On Meditation, and One Simple Technique
Posted on April 22, 2015 by Luke Eidenschink, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
One Amazing Meditation Technique to Bring Mindfulness Into Your Life
Meditation. In the Western World, this word is shrouded in mystery and misconception. We are all by now familiar with the recycled pop-culture imagery of the beautiful person seated in the lotus pose in a scenic natural setting. While this approach is a perfectly valid way of going about meditation, it is certainly not the only way. Indeed, there are many techniques used by people all over the world to bring about a meditative state of being. There are well over one hundred techniques for meditation that I am aware of. Surely there are many more techniques out there, both practiced and forgotten.
What is meditation? Quite simply, meditation is mindfulness. The primary purpose of all meditation is to bring your attention to the moment. There are many misconceptions surrounding both the techniques and the intent of meditation. My goal here is to focus upon what is, rather than what is not. It may be helpful, though, to point out a few of these misconceptions. I have discussed already the popular imagery of the lotus pose. Meditation does not require any special position, though certain positions have throughout history been proven to assist in achieving a meditative state of being. In truth, meditation can be practiced while engaged in a variety of activities, as well as non-activity. Another misunderstanding is that meditation is clearing your mind of thoughts. That is not entirely accurate. A better way to express the meditative state of mind is that you become non-attached to your thoughts. When you have a thought, you are above the thought. Watch it come, watch it go, and stay centered in the present. A third misconception is that meditation is somehow a religious practice. While meditation has been introduced to the West to a large extent through Buddhism, it is a practice which transcends all religious belief and practice. Today, people from all cultures and religious backgrounds find benefit in meditation.I began working with meditation several years ago, out of desperation. My life had become a scattered mess. I had no direction in my life, and I was searching for some kind of direction from all the wrong places. When I began to quiet my mind through the practice of meditation, I realized that the direction I was seeking was within me, not without.
A Simple Technique
Here is the simple meditation technique that I first learned and practiced. It is still my favorite. It is called Watching the Breath:
You can stand, sit, or lie down. Begin by taking a few deep breaths and letting them out. Now begin to breathe normally. As you breathe in a relaxed and normal way, pay attention to your breaths. Feel the air come into your lungs, and feel it leave the lungs. Stay with your breaths, letting your attention come in and leave with the breath. If you have thoughts, that is OK. Let the thoughts go, and keep your attention fixed on the breath. Do this for at least 15 minutes, or longer if desired.There is a variation of this technique, which I love to do as well. The practice is the same, but for one important detail: watch the space between the breaths. After you have breathed in, there is a pause. Before you breathe out, there is a pause. Place your attention on this pause between the breaths, feel the pause, and watch what happens. It is amazing.
Be mindful, and meditate!
