Words like ‘frustration’, ‘emotional imbalance’, and ‘mental weakness’ are becoming buzzwords these days while mental sturdiness is what we need the most during this COVID 19 situation. In this day and age of widely accessible technologies, people are becoming so accustomed to instant gratification that they lose the capacity to handle stress and wait for a better outcome.
If you, my friend, are one of them or don’t want to be one of them, today I have something to share with you. And, this is, as you guessed it right, the power of meditation.
It is high time we stop for a bit, take a deep breath, and think about what we should do. This is what meditation teaches us, in a nutshell.
Meditation, as most of us know it already, is the art of training our mind to be fit so that it handles stress successfully and see the clear picture of future action.
According to Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D., director of neuroscience lab of the University of Wisconsin,
“Meditation is not a single activity, rather than a family of activities.”
Though we all know that meditation is important for our mental health, it is so difficult for us to start and continue meditation that most of us quite it after a few days of trying. According to Dr. Shuyun, one of the main reasons for this is we target very high at the beginning. So, she suggested to make the habit of meditating at least 5 minutes daily. Many busy executives around the world meditate daily and didn’t break the rules for years.
Wondering where to find the proper meditation guide? Here’s a guidance video she suggests only for you <3
But my friend, if you don’t aware of different types of meditation and what you should practice at the beginning, it will become tough for you to continue meditating regularly.
Today I will discuss some most common and effective types of meditations, their benefits, and how to start doing them at your home. So, without further ado, let’s dive in.
According to healthline.com 6 common types of meditation are widely practiced throughout the world. Among the 6 of them, the following 2 are the most basic and most important types.
Focused Meditation
This one is my personal favorite and I believe anyone who needs to improve his/her focus in their regular life can benefit from this.
Beginners may find it tough at the beginning as our minds tend to wander the most when we sit in a calm environment. If your mind also wanders and you can’t focus for long that’s completely ok and take it easy. In the beginning try to focus just for a few seconds, then a few minutes, and so on.
Focused meditation is extremely important to improve your analyzing capacity.
Transcendental Meditation
It is one of the most common types of meditation that is practiced by those who are serious about meditation and wish to continue it for a long time. It is one of the most scientifically researched forms of meditation too.
The goal of transcendental meditation is to improve the current state of the practitioner. A research found that this meditation can play an important role in improving mood and motivation. So, you can definitely try this, especially if you are suffering from anxiety, depression, and stress.
During the session of meditation, the practitioner usually focuses on a mantra (a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation) that is determined by the teacher.
Though this meditation is best practiced under the direct supervision of a teacher, you can try it at home with the help of online courses or YouTube (if you want it for free). There are many high-quality meditation resources you can find on YouTube.
There are some other forms of meditations too, such as mindfulness meditation, spiritual meditation, movement meditation, and mantra meditation. You can read more about them here.
So, you found two best forms of meditation to practice. Now, what you should expect from them?
Benefits of Meditation
Yes, I know, we all know some benefits of practicing meditation. So, I won’t go into detail about the benefits of meditation. Just to recap, some of the benefits meditation can offer are as follows:
· Lowers blood pressure
· Increases the level of oxygen in the blood
· Improves the quality of sleep
· Reduces stress
· Improves mood
· Improves heart health.
· Helps to control anxiety
· Increases self-awareness, and many more.
How to Start Meditation in 5 Easy Steps as A Beginner
1. Sit in a comfortable place of your choice. (It can be anywhere you feel comfortable, like a chair, floor, bed, or rooftop if you want. Just ensure it’s tranquil and quite)
2. Close your eyes and try to think about your motivation. Then slowly focus on your breath and take breath naturally, not too slow not too fast.
3. Determine to continue for a specific amount of time.
4. Don’t push too hard, it’s ok to lose focus in the beginning. Give your mind time to adjust, it will reward you with happiness and relaxation.
5. In the end, close it gently. Don’t rush, unless you absolutely need to.
So, my friend, here we are at the end of today’s discussion. In this short article, I have tried to focus on the basics of meditation and the two most important yet basic forms of meditation along with their how to do’s.
Don’t forget to share your experience with meditation in the comment section below and please share the article with your friends and family so that they can benefit too. Thank you.