What does meditation give? This question worries many people who are looking for their path to freedom, peace and self-development. Does this method really work, how to meditate correctly, maybe it is more suitable for Buddhist monks than for the average person. Meditation - the word itself blows with the mysterious and mysterious wind of the east, hiding behind itself wisdom accumulated over thousands of years and passed on from generation to generation.
Recently, the technique of meditation has been actively used in the modern European world, modern methods of its application and methods of use are being created. In an age of rapid development, mental stress increases, people lack peace of mind, it is meditation that helps restore internal balance and harmony in a person without the use of medications or antidepressants.
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I have always been amazed by the calmness and tranquility of the Eastern sages, who have known the world and are not in a hurry, just observe, enjoy life, every moment that is given to a person on Earth. What does meditation give to an ordinary person, how to meditate correctly?
According to spiritual sages and teachers, meditation is the path to higher powers, a way of understanding oneself, transforming one’s personality, and acquiring new qualities.
The positive effects of meditation are manifested in such areas:
- A person learns to be an observer, perceives himself and the world as a whole, begins to better understand his inner world - thoughts, emotions, feelings.
- An understanding comes of how to manage emotions, feelings, and restore spiritual harmony.
- A person becomes kinder, more loving and open to the world, ready to share his inner light with others. Compassion for people and joy in life appears, an internal state that does not depend on external circumstances.
- Acumen appears - the ability to think independently, not to depend on external views, to find the opportunity to overcome the barriers of society, freeing one’s potential, opportunities, and to find one’s freedom.
- Teaches a person to find joy in solitude, being alone with himself, because if you have found yourself and are comfortable alone, then it will be easier with another person than when hurricanes are raging in your soul.
- Meditation allows you to realize your “I”, your individuality. Society does not particularly support such people; it is easier to control a crowd than a self-sufficient, confident individual who has his own life principles. The main problem of people is that they depend on the opinion of society and do not listen to their inner intuition, choose the wrong path in life, and cannot find their purpose.
- Promotes the development of intuition, a person better understands himself, the characteristics of the psyche, discovers his uniqueness, and blossoms like a flower.
- Meditation is the path of insight, knowledge of one’s personality and the ability to observe from the outside the development of society.
- Helps strengthen the human psyche - reduces the likelihood of mental trauma, increases self-confidence and performance, and allows for the development and improvement of personality.
- Meditation is successfully used for medical purposes - it improves the condition of hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, reduces anxiety, allows you to forget about depression, aggressiveness, increases attention and ability to work. Indicated for disorders of the nervous system and mental overload.
- Develops creative abilities, helps in solving life issues and situations. Opens up internal reserves, promotes purposefulness in life, and the search for non-standard solutions.
What meditation gives to a person is a rather broad question. The use of meditation helps a person find himself, the meaning of life, learn to manage himself, move to a new, better level of life, and better understand the world around him. The path to enlightenment, liberation of internal strength and potential opens.
The mechanism of the effect of meditation on humans
Scientific research confirms the effect of meditation on the human brain at the biological, molecular level. We used modern equipment to study electrophysiological, metabolic, and biochemical processes. Surveys and psychological testing have confirmed improvements in mental health, positive changes in personality characteristics, self-development and social fulfillment in people who actively use meditation and have been trained in techniques in groups.
Meditation and its influence on a person are current and sought-after issues; changes have been noticed at all levels - mental, molecular. A peculiarity of the effect on the brain is a change in the dominance of the hemispheres. Scientists and thinkers have long noticed differences in people’s characters and attitudes to life, dividing them into artists and thinkers, creative people and adherents of science.
The differences are associated with the predominance of development of the left or right hemisphere of the brain, the left is responsible for logic (reading, writing, problem solving, conservatism), the right is responsible for creativity (imaginative perception of reality, the desire for discoveries, new things in life).
In people's lives, the development of one of the hemispheres usually predominates; over the years, preference is given to the right, which is involved in studies, necessary for obtaining new information, knowledge, the right develops only with constant training, music, drawing, in ordinary cases, the connection with the creative side is lost, the help of the subconscious is lost.
Meditation allows you to balance the activity of both hemispheres, the activity of the left and right hemispheres is aligned, which affects the development of a person’s mental state, the manifestation of new abilities, the discovery of creative potential, improvement of self-regulation processes, and personality development.
In the process of meditation, the integrity of the work of the human body is restored, reserves and internal capabilities are opened, the attitude towards oneself and the world around us changes, changes occur at all levels. Now even scientists recognize the positivity of meditation practices. How to start meditating, are there techniques available to every person?
To begin with, it is worth understanding that all methods of meditation lead to one goal, a person’s ability to look at the world differently, become an observer, break out of the cycle of life, and calm his mind. To use meditation, beginners need to be in a quiet, calm place, away from people and nature, preferably in a private room.
Experienced practitioners can meditate in any environment, but beginners need tranquility. It is common to use a sitting or lying position, relaxing the body and freeing the mind. However, meditation teachers suggest starting with catharsis. This is a method that allows you to free emotions; in the process of life, a person constantly suppresses anger, fear, and disappointment.
Such emotions do not allow the mind to calm down; in Buddhism, it is customary to give vent to emotions in a safe way. This is how you can show anger when you hit a pillow or a punching bag, the main thing is not to direct it at people. If you are sad, you can cry, you feel uplifted - laugh, dance, just be honest with yourself and give vent to your emotions. And then move directly to meditation exercises. Emotions are difficult to suppress; they need to be expelled by experiencing and forgetting. What does meditation give? It also allows you to free yourself from accumulated emotions using dynamic methods.
The basic rules of meditation are a state of relaxation, observation, no judgment, only contemplation and silence. It seems that the world is freezing, all movements, thoughts stop, there is only pure space.
There are more than a hundred methods of meditation, the methods and structure are different, but the principles are the same. The most suitable method should be selected and used for meditation. There is no need to invent a new method, everything has already been studied and thought out to the smallest detail, worked out in practice for centuries. You just need to choose the most convenient method. And the main thing is calm and patience; haste will not help in developing and mastering meditation techniques. Truth comes with time, just as the seedlings of planted seeds sprout for beginners. For beginners, let's look at the simplest techniques.
So, meditation, effects of methods, methods of implementation:
1. Meditation on a point - any meditation is associated with concentration, an object, it can be the external world or the internal one. The technique of meditating on a point is very simple.
There is information that this method promotes eye health on a physical level and clears thoughts, calms and improves attentiveness and concentration on a mental (spiritual) level.
Method of execution: a black dot is drawn on a sheet of paper, the sheet is located at eye level. It is necessary to look at the point for 3-15 minutes (gradually the time is increased to 30 minutes), it is necessary to concentrate thoughts on this object (point), trying not to be distracted by other thoughts. After completing the exercise, you need to close your eyes and wait until the internal image of the point disappears.
You can use a similar method only with observing the flame of a candle, concentrating on the fire. This exercise is considered basic in the process of mastering meditation.
What does meditation on a point give? Improves attentiveness, helps calm thoughts, improves vision.
2. Transcendental Meditation, transcendental meditation (TM) - a technique developed by Maharishi Maher Yogi, involves the use of special mantras to go beyond thinking and clear the mind.
This meditation is considered the easiest to use, is used all over the world, and requires only 15-20 minutes of practice, 2 times a day, to obtain positive results. The technique allows you to reduce and slow down the thinking process, promoting the transition to a state of calm and awareness. Such activities help reduce stress and have a beneficial effect on personal development.
Transcendental meditation involves thinking opposite to the standard one - in the process of meditation, a person paves the way to the inner consciousness, the source of thoughts, their origin, and finds the foundation of conscious processes. It is recommended to use regularly to increase the level of concentration on the inner self, achieving complete relaxation and peace of mind. This method has been studied by medicine and has proven itself to have a positive effect on the entire body and mental state of a person.
Technique for performing TM consists in pronouncing a certain mantra, which affects certain parts of the brain, causing inhibition of thinking, leading to a transition to a relaxed state: breathing slows down, a feeling of the state of a baby arises, primary thinking, without a certain framework. Thoughts dissipate, peace arises, close to a state of sleep, but this is not a dream; it is better to practice meditation in an alert state in the morning and evening.
Having reached the desired state, the mantra is no longer pronounced, but if unnecessary thoughts arise, it is repeated again. The transition to a state of meditation helps to purify consciousness, internal reboot, stress relief, unity with the outside world, the Universe, receiving external energy. Anyone can master the TM technique; this does not require special training, only desire and 15 minutes of free time.
It is possible to find a paid instructor or go to a group to study the TM method in more detail, or you can practice it on your own; it is recommended to use the “OM” mantra to begin with, which is considered a mantra of general use. During personal training, the instructor can choose a personal mantra based on the characteristics of the person.
Let's take a closer look at the technique of performing transcendental meditation:
- It is necessary to take a comfortable sitting position, relax all the muscles, breathe deeply, feel relaxation throughout the body, the muscles become heavier, a wave of relaxation passes through the entire body from head to toe.
- We exhale for a few seconds, we feel how energy flows through the crown into the lungs, and we accumulate energy in the solar plexus.
- We pronounce the mantra “OM” (aoum), moving our attention to the area of the chest, throat, and crown. Repeat the inhalation and say the mantra while exhaling. Continue until a state of peace comes and external thoughts stop bothering you.
- If thoughts do not go away, you need to think about pleasant, beautiful things - imagine nature, flowers, special happy moments in life. Try to let go of thoughts and illnesses as you exhale, freeing your body and mind.
- We leave meditation after 15-20 minutes, gradually turning on the muscles, rolling a wave of tension from the legs to the head, trying to turn on the vision at the end. Again we begin to feel the whole body, every muscle, hear and see the world around us.
People often wonder: what does meditation give, the effects of practice? Mainly, there is a reboot of thinking, cleansing of negative thoughts, relieving tension, rest on the physical level, and activation of internal forces. During periods of stress, meditation can be an effective aid in minimizing the impact of overload on the body.
3. Practice “Inner smile” - a person’s emotional state has a huge impact on physical health.
Experiences lead to disorders of the nervous system, digestion, and disturbances in the functioning of the heart, while positive emotions and joy fill with health energy, strengthening the immune system and improving the general condition of the body. It is recommended to use the “inner smile” to strengthen physical and mental health.
Technique:
- The exercise begins with the eyes; they are interconnected with the nervous system and all organs. You need to close your eyes and imagine that they are smiling, as is usually the case with joy, to fill them with relaxation and light.
- Mentally smile at all parts of the body and organs, starting from the head and going down, it is important to give a charge of positivity - to the brain, heart, stomach, liver and other important areas, especially the chakras.
What does meditation using this method give? After practice, you feel a surge of strength, energy, and your general condition and mood improve.
4. Vapassana is one of the most common techniques, it has contributed to the enlightenment of the largest number of people, since it contains the essence.
Anyone can do it, there are several ways:
- Awareness of yourself, actions, thoughts - you need to monitor and understand, be aware of the movements of your arms and legs when walking, learn to feel all processes, excluding unconscious manifestations. At the same time, there is awareness of thoughts and actions, without evaluation, just observation. Exercise - walking around the room with your eyes down, concentrating forward a couple of steps, feeling your feet touch the ground. It is important to become aware of body movements, thoughts and emotions. Three main steps.
- Awareness of breathing - you need to concentrate on your breathing, feel how your stomach rises and falls as you inhale and exhale. As a result of concentrating on the breath and the stomach, thoughts go away, emotions dissolve, and the heart calms down. You can concentrate on how the air enters and exits if it is difficult to breathe through your stomach (more men).
The exercise is performed as follows: You need to take a comfortable sitting position, close your eyes, relax your body and direct your attention slightly above the navel, feeling how you inhale and exhale air. Try not to be distracted, but if your attention is distracted, turn your inner gaze to the question for a while and return to conscious breathing. It is important to observe your breathing calmly and feel the condition.
What does meditation, namely Vapassana, give? This method allows you to learn to observe the world, feel life with all your heart, find peace and open insight, find your peace of mind. The whole world is just a reflection of a person, his thoughts, calming the soul, we change our attitude towards the world, we experience life differently, we see new facets and horizons.
5. Kundalini - meditation - this meditation is similar to dynamic, where a person must initially throw out energy; this technique uses the following steps:
- the body relaxes, a shudder occurs as a result of the influence of energy rising from the feet (15 min.);
- dance, the body moves at its own discretion, freeing itself from hidden emotions, stiffness (15 min.);
- relaxation in a sitting or standing position, closing your eyes, observing your sensations, the inner and outer world (15 min.).
What does kundalini meditation do? This meditation technique helps to clear away accumulated emotions and experiences, and restore calm and balance in the soul and body.
6. “Be born again”, Osho meditation - also involves dynamic and classical meditation.
It is believed that over the years a person ceases to enjoy life, loses spontaneity, contact with nature, the natural beginning of life. Therefore, Osho proposed a meditation that brings you back to childhood - for 1 hour a person behaves like a child: plays, sings, jumps, releasing energy, removing clamps, splashing out emotions, for another hour he remains in a calm state, in a sitting position.
What does “being born again” meditation do? As a result of using the technique, a feeling of childhood, spontaneity, openness to the world arises; a person learns to feel life in all its glory, to express feelings and emotions openly.
7. Laughter meditation - there are stories about the laughing Buddha, who walked around settlements and simply laughed, without telling people anything, while he helped to cleanse oneself spiritually and recharge with positive energy.
The simplest method- in the morning, when you wake up, stretch with your eyes closed, after 3 minutes start laughing, continue for 5 minutes (do not open your eyes). Laughter helps clear away negative thoughts, fill your mind with light and a positive charge, and makes your new day more successful.
An important rule of meditation— learn to open your heart and fill it with peace. It is the heart that allows you to live a real life, and problems are created by the mind and consciousness, complicating the world around you. Therefore, it is useful to move awareness to the area of the heart, to learn to feel the world. There is no need to complicate life, there are no problems, there are secrets and mysteries of life, everything else is a product of our thinking.
Meditation - this is a state in which we are involuntarily, without even noticing it. During periods of special concentration, activities such as drawing, creating music, contemplating the world, nature, drinking tea, running can induce a state of meditation: harmony of body and spirit, the absence of unnecessary thoughts.
Each person is looking for his own ways to restore internal strength; even positive memories can fill the soul with light. Breathing exercises also help greatly during periods of stress, irritation, and loss of calm.
We wish you to find your own method of meditation and live in harmony with the world around you!
Hello friends!
Even before total immersion in travel, I read a lot of literature of a so-called spiritual nature and crossed paths with people who, with their examples, showed me a simple and effective way to harmony: calming the mind.
Meditation is a type of mental exercise (based on concentration, relaxation and awareness) used as part of a spiritual, religious or health practice, or a special mental state that arises as a result of these exercises (or for other reasons).
As can be seen from the definition, meditation is both a process and a state. There are many ways to implement them, and this multitude continues to grow every day. This is facilitated not only by natural interest, but also by the accompanying increased commercialization of the so-called spheres. “spiritual development”, where a streak of dishonest bribe-takers inevitably begins to penetrate.
In Borovoe (my friend in the photo)
This trend, however, has a twofold result: on the one hand, esotericists get another toy at their disposal, on the other hand, pure practices increase even more in their own value.
In general, in RuNet, I noticed that the concept of meditation inevitably goes hand in hand with very vague definitions, such as “opening the third eye,” “merging with the divine potential,” or “esoteric wisdom.” All of them, in a certain sense, somehow reflect the experiences of the meditator, but nothing more than a one-sided projection.
Meditation has only an indirect relation to all such fantasies. Moreover, simplicity and naturalness, on the contrary, makes it a very down-to-earth and earthly technique, without big words and troubles. Although meditation in the form we know came to us from the east, it, first of all, works with your quite tangible psyche, and certainly not with divine energies and the radiance of angels.
Even Buddha initially carefully tried to cleanse it of all superstition, religiosity and ritualism. And he did not avoid turning his own teaching into an organized religion.
Of course, all people are different and therefore working practices will be different for everyone. Therefore, for some people, achieving calmness of the mind through concentration on the chakras or angelic light will be just as effective as through normal breathing.
Why does a person need meditation?
The purpose of meditation is to calm the chattering monkey called the mind. You've probably noticed how the thought process can take you into distant jungles, fantasies or deep reflection. How many problems did this cause? When, starting with a harmless thought about a walk in the park, we suddenly find ourselves drowning in anger towards the offender, who may have been dead for a long time.
However, this does not mean that the thought process should be completely stopped. This is as widespread a myth as it is a necessary esoteric component.
The peace of mind achieved is a very natural state in which the mind, like a mirror, simply reflects the coming and going of phenomena. Be it sensations in the body, thoughts or emotions that suddenly arise.
The nature of the mind is such that it is possible to stop its thought process only with the help of great tension, which we, on the contrary, are trying to get rid of. There is a contradiction that any practitioner faces with a fairly diligent attitude to practice.
The results of meditation vary:
- someone feels a surge of calm and strength
- someone solves their deep psychological problems
- someone gets rid of chronic illnesses caused by the same destructive attitudes of the mind (so-called psychosomatic diseases)
- someone overcomes stress and troubles
- someone gets inspiration for creativity
- someone gets rid of depression and neuroses
- and someone just expands their consciousness
I was once meditating in general and starting a completely new life.
However, such accompanying experiences should not be made goals. This will only increase tension and make meditation an activity “from the mind”, which, instead of liberation, will lead to stress.
If you experience other emotions and impressions, don’t worry - there are many variations here; no less than the number of people living on earth.
Before the face of Buddha in Thailand
As for subjectively experienced experience, there is no point in describing it or even reading about it. All of these are personal projections and experiences of each individual practitioner. They can easily accommodate both bright and beautiful experiences and quite frightening ones.
People often ask the question “what is the point of meditation” and confuse the cart with the horse. Meditation is a process, an immersion in the here and now.
How to learn this and where to start?
Starting to meditate is very easy. Just 2 simple steps are enough:
- sit with a straight back (stable body position)
- start observing your natural breathing (without trying to control it)
Neither lotus poses, nor seven-part poses, nor mantras, nor even closed eyes are a prerequisite for starting to meditate. Stability of posture and simple concentration with awareness are more than enough to get started.
ALL! According to one of the modern masters, Mingyur Rinpoche, meditation can be easily woven into everyday life: while cooking, walking, and even driving a car. The main condition for successful practice is awareness!
However, you should not completely reject the rest. The lotus position, mantras, eyes are the same tools as breathing and awareness. But if we can do without mantras, then we can’t do without awareness.
Of course, it is better to learn meditation under the guidance of an experienced master. Because this simple practice has a lot of side effects, which are not always easy to cope with.
How long should you meditate per day?
The answer is predictable: the bigger, the better. However, few people in our modern environment can afford to devote 4-6 hours a day to practice. And even the 2 hours recommended by Vipassana seem like a huge luxury.
And this is normal, because only monks can afford to devote so much time to practice. We are lay people, and the demand from us, adjusted for our daily bustle, will be completely different. The practice can be easily woven into our daily lives: while walking, before bed, or on the way somewhere.
The so-called comes to the rescue. "the art of small steps" Mingyur Rinpoche repeatedly speaks about him in his wonderful book “Buddha, the Brain and the Neurophysiology of Happiness.”
Its principles are as follows:
- 20 minutes a day can be a lot
- try to meditate for 2 minutes, but every day
- It is better to meditate poorly than not to meditate at all
Gradually, in a natural way, 2 minutes will grow to 5-10-15, etc., plus stable states will begin to be woven into everyday life, making even routine tasks tools for practice.
As a result, the ocean that has accumulated “drop by drop” will become a very good help and will begin to bear its beneficial fruits at the level of the deep psyche.
In the misty Himalayas
How and when this will happen is unknown to anyone. And you shouldn't concentrate on it. It is better to direct your attention to practice.
And what metamorphoses will occur thanks to it depends on the meditator. The main thing is not to stop and treat the process of meditation with a degree of patience, wisdom and discipline.
That's all, friends! I don’t know what else to say about the basic principles of meditation. Therefore, if you can add something on your own, please write in the comments.
And, traditionally: if you found the article interesting, please share it on your social networks. This is the best reward for me as an author.
I wish you a calm mind and deep awareness!
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Over time, people noticed that almost all meditators live long lives and have extraordinary health. This fact has greatly interested the modern world. Through many scientific studies, it has been proven that regular meditation actually has a positive effect on health and emotional well-being. In addition, meditation allows you to detach yourself from the realities of life, temporarily forget about problems and losses, and become a simple impartial contemplator, which helps you understand yourself and solve seemingly insoluble life problems.
What does meditation give?
Nowadays it is very difficult for a person to completely relax. Even in your sleep you feel tense and anxious. Meditation classes provide complete relaxation, immersion in a state of peace and tranquility. Due to this, the emotional background quickly levels out, meditation gives a powerful surge of strength and joy.
During this time, breathing slows down, and the blood begins to become more saturated with oxygen. Thanks to this, blood pressure is stabilized, the heart muscle is strengthened, and the airways are cleared, which helps prevent and even treat many diseases.
Many experiments were carried out, during which it was scientifically confirmed that with the help of meditation, people were cured of many diseases, even such terrible ones as oncology.
It has been noted that meditation strengthens the immune system; even special antibodies are produced that fight viruses and infected cells. Under maximum loads, which sometimes cannot be avoided, meditation gives the fastest positive result of relaxation and rest. Hormones of joy and happiness are produced inside the body, this state is remembered and preserved for a long time. Therefore, people who meditate are much more resistant to stress and react more adequately to all situations.
Everyone sooner or later thinks about the meaning of life. Meditation allows you to know your own “I” and feel connected to the Universe. Helps you recognize your own mysterious inner world and understand your purpose.
With the help of meditation, you can find answers to many questions, find harmony and joy in life.
These are just a few answers to the question of what meditation gives, in fact there are many more. But only through practice can one appreciate and understand the full power of the magic of meditation.
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Related article
You often hear about meditation as a certain ritual that is performed in a certain position, at a certain time, with a certain mantra, etc. There are many different meditation techniques and methods, but there is another important factor - the state of meditation itself.
The state of meditation is a feeling of activity in the body, mind and emotions under your control. This is the absence of fuss, anxiety, irritability. A herd of mammoths can run past a person in a state of meditation, and he won’t even blink an eye.
This is a state of detachment not in the sense that a person does not participate emotionally in what is happening around him, but in the sense that he controls any manifestations of emotions, but at the same time, detachment allows him to constructively make decisions based not on personal interests, but on the basis of interests universal scale.
Well, however, it’s still too early for that. Let's look at what types of meditations there are!
According to the level of energy, there are three stages of meditation: tamasic energy is the energy of complete calm, but not in the sense of peace, but in the sense of complete zero - oblivion, apathy, inertia. The activity of the physical body removes the body from the state of tamas, from the state of sleep. A person who meditates from a state of tamasic energy simply sleeps - his energy has frozen, turned into jelly, he wants to sleep or is already asleep and has a dream about how he is meditating.
A person is in a state of tamas after sleep, after eating tamasic food, or even worse, overeating, when he sits for a long time in front of the TV or at the computer, or lies on the sofa.
In this state, meditation will be very sluggish - it will not give any sensations other than a sense of fulfilled duty to the homeland. Before you meditate, you need to get out of this state - cheer up. Go for a run or a brisk walk, do yoga, dance, and perform various strength exercises. In general, pump up the energy, bring the body out of the state of tamas.
But this does not mean that a five-minute warm-up is enough - you will feel how your state has flowed from apathetic to a state of vigor, freshness, and clarity. And then the second stage of meditation begins.
Rajas is a state of full activity of both the mind, emotions and body. In such a state, a person wants to engage in activities, the energy in his body is seething, wants to break out, wants to express himself in some very important matter - be it washing socks or an agreement with a large company. The mind is always busy with active activity - “I don’t remember if there are enough potatoes or if I need to go to the store to buy,... and did I change the child’s underwear today or not... but in that program the presenter’s blouse with such a lace collar should suit me...” , or - “... the car pulls to the right, or the wheel is flat or I need to go to the wheel alignment,... I won’t go where I did last year - it’s expensive and there’s a long line,... or maybe there will be the one that arrived in the red car - so juicy,... interesting, the blonde from the next door always looks at me and…” and so on ad infinitum.
The mind is excited, it is at the peak of activity, the body cannot sit still, emotions are ready to spill out. In general, you sit and wait for everything to finally end.
In order to move into the sattva state, certain breathing techniques help. Sattvic energy is very close to a state of cosmic ecstasy, bliss, euphoria. In this state, new ideas are born and creative inspiration appears. You reach the level from which you can see the solution to many problems as if from above, impartially, without identification.
But to get to this there are three more levels of sattvic meditation. At the first level, feeling calm and peace in the body and emotions, the meditator observes how his thoughts flow past him like clouds in the sky or how he watches them like passers-by from a window. He does not identify himself with thoughts - he watches how one thought gives birth to another, which gives birth to the next, and so on. Try to find the gap between you and the thoughts themselves - here you are, but here are the thoughts independent of me.
Having passed this stage, the practitioner of meditation suddenly finds such a line, crossing which he discovers himself as a kind of observer outside his own body. He reveals himself to be a being of subjective reality, separate from the objects of the physical and mental world. He is not a body, and the world is not reality, but only an interpretation of the world, created by random circumstances in certain conditions. And then at the third level you find yourself just a point in space, a nobody, a light, a spark of consciousness. You feel how in the endless emptiness the ocean of the universe opens its arms, and you drown in its bliss. You understand that you have not just become nothing, emptiness, but have always been it and only accidentally mistook an illusion for reality.
Perform the following breathing technique - calm, deep inhale, and equally calm, deep exhale. Belly breathing, continuous and uniform. Constantly watch your breath, how it comes in and how it comes out. Keep your focus on your breathing. Don’t wait for the result - become a total observer of your breathing - “I am the One Who Observes the Breath.”
Just don’t think that it’s easy - be prepared for the fact that once you start meditating, sooner or later you will come to a state of meditation. Maybe after some time of regular practice, not directly during practice, but when you are walking down the street and enjoying the clean, fresh air after the rain, you suddenly want to stop from an unexpected wave of experience. You look at the world, and it is completely different - it seems to have slowed down and everything breathes love.
Or you look at any person, and he suddenly becomes incredibly beautiful - you see in him the embodiment of God himself. Or suddenly, somewhere you heard the rustling of the wings of a dove flying past and this sound suddenly stops the world - someone pressed pause, and you just watch the sun slowly sink behind the tall buildings. Rest assured – this is it, the same! Stop, close your eyes and go deeper into yourself - don't let it slip away!
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People who strive to improve spiritually, intellectually, physically are interested in various practices that can realize these tasks. Meditation is the most famous and widespread practice that can help a person achieve mental balance, learn to detach from stress, improve emotional and physical health, and bring many other positive changes into their lives.
Why does a person need meditation?
A person's life is rarely simple and carefree. Most often, people have to overcome various trials and difficulties. Overcoming them, a person often experiences conditions such as: stress, anxiety, anxiety, irritability. In this state, it is difficult to enjoy life, cope effectively with daily tasks, and achieve success in various aspects of life. The practice of meditation allows a person to achieve a state of consciousness in which he becomes able to take complete control of his thoughts, emotions, and sensations. The ability at the right time to put aside unnecessary emotions that prevent you from achieving a goal, to control yourself in any situation, to lead a normal life without stress and anxiety - this is an incomplete list of what meditation gives a person.
How to learn meditation?
You can learn meditation in several ways: with the help of books, a teacher, or on your own. The most important condition for you to learn this practice is regularity.
Having decided to master the practice of meditation, you need to schedule a time when you can be left to your own devices, and no one or nothing will distract you. The ideal time for meditation is considered to be the time of sunrise and sunset. The temperature in the room should be comfortable as well as your clothes; you should not experience any discomfort during meditation. Think about a position in which it will be comfortable for you to meditate; it is good if you train yourself to meditate while sitting on a chair with a straight back or in. It is not entirely recommended to meditate while lying down, as there is a risk of falling asleep during it. The optimal duration of meditation is 20 minutes.
The essence of any meditation is to bring your mind to a state of peace, but they lead to this state in their own ways. We will look at two meditation techniques, concentration and mindfulness.
Concentration meditation
The purpose of this meditation, as mentioned above, is to bring the mind to a state of peace. Your task while performing this technique is not to be distracted by thoughts and sensations that arise. Thoughts cannot be turned off, they will appear, there is no need to resist it. Let them appear, let them go. Images and sensations may also arise, the meaning of which you want to understand and appreciate. To put it in simple words: you need to learn to stop thinking during meditation, learn to achieve internal and external “silence”. The main sign that you have succeeded in this practice will be the ability to turn off your active mind for at least a few seconds. How to achieve such a state?
Choosing an object to focus your attention on
By concentrating your attention on something, it is easier to disconnect from thoughts. You can start your meditation by focusing on your breathing. Fix your attention on the sensations of inhalation/exhalation. Breathe deeply, evenly and calmly. Record the feeling of air entering your lungs and coming out again. As you concentrate on your physical sensations, you will begin to relax.
You can also choose other objects to concentrate your attention, for example:
- Image, think about which image is right for you. It could be fire, a candle flame, sea waves, etc.
- Point between the eyebrows. Close your eyes and imagine this point. Concentrate on it.
- Darkness, black screen.
- Breathing, you can continue to concentrate your attention on breathing throughout the meditation.
When thoughts or sensations come during meditation and distract you from the object of concentration, do not resist them, just let them go. Of course, it will not be easy to achieve a state where you can turn off your thoughts and still remain conscious for at least a short time. But when you manage to do this, even for a few seconds or a minute, you can consider that you have succeeded. With each workout this time will increase.
Conscious meditation teaches one to perceive reality as it is, helps a person get rid of suffering through awareness and understanding of the reasons for its occurrence. As a result of the practice of conscious meditation, a person’s sensitivity and intuition increases, the mind becomes calm and balanced, a person becomes able to make correct decisions, act correctly, find harmony and happiness, this is a list of what meditation gives on a psychological level. At the physical level, conscious meditation has a beneficial effect on a person’s psychosomatic state: it relieves depression, sleep disorders and appetite; normalizes blood pressure; helps get rid of alcohol and tobacco addiction; helps fight chronic pain.
How Mindfulness Meditation Works
All these positive changes will occur due to the fact that the mind will be cleared of the “dirt” that is formed when we evaluate and react to external and internal stimuli in the form of events, thoughts, feelings, images, etc. For example, an event occurred that we do not like, then we develop a reaction to this event in the form of negative feelings (anger, fear, resentment, etc.). As a result, we suffer and think about how to avoid it. Even positive reactions can cause suffering. For example, as a result of not being able to access our attachments. Attachments are something or someone to which we feel a strong attraction.
There are a lot of situations in life that cause negative feelings in us (situations at work, problems in the family, etc.), as well as attachments (comfort, food, sex, alcohol, cigarettes, the person we love, etc.). d.). Our main attachment is our ego, the image of our “I” and God forbid, if someone encroaches on what belongs to our “I”, a storm of emotions and feelings arises in us and will cause the most severe suffering.
Often this all happens to us on an unconscious level. That is, a person may not realize why he feels bad, where these feelings come from. The reasons that caused these conditions remain at the subconscious level and poison our lives, affecting our feelings, mind, and health. Therefore, it is very important to keep our mind balanced.
So, conscious meditation allows you to learn how to get rid of this mental trash and prevent it from reappearing. This is achieved through impartial observation of one’s feelings and lack of reaction to stimuli from the internal and external world.
You need to start mastering mindful meditation by choosing a method of doing it, there are only three of them:
The first way is awareness of the actions of the body, mind, heart. Awareness of the body's actions means focusing one's attention on its movements. When we make any movements, we are not aware of them, we do them purely mechanically. When performing your daily actions, record your movements, what does this mean? For example, when moving your hand, try to be aware of this movement. When you take a shower or bath, feel and be aware of the contact of the water with your body. Awareness of the action of the mind simply means observing the thoughts that appear in our head. Pay attention to them without judgment. Also with emotions, there is no need to judge what is good or bad, this is not the purpose of this practice. Just being a witness to what is happening around you, accepting the present moment as it is, that’s the point. Dedicate 40-60 minutes daily to awareness of the above actions. Over time, such training will bring tangible benefits in everyday life.
The second way is awareness of breathing. Observe the rise and fall of your abdomen as you inhale and exhale. Watch how the inhalation raises the stomach and the exhalation lowers it. As you become aware of these movements, your mind and heart become calm and emotions disappear.
The third method is also based on awareness of breathing, but unlike the second, attention is fixed on the point of entry of air. Feel the air entering your nostrils, feel the coolness at the point where the air enters.
Choose from these three methods the most suitable one for yourself, i.e. the one that is easiest for you to do.
Mindfulness meditation can be done while sitting or while walking.
Performing the practice while sitting: Find a comfortable position in which you can remain for 40–60 minutes without changing it. Keep your back straight and your breathing should be even. The position can be changed only in case of urgent need. Observe how, at the point above your navel, inhalation and exhalation raise and lower your belly. If during practice any interference arises, in the form of a feeling, thought, irritant from the outside world, switch your attention to this interference, then switch back to breathing.
Walking: You will need to be aware of the movement of your feet as they touch the ground. You can walk in a straight line or in a circle. Lower your eyes and look at the ground, a few steps ahead. Direct your attention to how each foot touches the ground in turn. If an obstacle appears, become aware of it, and then turn your attention back to your legs. Completion time 20-30 minutes.
As we see, there are many reasons that can prompt a person to begin mastering the practice of meditation. But each person still has their own, albeit similar ones. Why he needs meditation, he will answer for himself as a result of regular training.
The main function of self-meditation is to perform an action that will lead to the implementation of a specific goal. In other words, strong meditation is a way. Powerful meditation also has another purpose, namely, with its help, the practitioner builds his own internal flows so that he has the opportunity to approach the disclosure of his inner “I”.
Self-meditation - where to start?
In this sense, meditation is a significant element in the evolution of personality. This is what meditation is for. While in a meditative state, the practitioner reveals his consciousness, and it, consciousness, merges with the unconscious, which, in turn, opens up broad prospects for personal development.
What do you need to do to meditate on your own? First of all, you need to have a goal. You can meditate for any purpose! You are always free to choose the goal you want to achieve! However, remember, when doing meditation, you should not focus on solving one problem. This approach weakens the effect of meditation; moreover, you yourself risk depriving yourself of the opportunity for further development.
Beautiful meditation helps us achieve many goals. The desire to solve a life problem is the main thing you need for meditation. But remember that meditation without your efforts, labor, and will to implement your plans will not bear the expected fruits until you begin to act. By engaging in meditation practice, you will be drawn to study and comprehend the intangible world, its logic and patterns. Moreover, by constantly practicing meditation, you simply cannot help but study your energy and surrounding energies.
Why is meditation needed and what can be achieved with it?
By practicing meditation, you can achieve literally anything! In a state of meditation you will receive a hint, you will be shown a direction, by meditating you will gain understanding and strength. Meditation is a generator of ideas and energy. And all that is needed for meditation is the desire for positive changes, for knowing oneself and one’s own resources. For example, by meditating on strengthening and improving your health, you will receive a supply of energy, you will be offered situations that you can use to treat and improve your health. By meditating on money, you will enter other situations, for example, you will get a real opportunity to earn money, you will win a large sum, or you will acquire something very profitable.
If you need energy, then by meditating you will gain it, but you will find yourself in a situation where you have to realize it. There are many meditations with the help of which an adept replenishes his energy and increases its supply. These are the ones who give you what you ask for. If you want to increase your resource, it means you have a goal and you want to realize it. This can only mean one thing - you are asking for help, i.e. this is exactly what meditation is meant to do.
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