Does anyone have on tips for someone who wants to start meditating?

Question

Does anyone have on tips for someone who wants to start meditating?

Answer

How To MeditatebrLike anything worthwhile, meditation requires practice. To get the most from meditation you need to do it every day. This requires a place and time where you will not be disturbed. Its also recommended to start with a course, like the Holosync guided meditation program from the Centerpointe Research Institute.brbrSit with a straight back. Dont try to meditate lying down because you are likely to fall asleep. Meditation brings relaxation and peace but at the same time this is a dynamic peace. Meditation is quite different than the relaxation of sleep. When we really meditate, we are fully alert and conscious. Our sense of awareness is heightened. Afterwards youll have a positive feeling for the world and a renewed sense of dynamism. brDont eat before meditating. After a heavy meal your body will be lethargic with digestion. brIt is not necessary to mediate in the lotus posture. It is fine to meditate in a chair, as long as the back is straight. brIt is helpful to take a shower before meditating. brBurning incense and having a candle are not necessary, but they can add a little extra inspiration. brIt is good to meditate early in the morning. It is said the best time is am, although, I feel it is more important to be awake and not sleepy, I meditate at .am. brbrbrHowever you learn to meditate, you must learn to concentrate on one thing at a time. Usually, the mind tries to hold several different thoughts and ideas at once. When you sit down to meditate for the first time, you realize how cluttered the mind is. Mediation teachers have described the mind as a mad monkey. However, the mind can be tamed and forced to concentrate on a single thought.brbrOne helpful technique is concentrating on a candle flame. Narrow your gaze to the small tip and block out all other thoughts. When you get distracted, go back to focusing on the candle flame. You can also use other objects like a small dot or flower. The important thing is that you concentrate only on one thing at a time.brbrMantrabrbrAnother way to learn concentration is through the use of mantra. A mantra is the repetition of a sacred word. For example, you might repeat the mantra AUM a certain number of times. Repeating a mantra forces the mind to focus on a single thought.brbrSilent MindbrbrAfter youve practiced concentration and learned to focus on one thing at a time, you can proceed to the next stage no thought at all. Achieving a silent mind is difficult, but when to attain it the experience is powerful. A technique I advise is viewing your thoughts as separate from your self. When a thought appears, make a conscious decision to throw it out of your mind. Over time you realize that you are capable of allowing or rejecting thoughts. Your real I is not a collection of thoughts, but something far deeper. This is the most significant realization of meditation that you do not have to be a slave to your thoughts.brbrThrough meditation, you attain the power to control your thoughts, and on occasion stop them completely. Dont be discouraged if you cant attain a silent mind straightaway. It takes time and practice. There is nothing really else to it meditation is a simple and spontaneous action. Unfortunately, our mind is used to complication and it takes time to unlearn bad habits.brbrThese are some of the benefits of meditationbrbrImproved concentration A clear mind makes you more productive, especially in creative disciplines like writing. brbrLess bothered by little things Do you sometimes allow yourself to get upset by little things? It is the nature of the mind to magnify small things into serious problems. Meditation helps us detach. We learn to live in the here and now, rather than worrying about the past or future. We do not worry about meaningless things, but see the bigger picture. brbrbrBetter Health There have been numerous studies pointing to the health benefits of meditation. The reason is that meditation reduces stress levels and alleviates anxiety. If we can reduce stress, many health benefits follow. brbrKnowledge of Self Meditation enables us to have a deeper understanding of our inner self. Through meditation we can gain a better understanding of our lifes purpose. brbrIs Meditation Religious?brThe great thing about meditation is that our philosophyreligious belief is not importanct. Meditation is about consciousness. The beliefs of the mind become trivial. We dive deep into the heart of the matter to gain access to our soul our inner reality. Therefore, mediation can and is practiced by people of different religions or no religion.