What do you think of when you hear “Meditation” ? Perhaps an image of Dwight Schrute meditating in The Office in Season 8 Episode 1 comes to mind. Maybe that’s just me…
In simple terms, Meditation is a practice where one uses techniques such as mindfulness, focus, or activity to achieve a fully awake/aware, clear, relaxed, and calm state of mind.
Meditation originated in the Indian subcontinent (shoutout to the ancestors, what’s good ;)) and was seen as early as 5000-3000 B.C.E.
You must be thinking…how can this meditation stuff help me?
A) Increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings
B) Reduce stress & develop concentration
C) Help us to better control our minds.
With the help of meditation one can eliminate worries, stress, & negative thoughts; all of these things being roadblocks to happiness.
The beauty of meditation is that is isn’t necessarily a time consuming activity. You will find that most people who find productivity and success in their days, take time to meditate.
Another plus to meditation is that there are various forms of this practice. Visual meditation, Mindfulness meditation, Movement meditation(Ex: Yoga), Mantra meditation, etc.
So where to begin? Here’s a guide!
1) yoga yoga yoga
Iyenar Yoga is deemed to be the best form of Yoga for beginners. This form includes movement with objects such as pillows, blocks, or balls. But since these objects may not be readily available in your home you can simply work on these exercises.
- Surya Namaskar a.k.a “Sun Salutation” Fun fact: my mom made me do this movement 5 times every morning and it is harder than you think!
- For more beginner Yoga routines some specialists I love on Youtube are Adriene Mishler- Yoga with Adriene and Faith Hunter
- Remember Yoga is about quality over quantity. Yoga is different for everyone so go at your own pace and don’t forget to breathe!
2. mindfulness meditation
This form of meditation is very simple. It only requires your presence and perhaps a nice quiet space. Sit down and cross your legs criss cross applesauce. If this is uncomfortable lie down comfortably. Close your eyes. If you are lying down it is recommended that you have a pillow underneath your head. Next, you want to continue to breath at a natural pace. Focus your attention on the breath and on how the body moves with each inhalation and exhalation. Observe the movement of other parts of the body, your belly, rib cage, neck, etc. Your main focus is TO focus. This simple task is what allows us to redirect our thoughts. Other alterations of this meditation (if you don’t feel like just focusing on the breath) focus on the sounds you hear. Maybe it’s from the TV in your living room where your parents are eating dinner. Focus on the metal from their forks or the laughter from your siblings. Focus on the wind moving the leaves outside. Focus on the bird’s chirping in your backyard-even though lowkey no one ever just “hears bird’s chirping”. Hopefully this exercise will make that happen! The brevity of this exercise is amazing and within a week can truly focus your mind.
So all in all…
Starting or ending a day with Meditation has MANY benefits! Whether you are in the heart of a busy week at school or in quarantine, taking this time to step away from your world, leaving behind any worries and problems is great!
On some days, when I get extremely lazy, I will just put on a nice song or two and just lie in my thoughts. Sometimes it is music that can be what brings us down to a calmer state.
Having meditation in life isn’t a once a month practice it’s a skill! Learn it and then relish in its benefits. Good luck!
Peace & Good Vibes,
Maya ❤
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