Meditation
Meditation is the practice of focusing your attention on the present moment. It produces a state of deep relaxation where, unlike sleep, the mind is wide awake and alert.
Anybody can practice meditation to increase their calm and focus. It is a very beneficial relaxation tool that can be practiced by people of various ages and backgrounds -- anyone who is interested, whether they are children, students, athletes, performers, or business people -- can gain the benefits of meditation.
Benefits of Meditation
- Reduces stress
- Increases calm & psychological balance
- Improves concentration, memory, and information processing
- May increase empathy
- Aids treatment of high blood pressure, heart disease, and pain-management
- Helpful in reducing anxiety, obsessive thinking, depression, and hostility
(cited from NCCAM)
Practice Meditation
- With meditation, your body should be in a relaxed yet alert position -- either sitting or laying down.
Remember to breathe deeply, slowly, and regularly.
- Focus on an image, word, sound (like "ooommm"), your breathing, relaxing music, or nothing at all.
It is important to have an open attitude -- let thoughts, feelings, and distractions come and go in a nonjudgmental manner, and return your attention back to the word, sound, or image that you are focusing on.
- When engaging in meditation, it is necessary to have 5-20 distraction-free minutes to spend.
It is helpful to have silence and privacy, but more practiced meditators can meditate anywhere. Beginning meditators should begin with a 5-minute session, and with more practice, increase the amount of time spent meditating.
- Enjoy the sense of relaxation and the state of your clutter-free mind! Appreciate the moment.
More About Meditation
Websites:
Online Meditation Exercises:
UCSD Center for Mindfulness - Online Meditations
