Learning to Meditate

A quick search on 'learning to meditate' came up with so many sites where you pay them a little bit of money and they will send a book or cd on how to meditate that it made me want to meditate to calm myself down a bit. There are various religions and forms of spirituality who use meditation as a key component. Meditation is important in both Buddhism and Hinduism. Meditation is used in yoga and some forms of it are used in Tai Chi and Qigong as well. Simply slowing down, and listening to your breath, is a simple way of beginning to meditate for the novice. There are also various forms of pranayama, or focusing on the breath, that are used in yoga and provide the foundation for a good meditation practice. It is a little known thing about yoga that the primary purpose for the physical part of yoga is to get your body into a relaxed state for meditation. When our bodies are comfortable and free from pain, it allows us to focus on our meditation, rather than thinking, "ooh, my hip hurts, I have a pain in my knee," etc. I wrote a pretty good article (if I say so myself) on Buddhist meditation that can be found on Bodhi Seed Prayer Beads.

And there is always more that I want to add. It is important to remember before meditating that you should do something to help your body limber up a bit. You can also meditate in a chair, especially if it is very uncomfortable for you to sit on the ground. Also if your mind wanders, you should gently bring your mind back to task rather than berating yourself for forgetting to concentrate. Meditating should be a small gift that you are giving yourself. The time to relax and try to free your mind from your everyday worries.

The benefits of meditation are great. Meditation can increase blood flow and slow down the heart rate. It enhances weight loss and increases energy. Meditation can also help with your concentration and focus in all aspects of life.

Prayer Beads are great for meditation because they give your mind something to focus on while you meditate. You can use a mantra with the prayer beads as you pass over each bead. And this doesn't have to be rigid. You could use a Buddhist or Hindu mantra, or you could just say a small prayer for someone in your life, or give yourself an affirmation as you use the prayer beads. You can also focus on your breath, focus on a mudra (a yogic hand position), focus on something you want to come true, or focus on a mandala or another sacred object. There are also forms of walking meditations and much more. It's important that you take some time for yourself, and meditation is a great way to do it!