Nowadays, people who have a busy and hectic routine focused on work and daily obligations are more common than ever. Unfortunately, an unbalanced routine often leads to a poor quality of life ; this mostly affects the individual both physically and mentally.
This also occurs when you fail to maintain habits that bring well-being into your routine , such as meditation . Here, you will find out what meditation is, what benefits it brings and tips for meditating .
If you are interested and would like to know how it can improve your quality of life, continue reading!
What is meditation?
Meditation is an ancient practice, well known in Asian religions and practiced for nearly 2,500 years. It started in India but spread over years across other Asian countries and finally to other continents. In straightforward words, the practice involves the exercise of focusing attention on breathing and observing thoughts .
However, opposite to what most people believe, meditation has nothing to do with a supposed ability to silence thoughts. Thinking is a natural activity of our brain – after all, on average, we have about 6 thousand thoughts per day, according to a study.
The practice of meditation has quite a number of definitions depending on the type one is undertaking. In Western societies specifically, concentration and mindfulness are two of the most popular practices. Rather, meditation focuses the attention on a particular object, whether it is on oneself or the outside world, in order to achieve self-control of both the mind and body.
In concentrative practice, you must focus entirely on a specific object , ignoring everything else around you. This object can, in fact, be physical, but it can also be your breath or a mantra, for example.
In mindfulness practice , recommended as a good type of meditation for anxious people and also known as full attention meditation, you must dedicate your concentration to awareness and the present state .
Regardless of the type of meditation, all of them bring benefits to mental and physical health . Let’s see below how it can contribute to improving your quality of life.
What are the benefits of meditation?
There are several benefits that meditation can provide, both physical and mental. Check out some of them:
- reduces stress;
- controls anxiety;
- promotes self-knowledge ;
- improves emotional health;
- increases attention and focus;
- improves sleep ;
- promotes improved memory;
- reduces blood pressure;
- provides pain relief.
Apart from all these advantages, this is a low-cost practice open to everyone. The sole condition is that you have to come for the practice. In the next topic, we shall demonstrate some tips on how you can do this.
4 tips for meditating and improving your quality of life
Check out the 4 tips below that will help you start meditating today!
1. Choose a suitable location
Although it is possible to meditate in noisy places, especially for those who are just starting out, it is best to start your practice in a calm, quiet and orderly place. This is because, at the beginning, your ability to concentrate is not yet very developed and it will be tempting to change your focus.
Consequently, external sounds or the movement of people, if you choose to meditate with your eyes open, can become another reason for distraction. By doing this, you ensure your commitment to the habit and to yourself.
2. Choose a comfortable position
When we talk about meditation, the first image that comes to mind is that of monks sitting in that famous lotus pose with their legs crossed. Well, don’t think that you can meditate only this way. Meditation can be done in different positions; you can sit, lie down or even stand up. And you have the freedom to select the one that feels the best as you begin your meditation!
However, be aware that when meditating lying down, you can fall asleep -there is a risk. It may happen that you have decided to meditate after work when you are exhausted. After all, although meditation means to watch attentively and live here and now, it does simultaneously cause relaxation at the same time.
Regardless of the posture chosen, then ensure that you are straight as much as possible. It will prevent difficulty in breathing, which should never be forced, but it will also help you to meditate for a longer time.
But do not let this become a problem or obstacle in any way. If you cannot, then with continued training you will obtain the proper posture .
3. Focus on your breathing
As we have already mentioned, different forms of meditation employ various objects of attention. The best introductory practice, most likely, is paying attention to your breathing. You can see how air goes into your nostrils and out again, or feel the lumps filling up and emptying with that process, and notice the sensations that arousal causes. If you cannot do that, then the basics for now can be counting your exhalations.
4. Take time and schedule
Although you are able to meditate just once, you can still experience some of the benefits of meditation, which include reduced stress levels and better control of anxiety. However, if you want to reap these benefits for a long time in a consistent manner, you have to make meditative practice a habit . It is frequency and consistency that will bring greater, long-term benefits.
Decide on a specific time and make sure to write it in your schedule; it suggests meditating. One may meditate early in the morning, during the lunch hour to energise oneself for the rest of the day, or late in the evening upon returning home, or even just before going to bed.
We understand that your routine is not the least bit free as it may sound; however, it need not be that much. If you are a beginner, it makes sense to begin with a rather small duration: 5 minutes doesn’t hurt. As you form the habit and feel the changes in your body, it is more likely that you will increase your time on meditation. For now though, slowly and gradually, you may increase this number until you reach your preferred time.
With these meditation tips, you now have everything you need to start the habit. But don’t put them into practice until you’ve forgotten them. Ignore the urge to do everything perfectly and start meditating today . Even so, if you still have difficulty, consider having a meditation instructor to help you start your practice.
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