Meditation Techniques And Tips For Beginners

There is no secret or trick to meditation. Anyone can meditate, it is easier than you may think. In fact you have most likely already been in a meditative state of mind before. Meditation is simply relaxing the mind. This allows our mind to be fully open to perceiving what is happening in the present moment. Often times there is a little voice in the back our mind constantly telling us things (either positive or negative) and our mind gets clouded by all this chatter. Meditation is the practice of quieting that voice and putting awareness back into the body's senses.

The most common response I hear from people that struggle with meditation is that they feel it is too challenging (or nearly impossible for them) to stop thoughts from racing through their mind. Well first of all, that is a good position to be in as you have may have a lot to gain from practicing meditation. But here is the solution. As thoughts come to your mind while meditating, identify what kind of thought each one is. For example if "what am I making for dinner?" pops into your head, then simply tell yourself "I'm hungry" and continue on. Or say a problem from work keeps coming to mind, acknowledge it as a worry that you can deal with later. Acknowledge the thought and let it go. When you identify and label each thought you have, you help diminish the thought's power to distract you.

Another struggle many people have is simply not falling asleep. Perhaps this is a sign that your body needs to be better rested before you can practice meditation. Although it shows that you are on the right track because your mind is able to relax easily.

Also, do not worry excessively about your body position to begin with. As long as you are comfortable and in a calm environment, you will be fine. Ideally it is good to have an erect upright spine such as when sitting cross legged.

Calm breathing is essential to meditation. Focusing your attention on breathing in and out slowly can be a very relaxing meditation in itself.

Many people like to use a technique of listening to music, or visualizing something in their mind while meditating. This allows the mind to go into trance states.

Concentrating on forgiving yourself or others may be a powerful focal point for meditation as well. Warning, this kind of meditation may tap into some deep seeded emotions that have been locked away inside you. It is normal to start spontaneously crying from an emotional release during a meditation like this.

I hope this helps you get started meditating. Once you get the hang of it, meditation will become much easier to practice. Getting into a routine of daily meditation is beneficial for maintaining good mental health.

For meditation music, my personal blog, and more please visit MysticalMirror.net

May Peace Be Held In Your Heart And Mind
~Joseph Welch


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