The Art of Meditation has since been a major course of study over the years. Since its Inception, thousands of people have invested time, knowledge and energy into learning it. Most people would agree that Meditation works while some people, on the other hand, need a whole lot of convincing to really believe that Meditation is an excellent tool, and that it is something that everyone must learn to do.
Source: Pixabay
Researchers have shown that Meditation reduces anxiety and depression, boosts the immune system and increases the brain power of an average human being. Meditation Works!
In today's article, I am going to show you the concept involved in meditation and the art in it hoping to prove to you that it actually works.
Meditation; The New Perspective
I was asked the question a few days ago what meditation was and thankfully I had one pretty funny definition, I said Meditation is simply Mindfulness, how true? According to my definition, I would say that Meditation is simply having a sense of awareness and mindfulness. In other to really understand the modus operandi of Meditation, we must first tap into the window to our human spirit, ''The Mind''.
Meditation isn’t really about becoming a new or better person or a renewed person, yes meditation can help you become better but it's actually about being able to understand your thoughts and emotions, being able to cultivate a healthy Perspective and above all, Learning to observe your feelings, emotions, and thoughts without judgment and if you must get a hold of your thoughts you've got to put time and effort into meditating deliberately because it will change your life for the better. Meditation is simply an exercise that builds the mind just as fitness builds the body, it is a training that is fully directed towards increasing the capacity and effectiveness of one's mind. Although meditation might prove difficult at the beginner's stage since you just have to sit down at a spot for hours doing absolutely nothing I can guarantee you that sitting for hours and doing absolutely nothing and just clearing your mind is a starting point for Meditation Practice.
The Mind
The complex Construction of the Mind can never be simplified, for it is embedded with sets of cognitive faculties and is the seat of our consciousness and Unconsciousness, holding the sum total of our thoughts, ideas, feelings, Emotions, and Memories, giving us a sense of awareness and perspective.
However, the mind can be a really scary and busy place, one moment you’re thinking of your kids and then the next minute you're thinking of a business Proposal and the next minute you're thinking about the contract you just lost and then you are trying to recall a few memos you missed all at once. Now all these things if not taking care of properly can increase stress, and increase blood sugar and pressure in the body that's why being able to Meditate is essential and in fact necessary. Researchers have shown that a properly managed mind can reduce stress, blood pressure and increase the level of alertness in the body and getting a hold of your mind requires meditation furthermore, the more you meditate the more comfortable you get with your Mind.
Meditation Is A Skill
Being able to Meditate is a skill everyone must acquire or learn, as I stated earlier it all starts with the opening of your mind. Relatively, some might think that meditation works for those who have their minds and lives in check but I can say that Except you are a 21st century A.I, I still think that everyone has to work on their mind constantly because if the mind is left idle without meditation or some other kind of mind work, then it becomes a dumping ground where anyone can just dump things.
So if for just a fraction of an hour or even a few minutes, we could tap into the complex constructions of Our Minds then we might not seem bad after all. However, it starts by learning the Art of Meditation, first think of it as a skill to help you improve in Mindfulness and awareness though it might seem difficult to get the hang of it but trust me you will eventually. Think of it like you were learning to ride a bike and since you've never been on a bike before, you hardly know what to do but when you consistently keep practicing you get comfortable with it till you are perfect at it. Meditation is like learning any other skill just apply the same rules and patterns and then see if you don’t get better at it. Nevertheless, I came up with some strategic things you need to know to help you Meditate better, let's get into them right away;
• Mindfulness- This is simply the ability to rest in the now. Mindfulness is understanding the ability to be in a particular moment, being engaged in whatsoever it is you are doing at that particular time. So You have to include mindfulness into learning the skill of Meditation
• Concentration- In learning to meditate effectively, you must be willing to put the highest level of concentration into it, avoiding any form of distraction. Focus all your energy into it, communicate with the environment and shut out every other thing that doesn’t matter out of your mind and reflect on your thoughts, that way Meditation becomes easier.
• Being Calm- There has never been a rule in the history of Meditation that states that you need to meditate in a noisy environment. It doesn’t matter if you are very gifted in the art of meditation before now but if you really need to discover the power involved in Meditation then I guess you need some peace and quiet or as my friend would say " some peace and tranquillity". Being calm is as simple as it can be, it helps you to connect to the environment, and it doesn’t really matter if you need to shut the door to your room just to avoid distraction you just have to be willing to shut out the noise, yes your mind may wander off or probably start thinking about random things, just know that it takes process.
• Nature´s Interaction- If you aren’t a huge fan of nature, well then I guess you are missing out on one of the most fundamental Gifts in the World. Nature is pretty much everything we see, perceive, touch, feel, understand and admire. It gives us a sense of belonging and I have come to the conclusion that Nature is, in fact, effective in increasing the power of our mind through Meditation. So, begin today, locate a very comfortable position, a position that particularly interacts with Nature at its Peak then start an effective session.
• Meditation Practice- I once read in an article a few years back that Meditation never ever gets perfect, how true? The Ability to maintain a consistent pattern deliberately in Meditation is what you as an individual must strive to achieve because it doesn’t matter when you do it or how you do it. Whichever way you do it, you don’t become perfect at it you only become better at it every time. Think of it as a fitness exercise, maybe you have this muscle that you really need to work on; at first it seems pretty tasking but the more consistent you are, the more the effect and the amount of time you spend exercising that muscle is practically the same when the effects start manifesting. Remember that it is not about being perfect but getting better at it every time because, it is Practiced Meditation not Perfect Meditation.
A Posture For Proper Meditation
In Exploring the depths of Meditation, whether you are a beginner, intermediate or a constant practitioner you have got to keep a flexible position. Create a practice pattern and position that works for you and that you could easily just adjust as you get more comfortable. Here are some types to start with;
Standing Meditation
Apparently, it might seem awkward to you that there is such a thing as standing to meditate, well I can't say otherwise. If you are the kind of person that really doesn’t enjoy sitting much well I think this is for you.
Credit: Mohammed, on Pixabay
To do Standing meditation, pick a spot preferably near the sea or somewhere exposed to nature, stand erect(tall), make sure your feet-shoulder width are slightly apart, not too far though, like you opened a space in between your legs then shift the heel part of your leg inward so that your toes face opposite directions(point away from each other). Once the position is set, you could choose to place your hand above your head in a clapping formation or you could place them on your belly to feel the air coursing through your body then, slightly bend your knees downwards make sure you are rooted on the ground through your feet that way you can push the air out and feel the energy lifting out through your hands and head while you take in air.
Kneeling Meditation
As the name implies, the Kneeling meditation is done using the knee.
Now, don’t take this the wrong way like you were serving a punishment but I want you to picture that moment when you knelt down in class or in front of the principal and when you picture that, try to replicate that posture only that this time you get more comfortable. Make sure your knee is bent properly in such a way that your shins are flat on the floor and your ankle just below your bottom. To be more comfortable place a cushion just below your bottom and heels in other for you not to feel any form of pain and one of the importance of this particular pose is that it helps keep your back straight.
Sitting(chair) Meditation
You could suitably just meditate while sitting down on a chair, the floor, sofa or whichever one you prefer.
Sitting Meditation can become a constant practice since you could just do it in the office, at work or at home comfortably and even while traveling. However to do the sitting meditation, you need to be in the right position; first check out the edges of the chair, make sure it's a chair you feel most comfortable with so you don’t get so stressed out then sit properly so that your back is aligned straight that way you can place your feet flat on the floor sometimes it's preferable to take off your footwear and while at it, make sure your feet form a right angle(i.e. 90-degrees) with your knees. Once you are in this position, sit up straight in such a way that your neck and head are aligned on the same plane as your spine, then place your hand on your laps or knee and in rare cases the use of pillows often come in handy when placed under the thigh. If you have really done this properly well you will find that you are most comfortable and you could just meditate for hours if you want to.
Lying-Down Meditation
Over the years some misguided folks have misinterpreted this particular type of meditation for sleeping which is awfully wrong because if you are doing this kind of meditation properly you wouldn’t fall asleep unless you want to. Lying down to Meditate is as simple as lying down to rest or sleep but in this case, you do not actually sleep you just let your mind wander off to wherever you want it to go deliberately. To do this, lie on your back facing the ceiling, fan or the roof then, place your hands alongside your body, slightly tilt your feet to be hip-distance apart then place a couple of pillows just under your knee area to support your lower back while still laying flat so that your feet can stay flat on the ground although in most cases people usually opt to lay entirely flat on the floor or bed.
P.S: Whichever way you chose to do it make sure that you are most comfortable because that is the key to a healthy meditation practice.
Having learned all of these kinds of Meditation practice we go further into the relationships between meditation and postures.
Posture in Meditation is very important and necessary and it is important that you start your practice as comfortably as you can, you could pick a place that suits your style so that you can adjust to the right posture. If a proper Posture is maintained during practice, you find that you become more excited, and then you can slightly move to more effective postures.
The Seven-Point Meditation Posture
For Thousands of years, the Seven-point Meditation posture have proven to be highly effective in creating a stress-free posture and comfort during meditation, this was proved by masters in the art of meditation popularly known as Buddhists. The seven-point meditation posture gives a seven-point guideline to sitting while meditating making it easier to meditate effectively.
• First-point: Sitting- The sitting point posture is characterized by the flexibility of one's body particularly the hips and leg region. You could sit in the Full, half and quarter lotus positions, you could also decide to sit crossing your legs too, then add a couple of cushions just under your hips to make you feel comfortable.
• Second-point: Spine- It never really matters how you sit but always make sure that you do not lean forwards or sway backward so that your spine can be as straight as possible. Like I stated earlier, feel the energy coursing through you with every breath exhaled and inhaled, keep your back straight to keep you alert.
• Third-point: Resting The Hands- Whenever you start to practice meditation, make sure your hands are placed on your thighs always, facing down. You can also place your hands one on each knee, making your palms face upwards then slightly tilt them in opposite directions and then make sure the thumbs of each palm are touching the index finger of each palm. You could also stack your hands on top each other(palms facing upwards) in your lap, make sure your thumbs meet each other slightly in other to generate heat and Energy.
• Fourth-point: Relaxing The Shoulders- Always make sure of it that you are relaxed and dignified in such a way that opens up your heart center and keeps your back strong. Make sure that you always check in with your postures from time to time, rearrange your self if you feel you aren’t in the right posture, gently drop your shoulders down far away from your ears and make sure that one shoulder doesn’t go above the other.
• Fifth-point: Tucking In The Chin- Slightly tilt your chin not too forward and not too backward just in the middle. Keep your face relaxed, you don’t want to go too far that you look down to your chin which is not comfortable.
• Sixth-point: Relaxing The Jaw- Keep your jaw slightly open, then try to release all the tension that is packed up in your jaw, then press your tongue against the roof(palate) of your mouth enabling the clear flow of air in and out.
• Seventh-point: Fixing The Gaze- 75% of people around the world find it easier to meditate with their eyes closed which is perfectly awesome. However, avoid squinting the eyes so that you don’t hurt yourself, gently close your eyes so that your face and eyelids can be relaxed. There are also cases of people that meditate with their eyes opened. Yes, its true, you can meditate perfectly with your eyes open just slightly fix your gaze on the tip of your nose at all times or 2-3 inches from your feet, maintaining an unfocused gaze.
Here's a link for a video on meditation, you could use this to start off your practice and become better; Meditation For Beginners
If you put in time and energy to establish a proper meditation posture, you will observe for yourself that it becomes much easier by the day and you get more clarity of mind, which gives you a more willing and uplifted spirit and if you could just put these things to Practice, I can guarantee you that You will become a Master in the Art of Meditation and then you could even teach people to become better at it too.
Thank You and see you around next time!