Getting caught up in a rat race is one of the easiest things that happen to everyone these days. It is because of the busy life, hectic schedules, and monotony. Well, to catch up with the pace of the current generation, it is mandatory to put up with all these things but, not with a cluttered state of mind. Some people are content, satisfied, and happy amidst all the chaos. How is this possible?
Do they belong to a different planet or a realm, or are they, wizards, and witches? Well, they are neither of these! They are ordinary human beings like you and me but with a systematic lifestyle. People that are bursting with the happiness and joyous bubbles at all times remember to love every second of their life and try to make the most use of it consciously. They try to break the monotony by being part of the chaotic system. Although they belong to the same world, they attempt to create their own beautiful space for themselves and enjoy taking a tour of it now and then through the most fundamental technique, ‘Meditation.’
Well, meditation is the only medium that can help you to stay calm irrespective of the situations, place, and time. With constant practice, you can experience a state of stillness of your mind at any given situation. As you already know, there are several types of mediation techniques like Guided, Unguided, Spiritual, and Mantra, Transcendental, and Mindfulness meditation. Every form of meditation boils down to one thing, ultimately, “Enlightenment.”
The practice method can vary; however, the outcome that everyone wants is to stay focused and relaxed at all times. We have attempted to elaborate on the Mindfulness meditation through this article. Reading through these points can come handy to you when deciding upon a meditation form to embrace.
Even before we dive into the Mindfulness meditation, it becomes essential to understand what ‘Mindfulness’ means?
Mindfulness is a state where an individual focuses and enjoys every second of their ‘Present’ moment. They are aware of the things that have happened in the past and move on with it gracefully by accepting them as lessons. Staying mindful is about learning the art of enjoying ‘NOW” totally without any expectations or altering it according to their convenience. This is one of those states where people learn to accept people, things, and situations as they are and ward off all the negative thoughts from their minds.
- What is Mindful Meditation?
Mindfulness meditation is a technique that helps an individual to develop a state of mind of complete awareness of themselves and the surroundings that they are part of. Mindfulness meditation has become one of the most popular techniques in today’s generation as it helps the practitioner to focus on their breath within moments and bring down the racing thoughts instantly. With regular practice, the mind would totally be in the state of absoluteness, and you would neither be dwelling in your past nor be apprehensive of the future. - Steps to practice Mindfulness meditation:
Unlike the other forms of meditation, one does not require any particular setup or props to start the Mindfulness meditation practice. The only thing that this form of Dhyana demands from the practitioner is a quiet and calm place that makes them feel comfortable, a non-judgemental mindset. With these two things in place, you are good to start with your Mindfulness meditation sessions regularly. Of course, along with these things, it is important to sit straight with the spine erect to experience the positive flow of energy and complete vibrations as you start your meditation.
How to get started with Mindfulness meditation?
It is always important to possess a little bit of knowledge of the forms of meditation that you want to practice. Only when you are drawn towards them or have been guided to, your practice sessions become fruitful. For some people, silencing our thoughts naturally is impossible, and no matter how hard they try, they would be haunted by the thoughts from the past or future.
This is mainly because of a lack of confidence and fear. Unless and until you make up your minds, it becomes highly impossible to get yourselves inducted into any of the meditation techniques. Likewise, if you are keen on practicing Mindfulness meditation, you must set your mind and come with a relentless dedication to practice it every day. This is the first intention that can help you to keep going continuously. Apart from this, many other things become important when you start your journey towards Mindful meditation, and they are as follows:Â
- Find a source to induce you to meditation:
Mindfulness meditation can either be guided or unguided. If you are capable of nullifying the thoughts on your own, it is perfect! But, some of them might require a voice or a channel that can guide them to become aware of their thoughts. It can be a Guru, or an online video or a meditation podcast; you can choose your channel or medium to start with your practice. Meditation is always about breaking the conventional norms to identify the best and the most comfortable ways that suit you. - Find a Guru:
There are many spiritual institutions and meditation centers that are thriving every day to help a large mass understand the merits of Mindfulness meditation. Several practitioners have been practicing this form of Dhyana for a long time. Learning through them can also be one of the quickest ways to achieve some great progress in your spiritual journey. - Concentrate on the breathing:
This is one of the most important things that you must get used to when practicing Mindfulness meditation. The wandering of thoughts cannot come under your control without your conscious effort. In most of the meditation techniques, breathing plays an important role. The slower the breathing, the greater the results! Hence, focus on your breath when you start your meditation session, and within no time, you would involuntarily be able to bring those racing thoughts under your control. - Pay attention to the changes:
As you start the process of meditation, several changes occur inside of you. Keeping a tab on all these things can make your practice sessions highly effective. As you breathe, it is mandatory to notice the change in your breathing pattern, experience the emotions that you go through, and notice the way the body and the mind respond when they get distracted all of a sudden. By doing so, you can develop complete awareness of the thoughts and start living in the present moment. - Take an ample amount of breaks:
During the initial practice sessions, you might not be able to focus for long hours. Your body and mind may also go through a lot of changes and transformations. You might even experience fatigue, headache, and also a pain in the third-eye chakra. Well, these are the signs of good practice that you are developing. At times, they are also called a cleansing process. Hence, it becomes essential to break in between and make yourself feel comfortable before moving ahead. - Do not control your thoughts:
Mindfulness meditation is practiced to live and experience the ‘Now’ or the present moment. Hence, it is about developing the alertness of mind without controlling your thoughts. It is important to become aware of every single thought that your mind crosses by and acknowledge them without any attachments, premonitions, or judgement. Some people try to force themselves to control the thoughts that occur during their practice sessions. By doing so, you would only lose interest; hence, developing the attitude of accepting those thoughts is important. If you feel that your thoughts are overpowering your practice sessions, make sure to stop meditation at once. Take deep breaths and once you feel comfortable, start with the practice again.
Well, now that you have understood how to get yourselves acquainted with the Mindfulness meditation, let us quickly take you through some of the important benefits that are associated with this mediation.
- Complete relaxation of mind
- Eliminates stress, anxiety, and fear
- Helps to overcome toxic relationships
- Helps you in prioritizing things
- Makes you completely aware of the thoughts and helps to embrace them gracefully
- Improves sleep by getting rid of unnecessary tension
- Improves digestion power by eliminating the toxins from the body
- Helps in achieving a happy state of mind at all times irrespective of the people and situations
- Helps in making the right decisions with utmost clarity
- Aids overall personality development and helps to develop a positive attitude in every situation
These are some of the most important things that every individual willing to practice Mindfulness meditation must know. By being aware of all these points, it becomes quite easy for you to implement this meditation technique as part of your lives.