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Meditation is Medicine
By dictionary definition, "meditation" means to reflect upon, ponder, or contemplate. It can also denote a devotional exercise of contemplation or a contemplative discourse of a religious or philosophical nature. The word meditate comes from the Latin meditari, which means to think about or consider. Med is the root of this word and means "to take appropriate measures." In our culture, to meditate can be interpreted several ways. For instance, you might meditate on or consider a course of action regarding your child's education, or a career change that would entail a move across the country. Viewing a powerful movie or play, you may be moved to meditate upon—or ponder—the moral issues plaguing today's society.
When we meditate, we inject far-reaching and long-lasting benefits into our lives: We lower our stress levels, we get to know our pain, we connect better, we improve our focus, and we're kinder to ourselves.
FAQs
How Do You Meditate?
To meditate you sit comfortably and quietly with your eyes closed and effortlessly and silently inside repeat a word or a short phrase called a mantra. Your mantra can be any word, sound, prayer or short phrase you like that is in your native language.
I Keep Getting Side Tracked, How Can I Focus?
Start by relaxing your muscles, first in your feet, calves, and thighs, and then by shrugging your shoulders and rolling your head and neck around. Then for the first minute sit quietly with your eyes closed and do nothing. During that minute thoughts will come and notice that those thoughts come simply and without any effort. Then after a minute or so, silently inside start thinking your mantra in the same simple, effortless way as other thoughts came during that first minute.
How Long Should I Do It For?
Slowly repeat thinking your mantra in that same simple, effortless way for 15-30 minutes. (Choose the amount of time based on what suits you.) As you repeat thinking your mantra, thoughts will come and that’s okay; having thoughts during meditation is natural. When thoughts do come, gently return to thinking your mantra in the same simple, effortless way as thoughts come. At times you may be thinking the mantra unclearly, and that's okay. At times you may not be thinking the mantra at all but rather it may come as just a faint sense or feeling of the mantra, and that's okay. And at times thoughts and the mantra may disappear entirely but you are fully aware in silence and stillness, and that's okay.
Why Don't I Feel Anything?
During meditation it is important that you not TRY to meditate or make anything happen. Instead you must always relax into effortlessness and let the mantra come in the same simple, effortless way as thoughts come. When you "try to make meditation happen" that will diminish the benefits of meditating, and it can cause pressure in your head or even a headache. The key to meditating is to do nothing.
Avoid looking for experiences or signs of progress or failure with your meditation because that hinders meditation. Just be confident that after some time you will start to notice the benefits of meditating during your day. You may be happier, feeling more at ease and calmer, and getting along better with others. You may start noticing these benefits soon, or it may take up to six months of meditating regularly before you start to notice these benefits. So just get in the habit of meditating regularly and then stick with it. And be patient with yourself – if you stop meditating for a day or two, just go back and start meditating again.
What Are The Benefits Of Meditation?
When we meditate, we can enhance our focus and decision-making and lessen our feelings of fear and stress. The result: by fundamentally shifting the way we relate to our thoughts and feelings, we can dial down the intensity of emotions that tend to take hold of us, and ultimately experience a greater sense of calm, clarity, and focus in our lives.
The particular benefits of daily generalized meditation are well-documented and widespread, ranging from reduction in anxiousness and lower blood pressure to increased immunity and better sleep.
Researchers from John Hopkins University found general mindful meditation programs helped ease psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety, and pain related to stress. According to another study using a generalized form of meditation, people who meditate have lower levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with physical and emotional stress. Generalized meditation has also been shown to improve sleep quality and, for those with chronic pain, increase pain tolerance.
Try It Out
A Basic Meditation for Beginners
The first thing to clarify: What we’re doing here is aiming for mindfulness, not some process that magically wipes your mind clear of the countless and endless thoughts that erupt and ping constantly in our brains. We’re just practicing bringing our attention to our breath, and then back to the breath when we notice our attention has wandered.
Meditation is simpler (and harder) than most people think. Read these steps, make sure you’re somewhere where you can relax into this process, set a timer, and give it a shot:
- Take a seat. Find a place to sit that feels calm and quiet to you.
- Set a time limit. If you’re just beginning, it can help to choose a short time, such as five or 10 minutes.
- Notice your body. You can sit in a chair with your feet on the floor, you can sit loosely cross-legged, you can kneel—all are fine. Just make sure you are stable and in a position you can stay in for a while.
- Feel your breath. Follow the sensation of your breath as it goes in and as it goes out.
- Notice when your mind has wandered. Inevitably, your attention will leave the breath and wander to other places. When you get around to noticing that your mind has wandered—in a few seconds, a minute, five minutes—simply return your attention to the breath.
- Be kind to your wandering mind. Don’t judge yourself or obsess over the content of the thoughts you find yourself lost in. Just come back.
- That’s it! That’s the practice. You go away, you come back, and you try to do it as kindly as possible.
- Close with kindness. When you’re ready, gently lift your gaze (if your eyes are closed, open them). Take a moment and notice any sounds in the environment. Notice how your body feels right now. Notice your thoughts and emotions.
Learn More
If you’re interested in trying meditation, but do not know where to start, here’s a list of different types of meditation practice from HeadSpace.com