How To Get Into Deep Meditation
Meditating has numerous, long-lasting benefits for us as individuals: it reduces stress, helps us understand our pain, strengthens our connections, sharpens our focus, and makes us kinder to ourselves.
With our latest thoughtful guide to meditation, AfricasNow takes you through the fundamentals.Â
Meditation
How is meditation learned? In mindfulness meditation, we practice being aware of our breath’s ins and outs and recognizing when our minds stray from the task at hand.
The skill of bringing oneself back to the breath strengthens the attention and mindfulness muscles.
By focusing on our breathing, we can learn how to intentionally and judgment-free anchor ourselves in the present moment, returning to it time and time again.
Though it sounds simple, practicing mindfulness requires patience.
Reasons Why You Should Meditate
Although it’s not a panacea, meditation can give your life some much-needed breathing room.
We bring profound and enduring benefits into our lives when we meditate. Bonus: You don’t require an expensive membership or additional equipment.
These five arguments support meditation:
1. Being aware of your suffering
2. Reduce your tension
3. Improve communication
4. Boost concentration
5. Lessen mental chatter
How to meditate
Contrary to popular belief, meditation is both easier and more difficult. You can meditate by following the steps listed below.
Make sure the location allows you to unwind during this process, then set a timer and give it a try.
1) Take a seat.
Locate a spot to sit that seems peaceful and quiet.
2) Establish a time frame.
It can be beneficial to start out with a brief period of time, like five or ten minutes.
3) Pay attention to your appearance
It’s okay to kneel, to sit loosely cross-legged, or to sit in a chair with your feet on the floor. Make sure you are secure and in a position that will allow you to remain there for a while.
4)Â Take note of your breathing
Pay attention to how your breath feels coming in and going out.
5) Recognize when your thoughts have strayed.
Your focus will inevitably stray from the breath and go elsewhere.
In a few seconds, a minute, or five minutes, you will eventually notice that your mind has strayed. At that point, just bring your attention back to the breath.
6) Be gentle to your drifting thoughts
You shouldn’t be hard on yourself or worry excessively about the ideas you can’t seem to shake. Simply return.
7) Gentle Closure
When you’re prepared, raise your head slightly and open your closed eyes. Look around you for a moment and listen to any noises.
Observe how your body feels right now. Be aware of your thoughts and emotions.
Conclusion
That is it! That is the standard practice. You concentrate, your mind wanders, you bring it back, and you try to do so as gently as possible (as many times as necessary).
The key is to commit to sitting every day, even if only for five minutes.
According to Othieno: “One of my meditation teachers once told me that the most important moment in your meditation practice is when you sit down to do it.
“Because you are telling yourself right now that you believe in change and self-care, and you are making it a reality. You’re not just holding a value in the abstract, such as mindfulness or compassion, but actually making it a reality.”
How To Get Into Deep Meditation
