Meditation is simply a practise we cultivate to feel calmer & peaceful within ourselves and accepting of our circumstances, accepting of the people around us and the environment, life in other words!
Meditation is NOT clearing the mind of all thoughts. This is impossible, even for the Dala Lama!!
Meditation allows us to slow down our thoughts and allowing a gap between the thoughts to get bigger and bigger over time. It is the space between the thoughts where we find the calmness, the stillness we all crave.
Learning to accept that your mind will wander and being ok with this is difficult for beginners of meditation. It's allowing your thoughts to come and go without judgement or fighting . This is acceptance. By accepting what is in the moment can have a truly calming affect on our nervous system and allows us to feel at peace with what ever is arising. Meditation is an ongoing process.
The HUGE benefits of Meditation
Having meditated for over 10 years, I can honestly say I notice when I don't meditate. Life throws curve balls at you and finding a coping mechanism is essential. Meditation does not make you an Angel. I still get angry, upset and lose the plot occasionally but I am more capable of not reacting immediately. In most circumstances I can step back and think before I decide whether to kill someone or not...joking of course but you get the picture!
My mediation practise is usually everyday. I try to mediate first thing in the morning for 10 -15 mins then in the evening before bed . But more often than not, I will mediate at various times during the day should I feel the need to.
How to meditate?
Sit on a chair or on a meditation cushion on the floor with your back straight and eyes gently closed. Begin by noticing the breath. This is to focus the mind so that it doesn't wander. By focusing on the breath we become very present. We can only breath in this present moment.
If you are new to meditation, try sitting for 5 minutes a day, then slowly building up your time. You will find it difficult at first to sit without fidgeting but the breath will soon calm the body down.
Start then by slowing breathing in and out, counting the breath Silently say to yourself "I'm breathing in one, I'm breathing out one, pause, I'm breathing in 2, I'm breathing out 2"
Try reaching to a count of 10. When the mind wanders (and it will ) and you lose where you are, go back to one. Noticing that your attention has been drawn else where is the beginning of a good meditation practise.
With practise you will find you stray off less..at first the Ego will show its face and tell you there is something better you should be doing but that's for another blog!!
Let me know your thoughts and how your meditation goes in the meantime!
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