7 Easy Ways to Improve Your Meditation

A lot of people find mastering meditation to be a big challenge. The key to meditation is consistent practice, practice, practice, which takes time. In the meantime here are some tips to help you with wherever you are at.

1. Correct Posture

Keep your back straight. It should not be jammed upright or slouching. Imagine a string attached to the top of your head pulling your whole spine upwards. Psychology follows physiology so a straight spine sends a signal to your system, which says you are ready and alert. So a straight back will help you breathe better as your chest will be more expanded, which in turn will help your mind focus better and stay with your meditation. Energy will also flow better up your spine and through your energy centres (Chakras).

2. Focus on Breath to Stop Thoughts Wandering

The most common issue for most people when trying to meditate is that the mind won't keep quiet. Of course our mind is designed to think! We get one idea, then another, then another and we feel like we have a non-stop flow of thoughts. Even when we need relaxation, peace and quiet it keeps going.

But this only happens when we keep listening to it. Just make a decision that meditation will help you much more than all the thinking and take your attention to your breath. Every time your attention wanders just gently bring it back to your breath.

3. Set Your Intention for the Meditation

A good way to prevent the constant flow of thoughts is to set an intention. E.g deeper meditation, focus, calm, joy etc. Feel the intention connect you to a deeper place within yourself. When your mind starts up during your meditation however long it is 10-60 minutes, just gently remind it of your intention. You will find it much easier to stay focused!

4. Perform a Ritual

We are often programmed to do something automatically e.g brush our teeth, get dressed. In the same way you can 'program' yourself to get into a meditation by preforming a ritual. Rituals are like a 'warm up' for your mind and body getting you ready to meditate.

The idea is to always use a particular action or set of actions:

e.g Light a candle and incense sticks.

Sit in a particular part of your home in a particular chair

Have a statue in a corner of your home with essential oils in an oil burner

Sit up in bed first thing in the morning and drink a glass of water

Sit up in bed last thing at night and drink a glass of water

Follow any of the above with immediate meditation.

When you do this regularly, your mind and body links the two things together - the ritual and meditation. So whenever you perform the ritual your mind goes into meditation much faster. The more you repeat the process of ritual and meditation the easier it is to get into a meditative state.

5. Stop Beating Yourself Up

The best way to guarantee you can't meditate is to get angry with yourself for having thoughts. As stated before our mind is designed to think. A famous Tibetan saying is: "Trying to meditate without thoughts is like trying to have meat without bones."

Getting angry or into a panic will only prevent you from getting the calm you are looking for from meditation. Some useful methods:

- imagine your thoughts as being like clouds. Just let them float across the sky of your mind without trying to grab hold of them.

- put your thoughts in a big suitcase, and put the suitcase outside the room. You can pick it up later if you want!

-imagine your thoughts as being like horses galloping away. Just let them gallop out of your mind!

The more you can just accept what is going on and tune back into your meditation, the sooner you will reach the state you are aiming for.

6. Focus On a Particular Point

When your mind is getting very busy, focus on a particular point:

- the point underneath your nose, just before your top lip

- the point between your brows

- turn your eyes above eyeline level

Giving your mind something to focus on keeps it busy so it stops thinking so much.

7. Enjoy the Feeling

When you get feelings that are pleasant just relax into them. Often we get tempted to analyse what is going on. Instead just relax and enjoy what is happening. It will stop you being pulled into thoughts that drag you out of your meditation.

Conclusion

There is no one absolutely right way to meditate. The key is to be flexible. The above techniques have helped many people improve their meditation. Give them a try and see how they work for you!

Live the life you want!

Author: Christie Pinto, Life and Wellness Coach
T: (03)9530-0997, M: 0430 465429, E:coaching@clearhorizons.biz


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