What is Meditation

Meditation is a practice through which individuals exercise mindfulness by focusing on an object or activity. It can be used to train the mind to become attentive and aware. Meditation also helps gain mental clarity and stability while also becoming calm. While meditation has been practiced for years now, it is practiced today the world over by many people to manage stress and anxiety. Meditation helps people to manage physical and mental health by decreasing stress and allowing them to be mindful.

Different Ways to Meditate

If you are wondering how to start meditating, there are a number of methods. Here's a look at some of them:

  • Body Scan Meditation:

Under this method, an individual focuses on bodily sensations and muscle groups individually. Practitioners flex and relax muscles in each individual group or visualise a wave flowing through their body.

  • Loving-Kindness Meditation: 

This type of meditation is aimed at directing feelings of kindness and compassion towards yourself and other people. This type of meditation can be practised alone or with other types such as mindfulness meditation. You can say reassuring phrases out loud. It helps improve self-esteem.

  • Mindfulness Meditation: 

This type of meditation helps you organise your wandering thoughts. The idea is to simply be aware of your thoughts as they occur, instead of judging them. In this type of meditation, you can identify the patterns in which your thoughts occur.

Benefits of Meditation

There are a number of benefits of meditation for the mind and body alike. Here are some of them—

  • Meditation is most commonly used by people in order to reduce their stress levels. Stress is caused when the hormone cortisol increases in the body. This in turn can cause an increase in the production of inflammatory chemicals like cytokines.

  • Meditation can help you reduce levels of anxiety as well. Mindfulness meditation, especially, has been found to reduce symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). It helps you increase self-worth and stress.

  • Meditation also helps improve self-image and helps you view life in a more positive light. People who meditate also manage their symptoms of depression in a better manner.

  • This practice can also help you become more self-aware and understand yourself better. It may also let you identify thoughts that are harmful. This way, you can be motivated to follow patterns that are more positive and constructive.

  • Since meditation is an exercise in concentration, it helps make your attention span longer. Meditation practitioners also have a wandering mind under control and worry less.

  • Meditation also helps reduce memory loss triggered by age. Mantra meditation that involves chanting especially helps age-related memory loss.

  • This practice has also been found to increase positive feelings and actions. The loving-kindness or metta method of meditation helps promote these feelings.

How Do You Know if Meditation Is Working?

Meditation can be difficult to get used to. Beginners, especially, may feel uncomfortable when they start off. Sitting still for 20 minutes could make your legs cramp. It could also make you impatient and irritated. Moreover, you could feel that each meditation session is different from the other and find it difficult to recreate the same pleasant experience time and again.

Although it can take some getting used to, meditation should ideally not make an individual feel uncomfortable and stressed. After a few weeks, you should be able to comfortably meditate. Should you continue to have problems with practising meditation, seeking the guidance of a teacher for guided meditation can be a good idea.

How to Meditate for Beginners

If you are someone who wants to start meditating, here are a few tips to keep in mind—

  • Get Comfortable:

Find a peaceful and quiet place to meditate. Choose an environment where you will be able to focus solely on meditation without any distraction. Turn off your TVs and mobile phones. If you prefer music, ensure that you play calm, soothing tunes repetitively so that your concentration doesn't break.

  • Wear Comfortable Clothes:

It can be difficult to concentrate when your clothing is uncomfortable and restrictive. It is important that you wear something that is loose and airy and take off your shoes. If you are in a cool place, ensure that you keep warm by wearing a sweater.

  • Decide the Duration of Your Session:

Before you can start, it is imperative that you decide the duration for which you will meditate. The duration of meditation varies between 5 and 20 minutes each day. Once you have chosen the duration, ensure that you stick to it as closely as possible. Initially, it may be difficult for you to keep focused and you may feel like it is not working. However, it is important that you keep trying. You could set a gentle alarm to remind you that your session is up.

  • Stretch Before Meditating:

Since you will be sitting in one spot for a long time, make sure that you stretch before you sit down to meditate. This will prevent stiffness and release tension from your body. When your body is free of this stiffness, it will be easier for you to focus on meditation rather than your sore spots. Stretch out your neck, lower back and shoulders, along with your legs and inner thighs. Doing light yoga stretches before your meditation session is highly recommended.

  • Sit Comfortably:

Most practitioners meditate by sitting on a cushion or sitting in the lotus position. However, you can choose the right position and posture for you based on how flexible your legs, back and hips are. Make sure that you straighten your spine when you seat yourself to meditate.

  • Close Your Eyes:

This is optional. You can choose to keep your eyes open as well if that helps you relax and focus better. Although, for a beginner, this technique ensures that you are not distracted by outside factors.

Conclusion

Meditation is a practice that helps you ensure your mental and physical wellbeing if it is practised daily. You may face a number of obstacles before you start meditating, but the key to cultivating a daily practise is to simply stick to it. Experiences of two meditation sessions can never be the same, so do not feel exasperated when you cannot maintain your focus or are easily distracted. Like all other skills, meditation requires patience and practice. Consider taking the aid of a health insurance policy to safeguard your life even more!

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