Meditation is no longer just for the Buddhist monks, the hippies, the new ageists. Meditation is for those who want to live healthier lives i.e. everyone. There’s new research being released on the effects of meditation every day and there’s certainly nothing harmful being found about it. However, before explaining how to meditate, it’s best you first learn why you’re meditating. Start with why as Simon Sinek would say.
Oh, by the way, it’s completely secular; thank god.
Why meditate?
Recent meditation studies have the spiritual practice coming in at second place to exercise for the most effective activities to improve well being. So what benefits does it bring specifically?
1. Improve concentration
Focusing on your breath, mantra, or candle for 20 minutes every day is sure to increase your focus. It will also improve your ability to catch yourself losing focus in your daily activities.
2. De-stress
While you’re focussing on whatever you choose, you’re also not focussing on the typical distractions and potentially anxiety inducing future. Hence meditation is great for de-stressing. This also has the physical benefits of lowering high blood pressure, less bodily tension and an increase in serotonin (the happy brain chemical).
3. Increase empathy and compassion
Pretty self-explanatory. In a world where refugee boats are still being sunk, I’d say some more empathy and compassion is a pretty good thing.
4. Increase in creativity
I found this one while researching benefits of meditation to see if there were ones I’d missed from personal experience. I can’t say I’ve noticed this much, but the above combined would likely amalgamate into other improvements. Either way, imagination isn’t the easiest thing to quantify.
5. Levitating is fun
Ok, no, you won’t be able to levitate. Meditation is great but not that great.
How do I meditate?
Personally:
- I sit upright in my homework/desk chair in my room with a straight back
- Silence
- Chair height all the way up so me knees are at 90 degrees while my feet are flat on the floor.
- Hands in lap, one in the other, facing upwards
- No shoes or socks, so I can feel the floor with my feet
- Timer on my phone for 20 minutes (face down so no glow from notifications)
- 6 deep, slow, deliberate breaths focussing on the breath, in order to relax
- Let breath fall back into it’s natural pattern
- Observe the breath at the nostrils, feel it enter and leave, listen to the sound of it, gauge the depth
- If my mind wanders I slowly bring myself back, no anger, no judgement, and I acknowledge that I’ve made progress by the simple act of bringing myself back
- Continue until timer buzzes
The most important part of this process is the act of bringing your mind back to focus. Meditation is not just sitting still. It’s an activity, you do it. You have not failed if your mind wanders. You’ve just been presented with an opportunity for improvement. Take it. Now you have an opportunity to improve maintaining focus. Meditation is just as much about returning to focus as it is maintaining focus. If you remember this, it should be easier to be less judgemental of yourself when you begin. Take it from me, because I used to get frustrated when I was unable to do something as simple as focussing on my breath. I guess meditation also taught me that simple is not equivalent to easy.
There are plenty of ways to meditate. You may want to experiment with guided meditation to begin with. I found it helpful but quickly moved on as the sound was distracting. Some people only do guided meditation and swear by it. You do you. I would be cautious about transcendental meditation. It seems a little cultish, but then again a lot of famous are vehement proponents. Then again, a lot of famous people offer the same sentiments about scientology.
Some other types of meditation:
- Vipassana: Concentration on the body or its sensations.
- Stillness: Stay as still as possible for as long as possible. By still, like, completely still, even if it hurts.
- Heart rhythm meditation: Focussing on the heart.
- Qi Gong: A form of meditation with movement.
- Hollywood: Say Om really loud with your legs crossed, eyes closed, while wearing silk robes.
Ahhh It’s Not Working!
Or often: “I’m way too restless for meditation”.
If either sounds like you, you need to keep trying.
When I began meditating I would double check with the books and internet that I’m meditating correctly, because it didn’t feel like it was “working”. This is not what meditation is about. You don’t need to feel like you’ve joined some collective consciousness or be flooded with a burst of happiness and accompanying smile that seems to come from absolutely nothing (the latter I can confirm happens occasionally).
People often report meditation giving them anxiety or becoming frustrated (me), this comes back to not judging yourself while you’re doing it. One of the benefits is increased empathy and compassion, this starts with yourself. It’s okay if you can’t do 20 minutes when you begin. Start a guided 5 minute meditation. Just start. Meditation is not something you do to prove to yourself that you can do it. It’s an iterative thing. It’s a lifestyle decision. As one article I read put it, it’s like brushing your teeth, but for spiritual hygiene. This also means it’s a daily thing.
I shall see you in the collective consciousness.
