How to meditate?

Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity. – Voltaire

Life has become very hectic and stressful. The rat race to reach the top leaves you drained and depleted of energy. Your mind becomes a storehouse of tension and frustration. You have to keep running to reach the winning post; otherwise you will be left far behind. So you are on your toes to keep pace with the world.

Can anyone survive this hectic work schedule or this hurried life style forever? It needs immense stamina on your part to work with consistent efficiency and so you require some calming agent to make your seething mind become calm and composed.

Are you wondering how?

There is a perfect remedy for your confused and erratic mindset. It is meditation. It can soothe your mind, lessen your tension, and make you feel the tranquility. Can everyone meditate? Of course everyone from all age groups can meditate.

Are there any specific methods to do meditation?

Unlike yoga, meditation gives you the liberty to do it the way you like. Yoga should always be learned through an expert as the postures should be done according to certain rules. But meditation is just a way to make you feel relaxed and at peace.

How to meditate?

• You cannot meditate in a noisy place.
• You should have an erect posture.
• There should be no bright lights in the room you are meditating and the lighting should be dim.
• Switch off your mobile, TV and your computer.
• You need not mediate for a long time.
• It is focus and concentration when you meditate that is important.
• Do not talk while you meditate.

1.Do not meditate in a noisy place.

You must have a peaceful atmosphere when you meditate. If you try to meditate in a noisy place, the sounds will distract you and you will not be able to concentrate. Always choose a quiet spot which will enable you to focus on your thoughts to bring clarity to your mind.

2. The posture.

Your posture should be comfortable and your body should be erect. Straighten your back and shoulders. Keep your hands relaxed and in one position. If you keep moving your position your concentration will break and you will not be able to meditate properly. Close your eyes to shut out the scenes of the outside world.

3. Lighting arrangement

Too bright lights can jar your eyes and make it uncomfortable for you to meditate. The lights should be dim and soft. You can listen to mild instrument music as it will help your tensed mind to relax.

4.Do not talk when meditating

Silence is the key to good meditation. You should tell your family members not to disturb you while you are meditating. You should shut your mind from worries and other family problems and be completely involved. If there is disturbance which breaks your concentration, you can never get back into the grove again.

5. What should your thoughts be?

When you are meditating, your mind should not have an amalgam of thoughts. You should have one thought and your mind must be focused towards it. The thought should give you some happiness. So think about something which gives you pleasure. I always think of my daughter when I meditate.

6.Perfect time for meditation

Early morning is the perfect time to meditate. Your mind is empty and your body is fresh from a good night’s sleep. The world is quiet and there are no distractions for you. You can meditate any time you like, but your mind will not be as fresh as it is in the morning.

The ways to meditate

• You should select a place in your home where you can be calm. You need not try out difficult postures while meditating, but you cannot sit in a clumsy way also. Your back should ramrod straight and you should maintain the same posture throughout your meditation.
• Keep your hands together in your lap and close your eyes. Your breathing should be calm and steady, in and out, in and out with rhythmic steadiness. Now concentrate your mind on something you like.
• You should focus your mind towards your thought. This is the way I meditate. I breathe in and think of my daughter and I breathe out and again I focus my mind on her. I not only concentrate my thoughts on my daughter, I also fix her expression in my mind. She is always smiling. I embed her smiling face in my mind.
• Now I breathe in and visualize my daughter smiling, I breathe out and again I focus on my daughter’s smiling face. I do this for five minutes till her smiling face merges with my breathing and becomes one. When I open my eyes I seem to see her face right before me. It makes me feel happy and relaxed.
• You can also meditate without any particular thoughts in your mind, just the vacuum and emptiness. This too will prove effective in relaxing your frayed mind. If you meditate for a lengthy period, your concentration will waver and falter and meditation fails to deliver the goods.

Meditation helps you in many ways. It has health benefits and does wonders to your hypertension. If you are a highly temperamental person and prone to angry tantrums, meditation can bring about a good change in your behavior. When you meditate in a regular basis, you can virtually feel your anger and wild temperament disappearing.

‘At the end of the day, I can end up just totally wacky, because I've made mountains out of molehills. With meditation, I can keep them as molehills.’ – Ringo Starr.

Hectic lifestyle has become the order of the day and its negative aspect makes you feel disturbed and tensed. Meditation is like a treatment to your frayed nerves. Your positive thoughts are like medicine for the recuperation of your gloomy mind and meditation is like a doctor who helps you become constructive and optimistic.