Nowadays, most people live a really fast and hectic life. The constant pressure from both work and personal life can eventually take a toll on your mental health. That's why it's very important to take care of it as much as physical health and one of the best methods for that is to practice meditation. As with all other new things, the concept of meditation can be pretty daunting at first. But with proper guidance and a bit of patience, you can get into the habit of it and it’s quite easy and reaps a lot of benefits. So here, we will discuss how meditation helps to build a healthy state of mind and what are the things beginners should keep in mind while starting it.
Meditations are of various kinds but the basic steps are all really similar
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Sit in a comfortable place and position because you will need to hold that same position for a while, you can use a cushion or a chair for support. Try to avoid the couch or bed because you will get too comfortable and you may fall asleep.
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Posture is important, keep your back straight and neck relaxed, and keep your hands on your lap.
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Close your eyes (you can also keep them open if you want) and focus on your breathing.
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When you get distracted, don't fret. Just resume your focus on breathing once again.
The above-mentioned steps may sound easy in theory, but in practice, you may encounter a lot of obstacles especially if you are a beginner. Our mind is so accustomed to chaos and fast pace, that a few moments of calm and stillness is a really foreign concept to it. That's why it becomes a huge challenge to keep all the distractions at bay and focus on a single thing. Whenever you realize that you got distracted while meditating, just bring your focus back to your breathing (or any other focal point of your choosing). The primary goal of meditation is to build this awareness in your mind that you got distracted. This awareness or mindfulness can only be achieved through regular practice. Meditation is not something that brings you instant gratification. To feel the positive effects of it you really need to make it a part of your regular routine and stick to it. The effects will be gradual but profound, so you just really need to have a bit of patience. Start with short 5 minutes sessions initially and slowly increase the time as you get more comfortable with the routine. You can schedule your sessions whenever it's suitable for you.
Body Scan Meditation- It's a technique of meditation that's pretty convenient for beginners. In this type of meditation, you scan your body through the mind's eye. Start with your head and gradually scan every part of your body and try to understand the sensations you feel. Do not try to analyze or judge anything, just observe and move on to the next body part. Don't get frustrated over distractions because that's pretty normal. Just return your focus back to the last body part you remember focusing on. As time goes by and you get more used to the habit of meditation, this awareness will come to you more quickly and naturally.
Benefits of meditation- To keep yourself motivated to practice meditation regularly, remember all the benefits this practice could bring you with time and patience.
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Increases focus and concentration- Meditation helps us to tame our scattered minds and increases focus and concentration abilities.
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Reduces stress and anxiety- Meditation trains our minds to be more calm and collected. So that automatically helps to reduce stress, anxiety, and all kinds of negative, overwhelming emotions.
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Provides a different perspective- Long-term practice of meditation often provides you with a different perspective of life. You will learn to let go of things and emotions without much judgment. You may also realize a lot of new things about yourself and the people around you.
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Helps to sleep- This practice helps to calm your mind and reduces negative thoughts, so it automatically helps you to sleep better at night as well.
There are quite a few misconceptions regarding meditation that hinders people from giving this method a try. Many people associate meditation with religious beliefs and think it can be performed by people of only those religions. This is absolutely not true. Yes, it is true that meditation is a practice often used in a religious context, but it's actually not a religious practice and can be performed by anyone. No matter what age, culture, occupation, everyone can practice meditation and enjoy its benefits. Beginners can easily take the help of guided meditation and get started on it. There are lots of apps available for your assistance as well. So don't overthink anything and start taking care of yourself starting today with meditation.