Meditation made easy

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Tim Peterson, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

Meditation: Meditation has been described as a spiritual or even mystical experience. For some it can be. But in general it is an exercise that can help you learn to be present, stay focused, concentrate, and quiet the “noise that is the mind”. Meditation helps get you in touch with the quiet in a progressively bigger way with time and practice. It can help you learn to use the mind rather than allowing it to use or work us. Meditation is challenging and most give up quickly. Like any new activity one is learning, meditation takes time to develop. Consider how many years your mind has run rampant, in many instances controlling you rather than you controlling it. Many get frustrated because they aren’t seeing results fast enough or can’t stand sitting quietly without some form of distraction. They start to notice that they can’t stop thinking, which is actually a step in the right direction. “Noticing” is the beginning of starting to do something different, or change.

Meditation practice: Meditation is basically a technique utilized to learn how to concentrate more effectively. You are focusing on a sound, the breath or a phrase rather than the thoughts that rise and cycle through your mind constantly. You learn to focus on the “space” between the thoughts or between the breaths. In time and with more practice, the space becomes bigger. Eventually the focus is solely on the quiet or space, noticing when thoughts arise but not holding on to or attaching to them. If using a phrase, some sources recommend a phrase that has a spiritual meaning to you, such as peace or love. Some use a mantra such as the classic “ohm”. Some utilize the breathing and focus on the space between the breaths. The amount of time one meditates is a personal choice. Some meditate for a few minutes. Others spends hours a day meditating. It is probably a good idea to work your way up to the longer periods. And as with anything, consistency is important.

Some state a lotus position is optimal. For most this is a difficult position to enter into much less maintain comfortably for 30 minutes or even a few seconds. I see no problem with sitting comfortably on a bed, sofa or chair with your back straight. And again, there is no need to strain to maintain a straight back. Focusing too excessively on ones posture can take away from the experience. Lying down should be avoided as it is easy to fall asleep in that position. What is important is being comfortable, in a relatively quiet environment and doing your best for 5, 10 or as many minutes as you like. Noise need not be a deterrent, if it is impossible to get away from. Some people even use external noises as a source to focus on, if getting away from it isn’t possible.

TM or Transcendental Meditation is one form of meditation that many use. People I’ve talked to about it stated it was very effective technique. I believe it is done for 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening. People seem to have success with it and being that it is a standardized form of meditation; it should be easy enough to find a teacher or books on it.