Starting with Meditation

“I mean the whole thing about meditation is about connecting to the higher part of yourself, and then seeing that every living thing is connected in some way.” Gillian Anderson

Meditation can be a life changing experience. It can give you peace of mind, which you are searching from long time. It helps in connecting with your inner self. It also has lots of health benefits like lower blood pressure, controlled blood sugar, better sleep, etc. Meditation has many benefits and it can be done without cost, but still lots of people have misunderstood it.
I have met many people who think that meditation is not for them. They give me excuses like “I can’t sit quiet for long time” or “It is for saints only and not for common people” or “I fall asleep” and many more. Meditation is known to men from more than two thousand years. I will write a series of articles on meditation and in this article, I will explain the basic concept and how to do it.

“There are different things one can do to establish and hasten the peace process. Meditation is one way.” Mike Love

If someone asks me how to define meditation in brief, then I would say it means living in present. It is that simple. Our body is in present, but our mind is always wondering in past or in the future. It is either in guilty of past event or in tension of what will happen in the future. Meditation is simply about calming your chattering mind and being aware and present in this moment.

In meditation you let go all the thinking, all the worries, all the distraction and just focus on current moment. The best way is to focus on your breath. We do breathing from our birth and leave it when we die. Breathing is our companion for lifetime and what can be better than to observe life. Observe it just like the bird watcher watch the birds as they are. It looks very simple, but it is difficult to calm your mind, which is chattering from many years.

“Meditation is painful in the beginning, but it bestows immortal Bliss and supreme joy in the end.”Swami Sivananda

As a simple exercise follow these instructions. Choose a quiet place where no one will disturb you during your practice. Sit or lie down in comfortable position, but make sure that your back is straight. Take few deep breaths, which will help you in relaxing your body. Once you are relaxed, disconnect yourself from outer world and go within. Observe your breath and start counting on every inhale and exhale. Count one when you inhale and two when you exhale. Continue till ten and then return to one.

It is very important that you practice meditation every day. The best time is in the morning after bath, but it can be practiced anywhere, any time. It is advisable that you keep the same timing every day as you can condition your mind. Start with 5 to 10 minutes and then you can extend it according to your convenience.

“The flowering of love is meditation.” Jiddu Krishnamurti

Meditation makes you feel that whatever you were searching outside is already there within yourself. In today’s stressful life, it makes you peaceful and clears your frustration and irritations. It connects you to yourself. 10-15 minutes of meditation in the morning can make your entire day wonderful. It is like you switch off your mind for some time then restarts it again. Meditation is not about running away from your problem, but it is to see the problem as it is.

Meditation is not complex, but people make it by analyzing its experience in logical way. You cannot understand it if you do not experience it. Give it a try and see your world changing in positive way.