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If the
origin of stress is in the mind, it only makes sense that relief
from stress must come through the mind as well.
One way to accomplish this is the practice of meditation.
When the mind is filled with calm and peace, it cannot
take off on its own and worry, stress out or get depressed.
Practicing meditation can calm both mind and body and all
meditation practices have one thing in common – they all focus
on quieting the busy mind.
The
intention of meditation is not to remove stimulus from the mind,
but rather to centralize the mind’s focus to one healing
element such as one sound, one word, one image or one’s
breath. There are
two basic approaches to all meditation techniques.
One is concentrative meditation in which your attention
is focused on breathing, an image or a sound such as a mantra to
quiet the mind and allow a greater awareness and clarity to
emerge.
The
second form of meditation involves opening your attention to
become aware of the continuously passing parade of sensations,
feelings, images, thoughts, sounds, smells, and etc. without
becoming involved with thinking about them.
With this form of meditation you simply become an
observer of your mind’s activities to help gain a calmer,
clearer and non-reactive state of mind.
Meditating
for as little as 15 minutes a day has shown to be helpful in
improving health. All
that is needed is a quiet place with little or no distractions.
Sit or lay in a comfortable or poised position with your
back straight, but not rigid.
Find an object to dwell your attention upon such as your
breathing, a mantra such as a Sanskrit word or syllable.
When focusing on your breathing, let your attention dwell
on the gentle rise and fall of your abdomen.
Your breathing should become deeper and very quiet,
promoting a relaxed and peaceful feeling.
The most
essential element in meditation is having a poised awareness in
which your body is very relaxed while your mind is fully aware
and acting as the observer without interaction.
Thoughts, images and other distractions are viewed in a
casual and detached manner as though you were watching the
goings on of your mind as though they were puffy white clouds
simply passing through the landscape of the mind.
With
practice you will notice moments of great peace, inner calm and
deep restfulness not only while meditating, but also as you go
about daily activities. And
soon you’ll be reaping many of the known benefits of
meditation both psychologically and physiologically.
Related
Articles:
Psychological
and Physiological Benefits of Meditation
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