Meditation creates a positive influence on all that we do through the day or life. It changes our perception and approach to life. Meditation has a direct impact on how we interact with people, how we deal with relationships and resentments and so on. It has the power to transform us in ways we cannot imagine. But it takes some practice. The most important pre-requisite of meditation is a serious will to include it in your life.
Most of us tend to postpone including meditation in our daily routine to “tomorrow” or “sometime soon” and it almost never materialises. We become busy running our lives mindlessly and letting one day pass after the other.
But we focus our energies and go after it and start meditating regularly, the big change we notice is that we start getting to know our minds better; we start listening to our inner self and understanding ourselves more attentively. By quietening our mind we become more aware of all that happens inside, all different feelings that our mind feels. The bigger change meditation brings is we start being more in control of ourselves. We no more do things mindlessly. We have so many thoughts come and go through our mind every day. However the mind that practices meditation can decide which thoughts to embrace and which ones to trash. Nothing is mindless anymore. Those who meditate learn to deal with stressful and disturbing thoughts more efficiently.
Let’s start with just 2 minutes and not worry about things like where to sit, which time, which position to take, whether to join community or do it alone, follow guided meditation, what to wear… or any such thing.
Start with just 2 minutes on our bed first thing in the morning for one week. It is a perfect start. Once settled, observe our feelings; are we restless, anxious, feeling nothing…whatever that it is, let us accept it and slowly shift our focus on breath. Observe how breath travels inside us each time we inhale and exhale. After first successful week we should increase the time by another two minutes. If we are able to stick to this routine and continue for a month, in the 2nd month we’ll be ready to meditate for 10 minutes, and that is a lot!
While we focus on our breathing, chances are that our mind will wander, but don’t fight it as it’s the most natural thing to happen. Let’s accept the fact that these thoughts have always been with us so why would they suddenly leave us on our command. Instead let them push aside gently and bring our mind back to the rhythm of breathing. This is what we call an act of mindfulness.
Practicing meditation trains our mind to decide which thoughts to allow or restrict from occupying our mind-space. It is not an easy sate to achieve, and that’s why we are calling it a practice. It will slowly come with practice. Focusing on your thoughts whatever they may be amid the quiet is the best way to understand your mind and its working and what it feels and how it can be controlled for our betterment. The best strategy is to not resent or fight any thought. They are all meant to be there. Accept them and thus it is easier to accept ourselves. A quiet body scan with eyes closed and trying to feel the energy around it are some of the things you can focus on other than breathing.
As each session comes to an end, everyday be grateful that you could make it, and feel good that you fulfilled the promise you made to yourself to meditate. Thank the energies that favoured by helping you to quieten your mind and understand them. Once you start meditating it will bring changes in your life that will make you feel amazing.
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