In a world full of stressors and distractions, staying calm, focused, and at peace is a superpower. The good news is that anyone dedicated and committed enough can learn this skill.
All you need is a quiet place, a few moments to yourself, and a quick guide on how to meditate properly (*wink wink*).
Imagine a superpower that allows you to transform a chaotic environment into a peaceful temple. That's the magic that meditation provides.
However, it only works if you do it properly, and that's what I'm here for. Let me show you how to get in the zen and stay there.
The Purpose Of Meditation
The world will not suddenly and magically turn into a paradise when you meditate. Meditation is not about changing the world, after all.
Instead, it's about changing how you perceive and navigate yourself in any environment. In other words, it's about going inward to find that deeper sense of calmness.
What does that bring to your life? Well, that depends, but generally, people who are practicing meditation do it for the following:
1. To Optimize Your Physical and Mental Health
Got high blood pressure, increased levels of anxiety, body pains, or even irritable bowel syndrome? Numerous studies have shown that meditation practices help reduce stress, which, in turn, reduces the aforementioned symptoms or conditions.
I know these advantages may sound too abstract that they're hard to believe, but clear neuroscientific proof of meditation being a powerful tool for improving brain health has been around since 2012.
Gaëlle Desbordes, a radiology instructor and neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, found that meditation alters our brains' activation patterns.
The brain scans of the participants showed that even after a meditation session, their abilities to focus their attention to the present moment break the cycle of negative self-focus.
2. To Improve Your Focus
Who would've thought that the antidote to our decreasing attention span is something as simple as sitting down and taking everything in? Daily meditation practice significantly improves attention, allowing you to stay focused for extended periods.
This is also why productive people include meditation when forming a morning-to-night routine.
3. To Solve Your Problems
Okay. When you meditate, the utility bills will still come, traffic is still a pain in the neck, trying to explain memes to your grandparents will still be challenging, and accidentally stepping on a Lego will still hurt like hell.
But like I said, meditation is about the relationship between your inner self and the outside world. Meditation gives you the mental fortitude to stand strong in the face of life's challenges, regardless of how big or small these problems are.
Meditation Techniques
Before we get to the steps, I must clarify something first; just because someone is meditating differently doesn't mean it's the wrong way to do it.
There are so many types of meditation and mindfulness practice, allowing practitioners to be as versatile as they can.
Nonetheless, it pays to be familiar with the different types of meditation techniques so you can execute them all and keep your meditation practice interesting.
1. Breath Meditation
Your breath is a powerful thing. Taking low, deep breaths brings more oxygen to your brain, helping you feel more relaxed with a refreshed mind. As you exhale, you release carbon dioxide trapped in your lungs, which helps discard your body's toxins.
Breathing meditation is like gradually slowing life down with every inhale and exhale. The fact that you're paying close attention to the natural process of breathing also keeps you focused.
Familiarizing yourself with different breathing techniques should help you maximize this method.
2. Mindfulness Meditation
"Today is a gift; that's why it's called the present." Mindfulness meditation is akin to saying "thank you" to the present moment. If you've been a GoalsWon follower or client for a while now, you know how powerful gratitude is, and mindfulness meditation builds upon that power.
This approach includes activating all your senses and observing (or absorbing) what's going on around you. What do you smell? What do you hear? How does your body feel? These questions are at the core of mindfulness meditation.
Including mindfulness meditation in your morning routine should also equip you with the mental fortitude to face whatever the day entails.
3. Loving-Kindness Meditation
"Woah, we're halfway there. Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer!" If Bon Jovi ever meditated, this is probably his favorite technique. The loving-kindness meditation is almost like saying a prayer, except that you're simply sending kindness to the universe and believing that the universe will send it back to you.
Loving-kindness meditation includes mantras or statements like "May I be well, may I be happy, may I be peaceful, may I be loved." It's like gently tearing down our negative worldview and seeing that the world can be kind.
4. Moving Meditations
Have you ever seen those videos of a group of elderly people practicing what looks like slow kung fu? That's tai chi! And it's one of the most effective techniques for promoting body wellness. If you're unfamiliar with that, perhaps yoga will ring a bell. Still not? How about walking?
All of these are meditation practices. The core of this type of meditation is gentle or flowing movements. The gradual improvement of your focus as you move is enough to quiet your mind. Some formal meditation even goes so far as to combine yoga or tai chi with mindfulness practices.
5. Guided Imagery Meditation
Have you ever had a meditation teacher? It's probably time that you try it out. This transformative experience uses memories or mental images to keep you grounded. A teacher (in-person or online, or even an app) guides you through the journey by asking you questions.
It's like traveling through your mind to rediscover experiences that brought you bliss, making you feel relaxed and improving the overall quality of your life.
6. Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra is unlike traditional medication practices. It often requires a meditation cushion, but a clean, flat surface where you can lie down should suffice. Similar to guided imagery meditation, it also involves a teacher or someone to guide you.
As you lie on the floor, your guide will instruct you to follow specific mindful exercises to bring you to an enhanced state of awareness and relaxation.
How to Meditate Properly: The Steps
How do you feel about acquiring the power to summon calmness amidst chaos, and clarity amidst confusion? Like any other potent, effective spell, using this power requires carefully following a series of steps to be effective.
If you're ready to dive in, here's how to meditate properly and set your world in order.
1. Settling
You can't be in the Zen if you're not in the zone. Before beginning your meditation practice, you must ensure you're settled in. Find a spot in your home where you can be as peaceful as you can be.
Sit cross-legged on the floor or find a comfortable position on your chair. You can even lie down if you wish to (especially if you're trying to meditate in bed to promote sleep quality). Close your eyes and allow your body to take it all in.
2. Breathing
Take a deep breath by inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Visualize the air filling up your lungs and the oxygen reaching every cell in your body as you inhale.
Gently release the air. It doesn't matter if you make a sound, as long as the process of exhaling brings you a sense of calm. Do this continuously until you find your breathing's natural rhythm.
3. Checking In
Once you're settled in, conduct a whole body scan. Meditation, after all, is about your connection to your environment. Pay attention to your posture and slowly analyze the sensations coming from your body and whatever it touches.
Gently rest your arms on your legs and acknowledge everything you're currently experiencing from your senses. What do you smell? What can you hear? Is it hot? Do you taste anything?
4. Scanning
After the general check-in, it's time to hone in on specific body parts. Start from the head and work your way down to your toes. Spend around 20 seconds on each body part and observe for any discomfort or tension.
Repeat the process for each body part but this time, observe for body parts that feel relaxed. Then, slowly and gradually, turn your mind inward and be more aware of your thoughts.
It's very important that you don't try to change or manipulate them, just take notice. Shift this focus from your thoughts to your emotions. What do you feel? Again, simply take note of it and don't attempt to alter it as well.
Scanning as a form of focus technique in meditation should also increase your attention span in the long run.
5. Observing
The next step is to observe your breath. Again, it's not about "correcting" it but just merely observing. Take note of your chest rising and falling. Identify where the sensation comes from; belly, chest, or shoulder?
Are your breaths deep or shallow? Fast or slow? Long or short? Count every step of your breathing exercise. If you notice your mind is starting to drift off or some thoughts are rising to the surface, simply guide your mind back to the exercise.
6. Freeing the Mind
By "freeing the mind," I don't mean that it should be absent of thoughts, and free of worries. Instead, let your mind simply be itself. Let it wander where it wants to wander and think what it wants to think.
Don't pressure yourself into feeling calm and focused. If a thousand thoughts are bouncing around in your head, that's totally fine. Spend half a minute on this exercise where your mind has no restrictions for a while.
