The word “meditation” makes many people think of incense, chanting, the lotus position, monks in robes, and religious traditions like Hinduism or Buddhism. While these associations are not necessarily wrong, meditation in its essence can be practiced by anyone anywhere at any time if they are willing to create the space for it in their lives. You can meditate on a bus on the way to work, in your cubicle, while walking your pets, or while exercising. In its simplest form, meditation is the practice of awareness, and the application of it to your life. Learning from a teacher in an established tradition offers many rewards, and I encourage it, but you can start benefitting from meditation right now!
Regular practice of meditation can improve concentration, motivation and memory - all of which will help prevent life’s various problems from becoming quite so overwhelming, thus contributing to even more overall reduction in stress.
Basic Tips
When you are getting started, I recommend setting aside a space and time for regular meditation. As I said above, meditation can be practiced anywhere, but like any skill it is best developed with practice. Many people find it helpful to meditate twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. You don’t have to sit for hours (or even an hour) to derive benefit from meditation, and devoting such lengths of time to it in the beginning will likely be counterproductive; fifteen minutes per session seems to be a good length of time for many people, but that is not an absolute rule. If you find yourself fidgeting too much or becoming too distracted, you can experiment with shorter lengths of time (such as five minutes per session) and work your way up.
Try not to meditate on a full stomach, but if you are extremely hungry, a small snack may help. It is best to start out wearing loose-fitting, comfortable clothes, and to sit or lay down in a comfortable position. You may have your eyes open or closed, though many people find that with eyes closed they have too much of a tendency to get sleepy. If you are one of these people, open your eyes, and concentrate on a fixed point in your visual field. This point doesn’t have to be anything spiritually or emotionally significant, though if you are by nature religious, you may find it useful to concentrate on a powerful symbol of your spirituality, such as a cross or an image of a saint/deity.
Breathe deeply and regularly. You can inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, or both inhale and exhale through your nose. Many people find it helpful to use a 4/4 or 4/4/4/4 breathing pattern – that is, spread the in-breath and out-breath over four seconds each, or, for a more complex variation, take a four second inhalation, hold your breath for four seconds, make a four second exhalation, and keep your lungs empty for four seconds before your next inhalation.
Starting at the crown of your head, begin relaxing your musculature, working all the way down your body through your face, your neck, both arms, both hands, your torso and back, your groin, both legs, and both feet, to the tips of your toes. You may find it useful to visualize relaxation entering your body with each inhalation and stress leaving your body with each exhalation. For example, you may want to associate relaxation with the color blue, and stress with the color black, but these are not absolute rules. Feel free to experiment and find what works for you!
Positive Consequences
In addition to relaxation and the indirect consequences of it (such as lowered blood pressure), there are many other benefits to meditation. Regular practice of meditation can improve concentration, motivation and memory - all of which will help prevent life’s various problems from becoming quite so overwhelming, thus contributing to even more overall reduction in stress. As you become more competent and confident in your meditation practice, you will be able to enter a meditative state more easily, with less preparation, and less need for a special environment to evoke a state of calm concentration.
Furthering Your Practice
If you find meditation helpful, I highly recommend looking into undertaking a more serious practice in a tradition to your liking. While Hinduism and Buddhism are most associated with meditation in the public mind, there are also Christian versions and even versions for atheists. I hope that this piece has been helpful to you in your search, and wish you many blessings on whatever path you decide to pursue. Namaste!
