Meditation for Beginners

MeditationWelcome to the meditation for beginners Quick-Start Series. In this first series of lessons we are going to help you learn meditation. If you already have experience with meditation this series will help you to go into deeper aspect of meditation.  Everyone has their own reasons for meditation. Some people do meditation for physical well-being. Some people do meditation for happy and peaceful mind. Many meditates for spiritual well-being. As you prepare for meditation, think about your own reasons for meditation. Remind yourself of them every day. They can inspire you to meditate for good. Whatever your reasons, you will be amazed that by meditation at all the ways your life will improve. The challenge of meditation is keeping it simple. It is very difficult for beginners to keep meditation simple. Because, mind and ego always look for complicated methods and techniques. However, as you progress meditation become easy.

Benefits of Meditation:

Meditation has several health benefits. Here are a few reasons for meditation you may want to consider:

  • It reduces depressions and enhances the immune system
  • It relaxes the muscles and reduces the heart beats
  • It decreases your blood pressure
  • It increases the levels of your  nitric oxide
  • It lowers oxygen consumption
  • It decreases respiratory rate
  • It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate
  • Increases exercise tolerance in heart patients
  • Leads to a deeper level of relaxation
  • Increases self-confidence
  • Increases gray matter in the brain
  • Increases creativity
  • It increases brain fitness

Meditation stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness. Slowing down brain activity in this way gives our bodies time to gather strength and boost energy. Meditation techniques help you feel connected to your body—it brings your awareness away from the worries in your head and quiets your mind.

Meditation for Beginners

There are several types of meditation. Ancient scriptures mentioned 84,000 meditation techniques. Tantra mentioned 112 meditation techniques. The lowest level of meditation is thanking about some image or person. However, in higher level mindfulness meditation, mantra meditation, walking meditation and chakra meditations are most popular. Among these, Om chanting and meditation is very easy and most effective. The most ancient literature of meditation  Upanishads declare Om as the highest form of meditation. The main aim of meditation is the reduction of thought processes, the cessation or slowing down of the internal dialogue of the mind, the ‘‘mental chattering’’. This elimination of the thinking process leads to a deep sense of physical and mental calmness, which enhances the pure awareness, untainted by thoughts, and perceptual clarity. Meditative experiences of thoughtless awareness furthermore trigger the feelings of positive emotions which can range from detached serenity to ecstatic bliss. Achieving mystical peak experience of complete thoughtless awareness of the supreme is the ultimate goal of  Om meditation techniques. Deep relaxation, stress relief, enhanced concentrative attention skills, improved self-control, self-monitoring and enhanced overall psycho-emotional balance is the common objective of modern meditation techniques.

When to Meditate and How Long to Meditate

Meditate any time morning or evening. If possible, schedule a set time to practice each day. Set aside one or two periods each day. You may find that it’s easier to stick with your practice. You can do meditation in the morning. For beginners 3 to 10 minutes of meditation is good enough. You may increase that gradually.

How to Meditate

Step 1: Sit Comfortably

You can sit on the floor, on a chair, in your car or any place where you are comfortable and keep your eyes slightly opened. Best is sit on a chair and keep your thighs completely horizontal with the floor. The feet should be placed flat on the floor with the right floor slightly in front of the left. The hands should rest on the thighs just above the knees. Close the eyes three-fourth and make the body completely stable, relaxed and steady.

Keep your palms turned up. Let the tip of the index finger touch the tip of the thumb with a slight pressure between them. Keep the other fingers straight. Alternatively, keep both the hands on your lap one above the other by keeping the palms upturned. Let the left palm remain under the right one.

Step 2: Enjoy your breathing

Comfortably, fill up the whole of your lungs with air.  Breathe in and  breath out slowly comfortably through your nose. Witness the whole breathing process. After some time allow your breathing to become smooth and rhythmical. Feel the whole rhythm of the body which is created by the breath.

Step 3: Visualize your body

Visualization is a healthy way of bringing positive energy into your mind, body and spirit. Visualization is seeing yourself through yourself. Concentrate your mind on each part of the body one by one, from head to toe and toe to head. Allow your mind to spread in the whole body parts; use the technique of auto-suggestion to relax the whole part and experience the resulting relaxation. Experience that each and every muscle, each and every nerve has become relaxed.

Step 4:  Awaken the Third Eye – Concentrate on the Center of Enlightenment

Concentrate your mind on the third eye – the center of enlightenment, situated in the middle of your forehead. Allow your mind to penetrate inside and perceive bright white color there. You may visualize as if the bright white light of the full moon is spreading throughout the portion or visualize the bright white color of the snow or any other white thing. Practice concentrated visualization of bright white color on the third eye. Perceiving the bright white color, experience through auto-suggestion that all your passions and emotions are being purified.

Step 5: Honor your feelings 

Watch and accept your feelings. Feelings may be pleasant feelings, unpleasant and neutral feelings. Witness your bodily sensations, thoughts, emotions, states of mind, and the objects of our senses. Remain aware of these feelings without identifying, getting caught up in the story. Do not blindly reacting to these feelings with craving or aversion. Remain aware of these feelings and give them space to naturally arise and pass.

Step 6: Letting go your thoughts

Negative thoughts and feelings may pop up. Allow them to go. Just focus on the present moment. Accept your natural feelings without judgment – good or bad.

Step 7: Closing the Meditation Session

During the closing you must wish for the good of all.

  1. Wish for the well being of others;
  2. Wish for the well being of yourself.