Hello everyone, in the previous topic we were talking about Motivation. Today we are going to talk about Meditation. In this topic, we will discuss What meditation means, what are the aspects of meditation, its types, and what are the benefits of meditation. 

MEDITATION

Introduction

Before asking ourselves what is meditation? We must have to understand what meditation isn’t. Meditation is not about zoning out and having earth-shattering experiences. Meditation is more about working with the minds and training in awareness. Meditation’s general purpose is to get hold of your mind. It is nothing but the cleaning of the soul by means of spirituality.

Meditation is considered moderation of any process, which brings the mind into contact with the inner nature which results in a feeling of inner peace and wholeness. We can say that we are constantly suffering from thoughts, feelings, sounds, sights, tastes, and sensory experiences.

Our brains constantly focus on working, interacting, thinking, analyzing, worrying, solving, studying, dreaming, etc. For a moment we are happy and progressing. The next moment we feel sad, tired, depressed with life, bored with our work, devastated by anything, we get disappointed with ourselves or by others.

Life is not angry or bitter about the hardships it inflicts on us. Life is a continuous stream of moods, thoughts, and feelings. Meditation is the process of letting go of these continuous streams of moods, immersing ourselves in them. It is the process of experiencing the center of our own existence, where there is a constant experience of peace, security, and a feeling of love towards us and others.

The process of meditation reaches the climax in the change of ego and mind which associates with a higher level of awareness or pure consciousness without the object of knowledge.

We can also say that meditation is a practice where one uses methods like mindfulness, mental focus on a particular object, thought, or activity to train attention, awareness to achieve a calm state. Meditation can be attained in dozen different ways. Here we are giving a brief about the important aspects of human peace, tranquility, harmony, health, and spiritual development. 

The given three elements and changes are the basis of any meditative practice. These three aspects of meditation are –

• The first stage is the relaxation or surrender of the body and mind because of this our mind will not be bound up with various irrelevant and disturbing thoughts.
• The second stage is to concentrate on a finite area of the mind so that the mind can control the chosen object of concentration. Thus, if we focus our mind on God, our mind will not focus on any other thoughts regarding our daily life, future, present, past, desires, needs, or any other things.
• The third stage is the final transformation of all identities with the mind, body, and thoughts. Here we enter into the state of supreme union with the divine consciousness.

Meditation is practiced in numerous religious traditions. The earliest record of meditation is found in Hinduism, in Hindu texts it is known as Dhyana. Meditation plays a salient role in Hinduism and Buddhism. Since the 19th century, the Asian technique of meditation is vastly spreading.

Types of Meditation

As we have already discussed, Meditation can be attained in dozen different ways and there are a lot of types of meditation, so here we will only going to explore 5 types of meditation.

Focused Attention Meditation

The idea of this type of meditation is to focus only on a particular object throughout the whole session. This medication technique comes from Buddhism. This meditation is useful for people who want to reduce their stress. In this meditation, we have to focus on mantras, visualization, candle, image, or just anything. With the help of practice, we will achieve the result of being focused irrespective of distractions. This type of meditation is great for enhancing the depth and firmness of the attention of powers by staying in the present moments. It will help us to turn off the constant streams of thoughts and we will slip into an altered state of consciousness.

Tonglen Meditation

Tonglen  Meditation technique comes from the Buddhist tradition. Ton means giving or sending and Len means receiving or taking. It is also known as exchanging self with others. This meditation technique encourages us to connect with suffering in order to overcome it. Through this meditation, one can learn to accept suffering, let go of negativity reduce selfish attachment and develop feelings of consideration and responsiveness through breathing exercises. This also helps us to increase a sense of renunciation. 

Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental Meditation comes from Hinduism. It was introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1955. This meditation technique involves the use of a silently used sound called mantra and is practiced for 15-20 minutes twice per day. It is the method of relaxation, stress reduction, and self-development. This meditation allows the mind to easily and naturally surpass conscious thinking to experience a deep state of peace. This technique is the most widely studied form of meditation. 

Mirror Gazing Meditation

This meditation technique simply requires a mirror, we have to just sit in a relaxed comfortable position in front of the mirror within a distance that is comfortable for our eyes. Now just start gazing in the eyes. There is no need to focus too hard and stress our eyes. In the beginning, we can gaze for five minutes then gradually increase the time up to 20 minutes. 

Self-Inquiry Meditation

This meditation technique comes from Hinduism. In the Sanskrit language, this mediation is known as Jnana-Vichara or Atma-Vichar. It was introduced by Ramana Maharishi. According to him, self – Inquiry is a path of a high level of consciousness. In ancient times, this technique was used to learn about true desires. In this technique, it is required to be mindful and then asks questions to oneself about desires, hopes, intentions, and other queries. When we participate, it will allow us to leave the confines of the body and ego. Time and space are said to merge within the mind in this technique and then the person will attain a Samadhi, a pure enlightened state of mind.

Benefits of Meditation

The following are the benefits of meditation-

• It will help us to reduce our stress & keep our mind calm.
•  Meditation reduces anxiety and various fears which provide us confidence.
• It will give us inner peace.
• It will help us to wake up our creative minds and intuition.
• Our concentration level can be increased with the help of meditation.
• It will help us to maintain our blood pressure level.
• It will help us to improve our immunity.
• It eliminates fatigue.
• It is beneficial for those who suffer from digestion problems.
• Last but not least; it strengthens our bond with our spirits and our self.

So, that is all for today guys see you in our next blog. If you like our article please don’t forget to share with others & follow our Instagram page for your daily dose of Motivation.

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Grooming Urban

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