When we speak of meditation, it is important to know that this is not some odd New Age activity, as our popular culture might often have it. It does not involve becoming some kind of zombie, vegetable, self-absorbed narcissist or Eastern philosopher. According to Jon Kabat Zinn, author of "Wherever You Go There You Are," meditation is simply about being yourself and knowing something about who that is. Meditation can help us see the ways our life path is unfolding and how the present moment influences those yet to come. There are three basic components to any meditation practice: mindfulness, practice and quiet.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is an ancient Buddhist practice that still has profound relevance for our daily lives. Mindfulness has nothing to do with Buddhism but, rather, with paying attention to what is happening in and around us. To practice mindfulness, you can simply practice paying attention on purpose, in the present moment without judgment. This simple practice is the heart of meditation and will cultivate clarity, awareness and acceptance of present-moment reality.
Breath Awareness
Breath awareness meditation requires staying with one full inhale as it comes in and one full exhale as it is releases, keeping your mind open and free for just this moment, just this breath. Let go of all ideas of getting someplace or doing anything right now. Just keep returning to the breath when the mind wanders, connecting moments of mindfulness together, breath by breath.
Samadhi
Samadhi is a Sanskrit word that means concentration or "single-pointedness." To try a samadhi meditation, you bring your entire focus to an object or to your breath and focus deeply into the awareness of the object. With practice, the mind becomes more adept at focusing and samadhi is very pleasant and calming. Try using a candle flame to practice a samadhi meditation. The key is to be gentle with yourself if your mind wanders. Meditation takes practice and energy for everyone.
Member Comments
cindisilva April 28
by cindisilva on April 28, 2011 at 6:00 PM
I invite you to watch my video on how to meditate on my you tube channel CindiSilva Teaches. You might also want to try the full body meditation. I hope this helps. A simple meditation exercise you can do any time, anywhere is breathe 3x, half smiling -- on the in breath pay attention to how it feels as the air goes into your nose as you inhale, and on the out breath pay attention to how it feels as the air leaves your nose as you exhale. I think of this as a happy up yourself meditation, because doing this simple meditation for about 1 minute brings you clarity, gives you a boost of energy and happiness by keeping you calm.
Cindi Silva Communication Coach|
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