Meditation: Simple Ins and Outs
Posted on August 07, 2023 by Lee Bishop, One of Thousands of Spirituality Coaches on Noomii.
Learn how to meditate and ways it can help you. An excerpt from my ebook Tips for Finding Inner Peace.
This article is an excerpt from my eBook Tips for Finding Inner Peace which is available in PDF form for free download on my website at innerpeaceandself-anew.com.
Let’s jump right in with the default for a lot of people, meditation. Although meditation is a bit overrated in some ways, it is still a wonderful thing. It helps you in two ways: right here and now, and to move towards spiritual awakening and realization. The thing to watch out for with meditation is believing that it will solve all your problems or cause you to reach permanent enlightenment by itself. That is unlikely to happen. But that certainly does not mean that you should not do it.
Is it hard to meditate correctly? Yes and no. First of all, there isn’t really a correct or incorrect way to “meditate”. You can just sit quietly and watch your thoughts go by. Or you can choose a more specific practice from the seemingly endless options available. On the other hand, it can be difficult in a few ways. If you put strict limits on any specific goals, that could be a problem. If you insist on sitting in lotus position, that could be an issue for you. But most noticeable as a challenge is letting those thoughts just go by! But it is well worth learning to do this.
This is the real point of meditation. This is what will lead you to more peace, joy, and relaxation. And the only way you can learn this is to practice like practicing a musical instrument or any other skill. This does not have to mean it is unpleasant or very hard to do, however. It can be helpful to be positive about it and work on it gradually.
Mindful Breathing
I recommend what is called mindful breathing meditation. Just put your attention on your breathing. That’s all you have to do. When your attention wanders away from your breathing, gently allow it to come back again. To make this easier, you can sit or lie down in a comfortable position and close your eyes. You can do this for one minute or two hours. The point is to start. If you can do this regularly, you will see positive changes.
How does meditation bring you more peace and support your goal of awakening or realization? By teaching you about your thoughts and thinking. How those things are fleeting, impermanent, sometimes negative, sometimes even random. And when you experience inner quiet moments, how thoughts and what you perceive as the mind are not your true self or the source of joy in your life. And that they are getting in the way a lot of the time.
