Meditation is a mental discipline where in a person focuses on something in particular and uses it to clear their mind. It is a form of altered state of consciousness that allows your mind and body to heal themselves while you are meditating.
Benefits of Mediation?
For the purpose of dealing with depression, stress, and anxiety the benefits of meditation are as follows:
- Releases Serotonin, which will help to combat stress and depression.
- Promotes physical relaxation.
- lowers blood pressure.
- Can relieve or lessen stress related headaches.
- Relaxes the body and relieves tension related pains.
- Helps to clear your mind.
The trick with meditation is that it may take some time and practice to be able to meditate effortlessly. Some of the common complaints of people who are meditating for the first time is that they either can't clear their mind, or they fall asleep. Both of these issues are very common things that happen from time to time, but especially in people who are just learning.
It will give you what you need...
When you meditate you will be quieting your mind and allowing your subconscious to manifest itself. What this means is that if you have issues on your mind that you have been putting off, those issues will pop up in your mind. This is happening so that you can deal with them. Not all issues can be solved in a few moments but in most cases at least consciously acknowledging that the issue is there and present in your life will allow the issue to pass and let you meditate.
On the other hand, if you are over tired, or having trouble sleeping, meditation will calm your body and quiet your mind, putting both in a state that is relatively close to the state it is in when you are asleep. Since you are so close to that brain and body state it's very easy for you to just slip off into sleep. If that happens don't worry you more then likely needed the sleep anyways. Get more sleep tonight and try meditating again tomorrow.
The only other issue that can some times occur when you try and meditate is that your mind will wander instead of focusing on one thing like your breathing. What comes up isn't any kind of pressing issue it's just random thoughts, a favorite TV show, a vacation idea, etc. In this case, don't fight it, just let your mind wander for as long as it wants. It may wander for a few minutes, or even an hour, but sooner or later your mind will stop wandering and you will be able to focus.
When, Where, and How long?
There is no set rule on when, where, or for how long you should meditate, it really depends on how your life is structured. In general I would say that you should try and start out meditating for at least 5 minutes a day and work yourself up from there. Pick a time of the day when you can be alone and undisturbed for just a few minutes, and find a location that is comfortable and quiet. When I first started I would meditate every day after work (around 6pm) for an hour, I rarely do things slowly. I had a spare bedroom at the time with a walk in closet so I put an old bean bag chair in the closet, and would bring a blanket in with me to meditate. It worked great as it was the quietest room in the house. I no longer have that option so now I fold up a blanket and make a cushion on the floor in my bedroom and use the bed as a back brace. I have also moved to meditating in the morning before I start my day, and only meditate for 20 minutes a day now. There is no wrong time or place, as long as it is comfortable for you.
How to Meditate - Preparation.
If you watch movies that have meditation in them you'll see the person going into a dark room and lighting either one candle, or hundreds, sitting cross legged while incense burns in the background. In reality all you really need is a quiet place with soft lighting and a comfortable place to sit or lay down. It doesn't matter if you sit on the floor, a chair, or lay on a couch or a bed as long as you are comfortable. If you wish to light a candle you may do so just don't light anything with an over powering scent.
How to Meditate - Technique 1 - Breathing
Once you are in a comfortable position and free of distractions, allow your eyes to close and focus on your breathing. When I say focus, I mean observe. Don't try and slow down your breathing, don't try and speed it up, just pay attention to how you breathe naturally. Follow the air into your nose or mouth, down your throat and into your chest. Become aware of how your chest or stomach rises and then falls, then follow the air out of your lungs and back up your throat and out your mouth or nose. Observe the sounds and feelings that happen as you breathe. The act of focusing on one particular object will cause a state of meditation. As you get comfortable with the flow of your breath in and out, say to yourself in your mind, "In" when you inhale, and "Out" when you exhale. This added internal dialogue will focus one more part of your brain on the focal point of your meditation, which is your breathing.
How to Meditate - Technique 2 - Candle
For this technique, dim the lights so that a single candle is easily visible but not your only source of light. This will allow you to see the flame without straining your eyes. Sit comfortable so you can see the candle without having to move your head or eyes in an uncomfortable position. Take a slow deep breath, really fill your lungs and expand your chest then let it out slowly to stretch the muscles. After that allow your breathing to become natural, don't try and slow it down or speed it up just let it be, and focus on the flame. In this meditation your focal point is the flame itself, observe it in all it's detail. How it flickers from side to side, the glow of the flame, how the color changes as it gets farther from the wick. As you observe the candle your eyes may become heavy or tired. It is alright to close them and imagine the candle in your mind. You do not need to see it crystal clear, and the image in your mind may fade in and out that is all perfectly normal.
How to Meditate - Technique 3 - Empty Mind
This technique some times takes people a little practice to achieve correctly, other times the person will pick it up on their first try. All you do is get into a comfortable position, close your eyes and take a deep breath, then clear your mind of thoughts. It may sound easy but it can be tricky for some people. I often find myself concentrating on keeping my mind clear, to the point where I realized that I have one thing on my mind... keeping my mind clear. It was a bit of a paradox for me until I decided to just relax and let it all go. That solved the problem for me. This form of meditation is very good if you have something that you feel is bothering you and you don't know what it is. When your mind is clear and unfocused things pop up very quickly and usually the bigger the issue, the more quickly it will pop up.
How to refocus when your mind wanders.
One of the big issues I had with learning meditation would be that my mind would wander off a lot. I would get so frustrated that I would simply stop meditating and come out of the session more aggravated then I was when I started. I couldn't figure out how to stop it from wandering and I had a hard time finding any helpful information on how to stop it online. Finally I figured I would just let it wander one day. It wandered for more than an hour. The next day I was able to meditation without any issue at all. But every now and then I will have a simple random thought that will pop up. In this case don't get angry, it is perfectly normal for this to happen. Simply focus on the thought, acknowledge it, then relax back into your focal point (breathing, candle, etc) as you take your next breath. If one breath doesn't do it completely focus on your focal point more with each breath, just let it happen, and don't get frustrated.
Waking up.
The easiest way for me to wake up from a meditation session, assuming I haven't fallen asleep, is to take a moment to become aware of the room around you. Focus on the feeling of the item you are sitting on, whether it be the floor, or a chair. Become aware of your clothing and what the room would look like around you if your eyes were opened. Then, take a deep slow breath and open your eyes if you closed them. Stretch out a bit and get up slowly, don't just hop right up you might get dizzy from the increased oxygen in your system from meditating.
What to expect when you first wake up.
It is not uncommon to feel a little fuzzy in your head when you first wake up from meditation. Take it slowly, even though you were not truly asleep you were in a brain state that is very close to sleep. Give yourself the benefit of taking it slowly, stretch out like you would when you just wake up. It's also not uncommon to feel sluggish for a few moments after meditation. Alternately, some people will feel highly energized and eager to just pop up and go about their day.
Cumulative progress.
Meditation is kind of like exercise, the more you do it the better you feel. The effects of meditation will build over time and every day will add to the over all benefits and help you to live a more relaxed lifestyle.
I hope you have found this information helpful, if you have any questions don't hesitate to drop me an Email at AnxietyPete@gmail.com. Good Luck!
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