Meditation sometimes has a bad rap and people feel it’s not for them or it’s too difficult. But meditation is like sleep – it comes easier for some and it’s what your mind and body naturally need, no matter how much you deny it.
Like a power nap, you’ll feel better even after just a few minutes of meditation so give it another try!
Monkey Minds
Before diving into meditation techniques, remember that one key job of the mind is to think. It thinks of an incredible number of things yet is very easily distracted, jumping from one thing to another; hence, a traditional metaphor among yogis is to describe this state as “monkey mind”.
With some training, the monkey mind can slow down and focus on one thought for a longer period of time. This is meditation – concentration of the mind.
There are many different meditation techniques, so here are just a few basic traditional yogic techniques to train your mind and dive deeper with meditation.
Basic Meditation
Take a comfortable seat in a quiet room and close your eyes. Relax all parts of your body and sit perfectly still. Resist the temptation to scratch or move. Take notice of your breathing. Simply observe the experience of breathing for 5 minutes. When your mind wanders (it will!), gently bring the mind back to your breath.
Do this every day for a week, then increase to 10 minutes, 15 minutes, up to 30 minutes or even an hour. You’ll feel an amazing calm and contentment afterward. You might even want to do it twice a day to keep this feeling!
This technique is sufficient for a lifetime but, if you need more to keep your mind focused, read on.
Meditating with Movements
Now that you’re in basic meditation each day, try adding an active meditation. It’s as simple as walking. Inhale with every 3-5 steps, and exhale over the next same number of steps. As in the basic meditation technique, you should observe your breathing. This can be done with any repetitious movement such as running, biking, or swimming.
Meditation with Mental Repetition
“Japa” meditation is meditating while repeating a set of words. Saying the thoughts mentally is actually more powerful than saying them aloud.
Say a mantra or short sentence out loud over and over again. Reduce the volume gradually until it’s a barely perceptible whisper, then continue mentally.
Some use a mala with their mantra repetition to help quiet the mind and body. “Count” a bead for each repetition using your thumb until you reach the guru bead, then turn the mala around.
Practice Concentration
Support your meditation practice by training your concentration with everyday tasks. Start with one task – no multi-tasking! Choose a chore like dishwashing, work tasks like updating a website, or enjoyable things like chatting with a friend or eating dinner.
Like meditating, when your mind wanders away, gently bring the mind back. If you were doing something enjoyable, immersing yourself fully makes it more pleasurable. Work is finished quickly, quality of work higher, and the whole experience is less fatiguing mentally. It’s a winning result!
Meditation is like sleep; everyone’s experience is similar yet completely different. You can test out different techniques while remembering that basic ones are sometimes the most effective.
Meditation gets easier with practice. Everyone sleeps each night despite the occasional insomnia, so practice meditation with the same perseverance!