An Introduction to Meditation
Every advertisement we come across guarantees removing toxins from the physical body. But then there is a lot of chaos on the emotional and mental levels as well. Meditation is one such tool that flushes our emotional baggage.
It is also one of the crucial life skills. Isn't having a calm mind an essential skill to handle personal relationships as well as professional ethics. We can excel at all other skills once we have peace of mind. A thousand years-long method with an array of variations, yet the purpose is the same.
Meditation is a route to the inner self. A vacation that all of us desires. It is a gym to the mind and a perfect workout for vagus nerves.
While meditation is now a secular practice, it has a religious origin. Mindfulness, transcendental meditation, body scan meditation, loving and kindness meditation are some famous ones. With more than seventy million Americans suffering from insomnia, people are tapping into meditation for sleep.
The reasons are clear why more and more of us are interested in doing meditation. First of all, it creates a level of mental clarity, which is crucial in decision makings. We are essentially training our minds. But one thing to note is, it does not work like medicine. Consistency in practice is an essential part.
Types of Meditation
Mindfulness is the most popular one in the West. It is the art of being in the present moment.
It has its roots in the Buddhist tradition. We entirely feel and sense the present moment with zero judgment. As a result of which it helps developing heightened concentration. There are several mindfulness meditation centers. We can also learn mindfulness meditation from YouTube videos.
After the Beatles introduced transcendental meditation to the West, it is now one of the most researched meditation techniques. Ellen De Genres, Oprah, US Military everyone is a big fan of transcendental meditation (TM.) It uses a personalized sound or mantra which a certified TM instructor gives during the course. Thus, meditation-like TM can only be learned from TM centers spread around the world. As the name suggests, it is going beyond the thought. A practitioner doesn't resist the flow of thought during TM. It falls under the class of mantra meditation.
Body Scan Meditation is one of the best meditations for sleep. It helps in releasing the stress and tensions accumulated in our bodies. If there is one meditation that works immediately on a physical level, it is body scan meditation. We mentally scan each part of our body, starting from the foot, all the way to the head, or vice versa. When practiced regularly, it offers numerous mental and physical benefits. With more and more sleep issues going on around, Body Scan seems a perfect meditation for sleep.
One pro tip: massaging our body before Body Scan Meditation gives even better results.
Another popular meditation is Loving Kindness Meditation. Loving Kindness Meditation once again has roots in Buddhism. It helps in offering benevolent love to and from all sentient beings, even from oneself. The core focus is on the reflection of positive energy. Also called Metta Bhavana Prayer, it starts from loving ourselves and then gradually expanding the same love to family, friends, strangers, animals, and even minute beings. It is praying for one world family and global peace.
Music meditation is one on the list.
Music is the direct journey to the soul. Its popularity comes from the healing power of music. Indian flute music and Tibetan bowl music are widely practiced music meditation.
The other widely known meditation techniques are Vipassana, Concentration Meditation, and Visualization Meditation.
How to Meditate?
Most of us think that meditation is a strict ritual, and not everyone can practice it.
But the truth is, it is relatively more straightforward. We only need a small space and loose clothing. All it needs is consistency in practice and a strong sense of belief in the heart. Let's begin the journey of meditation with a big smile.
Smile and Meditate 🙂