more compassionate and understanding.
Meditation enhances health at three levels: physically, we begin to relax; mentally, our busied thoughts become quiet and focused; and spiritually, we get reenergized and are able to deal more lovingly and effectively with the people and events around us. By following a few simple steps, anyone can learn to meditate; even beginners may experience the calming effects of a few moments of purposeful silence.
If you would like to meditate, start by getting into a comfortable position. It’s probably best to sit in a chair to keep your spine straight, your feet flat on the floor, and your eyes closed. Find a comfortable position for your hands; place them either in your lap or at your sides. Slowly take a few deep breaths and begin to relax. Inhale the air deep into your lungs, hold it for a moment, then slowly exhale. With your mind, search your body for any obvious tension or tight muscles. You can try to relieve the tension by deep breathing, imagining that the area is relaxed, or by gently massaging any tightness with your fingertips. When you have finished becoming comfortable and relaxed, then you are ready to move on.
Next, focus your mind on a single, peaceful, calming thought. Instead of thinking about what went on at work or what has to be done with the remainder of your day, try focusing on a thought such as “God is love” or “I am at peace.” You can use any spiritual prayer or thought which is meaningful to you. These thoughts are also called “affirmations.” The first way to allow this affirmation to work is to try to clear your mind of everything else.
Once you begin to feel the meaning of the affirmation, you should attempt to hold this feeling in silent attention. You will begin to feel a sense of peace and serenity. Every time your mind starts to wander, it is helpful to first begin thinking of the words of the affirmation and then try to concentrate on the feeling behind them. Gently bring your focus back to the words of the affirmation. Don’t let yourself become discouraged when you find yourself thinking more about distractions than you are focusing upon the affirmation. It will take time to teach yourself to focus on one thought. Spend anywhere from three to fifteen minutes trying to hold the affirmation silently. Longer mediation periods can take place when you have built up some experience.
At the end of your meditation, send out prayers, good thoughts, or peaceful energy to others. If you have been focusing on love, then try to send a sense of that love to someone you are concerned about. Simply with a thought, you can also send out the energy of peace to others like family and friends.
In simplest terms, meditation is the practice of quieting our physical bodies and our minds, and focusing our attention inward instead of upon the world around us. As you begin to practice meditation daily, it will become easier. You might also notice that the sense of peace inside you during meditation will begin to carry over into the different parts of your day. Most important, we can learn through meditation that all the answers to all our questions about life are within us. All we have to do is ask and listen.
Meditation enhances health at three levels: physically, we begin to relax; mentally, our busied thoughts become quiet and focused; and spiritually, we get reenergized and are able to deal more lovingly and effectively with the people and events around us. By following a few simple steps, anyone can learn to meditate; even beginners may experience the calming effects of a few moments of purposeful silence.
If you would like to meditate, start by getting into a comfortable position. It’s probably best to sit in a chair to keep your spine straight, your feet flat on the floor, and your eyes closed. Find a comfortable position for your hands; place them either in your lap or at your sides. Slowly take a few deep breaths and begin to relax. Inhale the air deep into your lungs, hold it for a moment, then slowly exhale. With your mind, search your body for any obvious tension or tight muscles. You can try to relieve the tension by deep breathing, imagining that the area is relaxed, or by gently massaging any tightness with your fingertips. When you have finished becoming comfortable and relaxed, then you are ready to move on.
Next, focus your mind on a single, peaceful, calming thought. Instead of thinking about what went on at work or what has to be done with the remainder of your day, try focusing on a thought such as “God is love” or “I am at peace.” You can use any spiritual prayer or thought which is meaningful to you. These thoughts are also called “affirmations.” The first way to allow this affirmation to work is to try to clear your mind of everything else.
Once you begin to feel the meaning of the affirmation, you should attempt to hold this feeling in silent attention. You will begin to feel a sense of peace and serenity. Every time your mind starts to wander, it is helpful to first begin thinking of the words of the affirmation and then try to concentrate on the feeling behind them. Gently bring your focus back to the words of the affirmation. Don’t let yourself become discouraged when you find yourself thinking more about distractions than you are focusing upon the affirmation. It will take time to teach yourself to focus on one thought. Spend anywhere from three to fifteen minutes trying to hold the affirmation silently. Longer mediation periods can take place when you have built up some experience.
At the end of your meditation, send out prayers, good thoughts, or peaceful energy to others. If you have been focusing on love, then try to send a sense of that love to someone you are concerned about. Simply with a thought, you can also send out the energy of peace to others like family and friends.
In simplest terms, meditation is the practice of quieting our physical bodies and our minds, and focusing our attention inward instead of upon the world around us. As you begin to practice meditation daily, it will become easier. You might also notice that the sense of peace inside you during meditation will begin to carry over into the different parts of your day. Most important, we can learn through meditation that all the answers to all our questions about life are within us. All we have to do is ask and listen.
posted by Spirituality4YourSoul at 4:08 PM
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