What is meditation and why is it needed: a short overview of the practitioner. Different techniques, same root

Hello friends!

Even before total immersion in travel, I read a lot of literature of the so-called spiritual nature and crossed paths with people who, with their examples, showed me simple and effective way to harmony: calming the mind.

Meditation is a type of mental exercise (based on concentration, relaxation and awareness) used as part of spiritual, religious or health practices, or a special mental condition resulting from these exercises (or for other reasons).

As can be seen from the definition, meditation is both a process and a state. There are many ways to implement them, and this multitude continues to grow every day. This is facilitated not only by natural interest, but also by the accompanying increased commercialization of the so-called spheres. " spiritual development", where a streak of dishonest bribe-takers inevitably begins to penetrate.

In Borovoe (my friend in the photo)

This trend, however, has a twofold result: on the one hand, esotericists get another toy at their disposal, on the other hand, pure practices increase even more in their own value.

In general, in RuNet, I noticed that the concept of meditation inevitably goes hand in hand with very vague definitions, such as “opening the third eye,” “merging with the divine potential,” or “esoteric wisdom.” All of them, in a certain sense, somehow reflect the experiences of the meditator, but nothing more than a one-sided projection.

Meditation has only an indirect relation to all such fantasies. Moreover, simplicity and naturalness, on the contrary, makes it a very down-to-earth and earthly technique, without big words and troubles. Although meditation in the form we know came to us from the east, it, first of all, works with your quite tangible psyche, and certainly not with divine energies and the radiance of angels.

Even Buddha initially carefully tried to cleanse it of all superstition, religiosity and ritualism. And he did not avoid turning his own teaching into an organized religion.

Of course, all people are different and therefore working practices will be different for everyone. Therefore, for some people, achieving calmness of the mind through concentration on the chakras or angelic light will be just as effective as through normal breathing.

Why does a person need meditation?

The purpose of meditation is to calm the chattering monkey called the mind. You've probably noticed how the thought process can take you into distant jungles, fantasies or deep reflection. How many problems did this cause? When, starting with a harmless thought about a walk in the park, we suddenly find ourselves drowning in anger towards the offender, who may have been dead for a long time.

However, this does not mean that the thought process should be completely stopped. This is as widespread a myth as it is a necessary esoteric component.

The peace of mind achieved is a very natural state in which the mind, like a mirror, simply reflects the coming and going of phenomena. Be it sensations in the body, thoughts or emotions that suddenly arise.

The nature of the mind is such that it is possible to stop its thought process only with the help of great tension, which we, on the contrary, are trying to get rid of. There is a contradiction that any practitioner faces with a fairly diligent attitude to practice.

The results of meditation vary:

• someone feels a surge of calm and strength
• someone decides their deepest psychological problems
• someone gets rid of chronic illnesses caused by the same destructive attitudes of the mind (so-called psychosomatic diseases)
• someone overcomes stress and troubles
• someone gets inspiration for creativity
• someone gets rid of depression and neuroses
• and someone just expands their consciousness

I was once meditating in general and starting a completely new life.

However, such accompanying experiences should not be made goals. This will only increase tension and make meditation an activity “from the mind”, which, instead of liberation, will lead to stress.

If you experience other emotions and impressions, don’t worry - there are many variations here; no less than the number of people living on earth.

Before the face of Buddha in Thailand

As for subjectively experienced experience, there is no point in describing it or even reading about it. All of these are personal projections and experiences of each individual practitioner. They can easily accommodate both bright and beautiful experiences and quite frightening ones.

People often ask the question “what is the point of meditation” and confuse the cart with the horse. Meditation is a process, an immersion in the here and now.

How to learn this and where to start?

Starting to meditate is very easy. 2 is enough simple steps:

1. sit with a straight back (stable body position)
2. start observing your natural breathing (without trying to control it)

Neither lotus poses, nor seven-part poses, nor mantras, nor even closed eyes are a prerequisite for starting to meditate. Stability of posture and simple concentration with awareness are more than enough to get started.

ALL! According to one of modern masters, Mingyur Rinpoche, meditation can be easily woven into everyday life: while cooking, walking, and even driving a car. The main condition for successful practice is awareness!

However, you should not completely reject the rest. The lotus position, mantras, eyes are the same tools as breathing and awareness. But if we can do without mantras, then we can’t do without awareness.

Of course, it is better to learn meditation under the guidance of experienced craftsman. For this simple practice has a lot side effects, which are not always easy to cope with.

How long should you meditate per day?

The answer is predictable: the bigger, the better. However, few people in our modern environment can afford to devote 4-6 hours a day to practice. And even the 2 hours recommended by Vipassana seem like a huge luxury.

And this is normal, because only monks can afford to devote so much time to practice. We are lay people, and the demand from us, adjusted for our daily bustle, will be completely different. The practice can be easily woven into our daily lives: while walking, before bed, or on the way somewhere.

The so-called comes to the rescue. "the art of small steps" Mingyur Rinpoche repeatedly speaks about him in his wonderful book “Buddha, the Brain and the Neurophysiology of Happiness.”

Its principles are as follows:

1. 20 minutes a day can be a lot
2. try to meditate for 2 minutes, but every day
3. It is better to meditate poorly than not to meditate at all

Gradually, in a natural way, 2 minutes will grow to 5-10-15, etc., plus stable states will begin to be woven into everyday life, making even routine tasks tools for practice.

As a result, the accumulated “drop by drop” ocean will become very good help and will begin to bear its beneficial fruits at the level of the deep psyche.

In the misty Himalayas

How and when this will happen is unknown to anyone. And you shouldn't concentrate on it. Better effort focus on practice.

And what metamorphoses will occur thanks to it depends on the meditator. The main thing is not to stop and treat the process of meditation with a degree of patience, wisdom and discipline.

That's all, friends! I don’t know what else to say about the basic principles of meditation. Therefore, if you can add something on your own, please write in the comments.

And, traditionally: if you found the article interesting, please share it on your social networks. This is the best reward for me as an author.

I wish you a calm mind and deep awareness!

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Meditation allows you to clear your mind of vain thoughts and fill yourself with peace.

The word "meditation" comes from the Latin "meditor", which means "I reflect, consider."

HISTORICAL ROOTS OF MEDITATION

The history of meditation is closely related to the religious context in which the practice existed. Already in prehistoric civilizations, repeated rhythmic chants and repetitions of phrases were used to exhort the gods.

Around the 15th century BC. e. The Vedas described the meditation traditions of ancient India. Approximately from the 6th to the 5th centuries. BC e. other forms of meditation were created in Taoism in China and Buddhism in India. In the East, meditation was seen as a means spiritual growth, self-expression of a person, which also made it possible to realize the hidden possibilities of his “I”.

The first mention of meditation in the West happened in 20 BC. e. Philo of Alexandria, a prominent exponent of Jewish Hellenism centered in Alexandria, theologian and religious thinker, wrote about a form of “spiritual exercise” involving attention and concentration. In the third century AD. Plotinus, an idealistic ancient philosopher, developed meditation techniques.

In the 8th or 9th centuries, the practice of dhikr arose, which consisted of repeating 99 Names of God. TO XII century were included in the practice of Sufism meditation techniques, and his followers began to practice breath control and repetition of holy words.

Hesychasm is attributed to the Eastern Christian practice of meditation ( ancient tradition spiritual practice, which forms the basis of Orthodox asceticism), which began to be practiced between the 10th and 14th centuries, in particular on Mount Athos in Greece. This practice involves repeating the Jesus Prayer.

Western Christian meditation is different in that it does not involve the repetition of any phrase or action and does not require any specific postures. In the 6th century, Benedictine monks practiced a reading of the Bible called Lectio Divina, or divine reading.

A secular form of meditation that is Western uniform Hindu meditation techniques, originated in India in the 1950s and came to the United States and Europe in the 1960s. Instead of focusing on spiritual growth, secular meditation emphasizes stress reduction, relaxation, and self-improvement.

WHAT IS MEDITATION?

Meditation is certain mental exercises performed during spiritual, religious or health practices, or a special mental state that arises as a result of these exercises.

Meditation also means

• a special type of in-depth concentration or prolonged reflection on an object, spiritual truth, phenomenon or idea. At the same time, all other factors do not appear in the consciousness of the meditator, which scatter attention. These factors can be both external (sound, light) and internal (physical, emotional, intellectual and other stress,
• a state of internal concentration or action to achieve it,
• an altered state of consciousness or immersion in special trance states.

Imagine yourself meditating at sunrise on the seashore.

The process of meditation when moving away from the outside world and extraneous stimuli allows us to clear our minds of unnecessary and unnecessary thoughts and acquire true peace. This is how you gain contact with your own body and its resources.

In our fast time, with the frantic pace of life, this is simply necessary, because good rest a person receives very rarely. Just 15 minutes of meditation is enough, and a person can relax as if he had slept for several hours.

If you are into yoga, then you can often practice meditation as it is an important part of yoga.

Meditation is universal. It is suitable for people of any age, nationality, religion, physique, intellectual development, etc. Anyone can do it.

EFFECT OF MEDITATION ON PERSON

Meditation is now widely used as a psychotherapeutic tool to relieve mental stress, physical pain and as a method of dealing with stress, including in clinical settings. It is also often used to relax the body.

You can achieve a variety of positive effects by engaging in meditation exercises. The depth, extent and specific content of these effects will vary from person to person. It all depends on your innate and acquired abilities.

The positive effects of meditation may include the following:

• general improvement of the body, disease prevention, increasing the body's endurance and strengthening the immune system,
• finding deep peace, restoring a disturbed psyche,
• memory improvement, getting rid of insomnia,
• acquisition psychic abilities, increasing intuition and general sensitivity,
• development of a sense of harmony, beauty,
• increasing awareness of one’s life, deepening the perception of reality, situations, events, phenomena, intensifying concentration of attention,
• achieving harmony with yourself and the world around you, filling yourself with love for people and for everything that exists.

And this is far from full list what meditation promotes and develops.

HOW TO MEDITATE CORRECTLY

If you practice meditation consciously, the effect of this increases many times over.

There are a huge variety of techniques for meditation. And there are many masters who teach meditation. If you know the essence of the meditation process, then you can choose those techniques that are close to you.

What is the essence of the meditation process?

When you meditate, you enter an altered state of consciousness or trance state that is purposefully induced.

In other words, you enter a state of peace and complete disconnection from any thoughts. The biggest trick is how to get rid of the flow of thoughts in your head. Our minds are quite chatty and rarely allow themselves the luxury of leaving us alone. And although stopping the internal dialogue has been trained for years, even a slight reduction in the intensity of the thought process can already bring you amazing results.

The main thing is to know why you are doing this or that meditation, i.e. what you will do and what result you want to get. If you practice meditation consciously, the effect of this increases many times over.

How to get rid of thoughts when you practice meditation?

• Don't fight your thoughts, don't crush them, but let them flow through you, remembering that the goal is to empty your brain. This occurs only if you do not run after thoughts, that is, do not expand them further. They just flow through you.
• Focus, for example, on breathing, and return your attention to it if some persistent thought carries you along.
• Imagine gray billowing smoke in the void or something similar and pay attention to it, just staring at it.
• Remember when you were engaged in physical labor and could concentrate so much on what you were doing that it seemed to you that your brain had simply switched off and there were no thoughts? absolute zero. Remember that state of your mind and try to evoke it again.
• Read mantras or prayers.

In any case, when you keep your attention on one thing, you stop the flow of thoughts and replace it with either a single phrase or an image.

If you follow the thought, watch it a little, as if from the side, then straighten your back, quickly relax your body and continue doing what you were doing. Slowly and smoothly return the mind to a calm state.

When meditating, you need to keep your back straight. If, out of habit, you constantly bend your back like a wheel, find a chair with a straight back and sit on it. A straight back allows you to breathe freely.

It is advisable to meditate for 15-20 minutes to begin with. If you find it difficult to sit still for so long or relax, then only self-discipline and the desire to master the technique of meditation will help you. Ultimately, relaxing after a day of intense activity, mental or physical, will help you recover faster and get a full rest.

When you start practicing meditation, you may fall asleep. According to Swami Veda Bharati, a meditation guru, even if you fall asleep during meditation, then you have not lost this session and everything was not in vain. The quality of sleep during meditation is different from normal sleep, and after such sleep your state will be as if you were meditating.

There is another positive aspect of meditation that is rarely mentioned. Meditation allows you to be alone with yourself. When you take time for yourself, it greatly helps you realize what you are doing in it, where you are striving, what thoughts fill you.

If you think that there are a lot of things and worries in your life that do not allow you to be distracted by yourself, then now you have a great reason to do it. Just think about how much benefit daily 15-20 minutes of meditation will bring you. You will have more inner peace. The main thing is to start, and then it will become a habit, and your life will change.

As always, mastery comes with practice.

Want to learn more about meditation? Read also:

Do you want to ask something?

The purpose of meditation is to concentrate and calm your mind, and subsequently to achieve highest degree awareness and inner peace. This is an ancient practice, but scientists have not yet explored all of it. positive properties. Thus, neuroscientists have discovered that regular meditation actually changes the mind, helping to control emotions, increase concentration, reduce stress and even become closer to others. You may be surprised by this, but meditation can be done anywhere, at any time, allowing yourself to immerse yourself in a state of calm and tranquility, regardless of what is happening around you. There are many ways to meditate, so if one practice doesn't work for you, you can always try another.

Steps

Part 1

Choose a quiet place. Meditation requires a calming and peaceful environment. This will allow you to concentrate directly on meditation and protect your mind from external stimuli. Try to find a place where you will not be interrupted during your activity, no matter how long it takes - five minutes or half an hour. You don't need a lot of space - you can meditate even in the smallest room, in a closet or on a bench in the garden, if you can remain there in privacy.

• For beginners, it is especially important to avoid external irritants. Turn off the TV, phone and other noise sources. If you want to play music, choose a slow, easy, repetitive tune that won't interfere with your concentration. Alternatively, you can turn on a small water fountain - the sound of running water can be incredibly relaxing.
• Understand that your meditation space doesn't have to be completely silent, so you shouldn't use earplugs to block out all sound. The sounds of a lawn mower or a dog barking through the window should not cause any harm. efficient process meditation. In fact, an important part of successful meditation is to be aware similar sounds, but don’t let them take over your thoughts.
• Many practitioners choose to meditate on outdoors. This a good option, unless you choose a location near a busy road or other source of noise. Sit under a tree or on the lush grass in your favorite spot in the garden.

1. Wear comfortable clothes. One of the main goals of meditation is to calm the mind and block external stimuli. This can be difficult if you experience physical discomfort due to tight or restrictive clothing. Try to wear loose clothing for meditation and remember to take off your shoes.

   • Wear a sweater or cardigan if you plan to meditate in a cool place. If you don't do this, then all your attention will be focused on the feeling of cold, and you will want to finish the activity as soon as possible.
   • If you are in a place where it is not possible to quickly change clothes, then do everything to make you as comfortable as possible. At least take off your shoes.

2. Decide how long you will meditate. Before you begin, you should decide how much time you can devote to meditation. Many practitioners advise doing this activity for 20 minutes twice a day, but beginners can start with 5 minutes of exercise once a day.

   • Try to also meditate at the same time every day - it doesn't matter if it's in the first 15 minutes after you wake up or 5 minutes during your lunch break. Whatever time you choose, try to incorporate meditation into your daily schedule on a regular basis.
   • Once you have chosen a time to meditate, try to stick to it every day. Don't quit if you feel like you can't do anything. Learning to meditate properly takes time and practice. The most important thing to start with is just not to quit.
   • Find a way to keep track of your meditation time without getting distracted. Set your alarm to a low volume, or time your meditation to coincide with a natural phenomenon—for example, until the sun hits a specific spot on the wall.

3. Do some stretching. When meditating, you have to sit in one place for a while, so it's important to minimize any tension in your muscles before you begin. Stretching for a few minutes will help you prepare your body and mind for meditation. This will also help you relax rather than focusing on the fact that you are sore or numb.

   • Don't forget to stretch your neck, shoulders and lower back, especially if you sit in front of the computer a lot. Stretching the leg muscles, especially the inner thighs, will be helpful if you meditate in the lotus position.
   • If you don't know the best way to stretch, try different techniques before you start meditating.

4. Sit in a comfortable position. It is very important to feel comfortable while meditating, so try to find the most comfortable position possible. Traditionally, meditation is practiced while sitting on the floor on a cushion in lotus or half-lotus position, but if your legs, hips and lower back are not flexible enough, you may find it uncomfortable. Choose a position in which you can easily maintain balance and are able to sit upright and straight.

   • You can simply sit on a cushion, chair, or bench to meditate, with or without crossing your legs.
   • When you sit, your pelvis should move forward so that your spine is in a central position relative to your two pelvic bones, the points on which you bear your weight when sitting. To move your hips into the correct position, sit on the front of a thick cushion or place something 7-10 cm thick under the back legs of a chair.
   • You can use a meditation bench: they are usually already made with an inclined seat. If your bench has a regular seat, place something under it to tilt it 1 to 2.5 cm.
   • Once you are in the desired position, focus on your back. Starting from the bottom, imagine each vertebra balancing on the previous one to support the entire weight of your torso, neck and head. It takes practice to find a position where you can relax your torso and maintain balance with minimal effort. If you feel tension in any part of your body, relax it. If you can't relax without falling over, make sure your posture remains straight and try to shift the center of gravity of your torso so that all parts can relax.
   • Most importantly, you should feel comfortable and relaxed, and your torso should be stable and balanced so that your spine supports your body weight above your waist.
   • The traditional position of the hands is that the hands lie one on top of the other in front of you, palms up, with the right hand covering the left. However, you can also leave your hands in your lap or at your sides.

5. Close your eyes. Meditation can be practiced with eyes open or closed, but beginners are often advised to close their eyes to avoid distractions from visual stimuli.

   Part 2

   Types of Meditation

   1. Concentrate on your breathing. The most basic and universal meditation technique of all, breathing meditation, is in a great way to start practice. Select a point above your navel and concentrate your mind on it. Notice how your chest rises and falls as you breathe. Don't make any conscious effort to change your breathing rate, just breathe freely.

      Clear your mind. During meditation, you should concentrate on one thing at a time. If you are a beginner, you may find it easier to focus on something like a mantra or visual object. If you have been meditating for a long time, you can try to free your mind from any thoughts at all.

      Repeat the mantra. Meditation with a mantra is different popular look meditation, which involves repeating a mantra (sound, word or phrase) over and over again until you are able to quiet your mind and enter a meditative state. The mantra can be anything you choose, but it should be easy to remember.

      Concentrate on a simple visual object. Like a mantra, you can use a simple visual object to fill your mind and achieve deeper awareness. This is a form of open-eye meditation that many consider simpler.

      Practice visualization. Visualization is another popular meditation technique. It is about imagining a quiet place in your mind and exploring it until your mind is in a state of complete calm. It can be any place you like. However, it should not completely replicate a real place. Let it be unique and exist only for you.

      • The place you visualize could be a warm sandy beach, flower meadow, a quiet forest or even a cozy living room with a roaring fireplace. Whatever you choose, let this place be your refuge.
      • Once you have mentally entered your refuge, begin to explore it. You don't have to "create" the setting or environment, it's already there. Just relax and the details will appear before your mind's eye.
      • Pay attention to the lights, sounds and smells of your surroundings. Feel the fresh breeze on your face or the warmth of the fire warming your body. Enjoy the space for as long as you want, allowing it to organically expand and become more real. When you are ready to leave your seat, take a few deep breaths and then open your eyes.
      • Know that the next time you practice visual meditation, you can return to the same place or create a new one.

   2. Consistently focus on your body. This means concentrating on each part of the body in turn and consciously relaxing it. This simple technique Meditation will allow you to relax your mind just as you relax your body.

      • Close your eyes and choose a point on your body, such as your toes. Concentrate on any sensations you feel in your toes and make a conscious effort to relax any tight muscles and release tension or pressure. Once your toes are completely relaxed, move to your feet and repeat the relaxation process.
      • Continue along your entire body, moving upward from your feet to your calves, knees, hips, buttocks, pelvis, abdomen, chest, back, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, neck, face, ears and crown. Spend as much time as you want on each part.
      • When you have finished relaxing each part of the body individually, focus on the body as a whole and enjoy the feeling of calm and relaxation that you have achieved. Focus on your breathing for a few minutes before ending your meditation.

   3. Try meditation that focuses on your heart chakra. The heart chakra is one of the seven chakras, or energy centers located in the body. The heart chakra is located in the center of the chest and is associated with love, compassion, peace and acceptance. Meditation that focuses on the heart chakra involves immersing yourself in these feelings and sending them out from within into the world around you.

      • To begin, close your eyes and rub your palms together to create a feeling of warmth and energy. Then put right hand on the center of your chest over the heart chakra and cover it with your left hand.
      • Take a deep breath and as you exhale, say the word “yam,” the vibration of which is associated with the heart chakra. As you do this, imagine bright green energy emanating from your chest and your fingers.
      • This green energy symbolizes love, life, as well as all the other positive emotions you feel in this moment. When you are ready, remove your hands from your chest and allow the energy to flow freely, sending love to your loved ones and to the world around you.
      • Feel your body from the inside. Do you feel energy filling your body, especially your arms and legs? If you don't feel it, that's okay. But think about how we're able to move in different parts bodies? This happens with the help of the energy that fills our body. Focus on this energy, which will help you become aware of not only yourself in the present, but also to unite with your primal essence and the flow of life within you.

   4. Try meditation on the go. Walking meditation is an alternative form of meditation that involves observing the movements of your feet and becoming aware of your body's connection to the earth. If you are planning long sitting meditation sessions, it is a good idea to break them up with walking meditation sessions.

   Part 3

   Meditation in Everyday life

   1. Try to meditate at the same time every day. If you practice meditation at the same time, it will quickly become a daily habit. By meditating every day, you will see positive results faster.

      • Early morning - good time for meditation, as your mind is still free from the stress and worries that it encounters during the day.
      • Not the most best idea is meditation immediately after eating. If your body is busy digesting, you may feel discomfort and be less able to concentrate.
      • You can also try various meditation apps. They will help you get started. In such applications, you can not only choose the time or music, but also receive meditation instructions.

   2. Go to a guided meditation session. If you need more guidance, it may be a good idea to take a meditation course with an experienced teacher. Look for such activities in your city via the Internet.

      • Meditation classes can be held in fitness clubs, spas, as well as schools or centers of relevant spiritual practices.
      • Meditation courses cover almost all types of this practice, but you can also try going to a meditation workshop where you will have the opportunity to try different types this practice and understand what suits you the best way.
      • If you need step-by-step directions but don't want to attend a class, you can download an app for your smartphone.
      • Instructional videos and guided meditation sessions can also be found on YouTube.
      • For a more immersive experience, look for a spiritual practice center where you can devote several days or even weeks to intense meditation.

   3. Read spiritual books. This advice is not for everyone, but for some people reading spiritual books and sacred texts helps them gain a deeper understanding of meditation and inspires them to seek inner peace and spiritual awareness.

      • Good books to start with are Deep Mind: Cultivating Wisdom in Everyday Life by the Dalai Lama, The Nature of Individual Reality by Jane Roberts, and One Minute Mindfulness by Donald Altman.
      • If you want, you can glean nuggets of wisdom from any spiritual or sacred texts and apply them during your meditation practice.
   4. At first it is difficult to concentrate. However, you will get used to it if you meditate regularly. You just need practice.
   5. If you do meditation for a long time, it will bring excellent results, so it's worth continuing. Here's what it will bring you: increased awareness and attentiveness, reduced stress, a calmer and more relaxed mood, improved memory and concentration, and an increase in the amount of gray matter (brain cells) in various areas your brain.
   6. If you find it difficult to meditate for as long as you planned, try shortening your sessions for a while. Almost everyone is able to meditate for a minute or two without being distracted by intrusive thoughts. Then, as your mind calms down, gradually lengthen your sessions until you reach your desired time.
   7. It is very easy to lose track of time during meditation. However, worrying about time can distract you from meditating. Some people find a solution to setting a timer to keep track of how long it takes them to meditate. Choose a quiet timer. If it sounds harsh, you may be distracted by just waiting for the signal.
   8. Don't expect instant results. The goal of meditation is not to make you a Zen master overnight. Meditation works best when you focus on the meditation itself and not on its results.
   9. With correct posture, you will breathe easier as there will be more space in your lungs. You can notice how most of the muscles in your torso help you breathe, from your pelvis to your neck, slightly supporting the centrally located diaphragm, your breathing muscle. If you notice this, it is a sign of good posture. You will feel easy and comfortable with her; you will feel like you are practically floating.
   10. What you do with your liberated consciousness is up to you. Some people believe that this is a good time to introduce an intention or desired outcome into the subconscious. Others prefer to rest in those rare moments of silence that meditation provides. For religious people, meditation is often a way of communicating with god(s) and a channel for receiving visions.
   11. Here are some other benefits of meditation that are less obvious to most people: falling asleep easier, helping you fight addictions, and an elevated state of mind (which is most pronounced in people who have spent more than a thousand hours meditating, like Buddhist monks).
   12. Make an effort to be aware of your mood and thoughts when you are not meditating. You may notice that you are calmer, happier, and more mindful on the days you meditate, and also see a decrease in these qualities on the days you don't practice.
   13. Please do not expect immediate results. It may take you several weeks; Do not give up!
   14. If you want to meditate, but you feel too tired, exhausted, exhausted, or even just stressed that you try but cannot achieve the necessary state, then just do something relaxing. Go for a walk or jog, then take a shower or bath. This will relieve you of stress. Then try meditating again.

Meditation, today this word is heard... Many of us have heard about it, seen that there are different classes and methods for teaching meditation, some attend them, and some of us already meditate ourselves or think that we meditate.

So what is meditation? Where to start? How to carry out this practice correctly? Fortunately, we live in a time when a flood, an avalanche of information is pouring on us. But no one canceled the difficulty of choice. And we must very sensitively filter, sift through articles, books, videos, classes in order to feel, understand and carry through our perception the pearl of meditation: its taste, aftertaste, healing, discovery, relaxation, transformation - all the fruits that meditation can give to everyone from U.S.

Since the mid-20th century, scientific researchers have become interested in meditation from the perspective of relaxing, clearing, and resetting the mind through physical and mental exercises. Scientists have been able to prove a direct connection between meditative practices and improved health of meditators. Research has confirmed the benefits of regular exercise. In addition to general relaxation, blood pressure normalizes and improves mental activity, the work of the entire human biosystem is harmonized, and a general surge of strength is observed.

Meditation is known to us as part of the spiritual practice of Vedic culture. It is said that the first texts were described before our era. In China, where Buddha was worshiped, meditation techniques later changed, and they also led to harmony of spirit. We have heard a lot about monks who achieved Zen (enlightenment); they were able to reveal ancient recipes for spiritual harmony to their adherents. Thanks to this, meditation, as a way of self-knowledge, healing, harmonization, and spiritual growth, has become accessible and popular.

There is probably no meditation for beginners, since it relates to dhyana - the seventh stage of yoga. This means that we must not only maintain self-control in relation to ourselves, our feelings, emotions, and living beings around us. We must experience unity in yoga: soul, mind and body. And this is already an OBSERVATION. Observation of thoughts, words, emotions, actions, deeds.

We are able to observe lying down, sitting, in motion, only by adjusting our mind, that is, by changing our mood. The easiest, most effective and affordable way influencing your own mood is music. Selecting music for meditation practices is one of the components of achieving results. The melody, when it is “yours”, will definitely touch the strings of the soul. Usually a calm, benign, soft, peaceful composition without words has a positive effect. Its effect will begin to rhythmize your breathing and relax tense muscles; you will want to gently close your eyes and concentrate on the sensations. The positive vibrations of the meditative melodies will begin to echo and interact with the body and mind.

It would be very wise to use the sounds of nature, especially the “breath of the ocean,” which create a favorable atmosphere for relaxation. The main thing is that the sound does not evoke sadness, despondency, irritation, fear, but is associated with pleasant memories or associations.

There are many meditation techniques for beginners in this matter. Perhaps the most simple, pleasant and effective method is to pay attention to your breathing cycle. Without inventing anything, you must constantly return your attention to inhalation and exhalation, realizing how the air enters the nostrils and fills the lungs. We present in detail the process of life: how the entire body is saturated, oxygen nourishes every cell of the body.

Also, sitting in a comfortable position with a straight spine, you can observe the thoughts that come, without developing an internal dialogue, and see them off like clouds passing by.

To rid himself of stress and tension, a novice practitioner uses tactile relaxation. Rosary beads are commonly used. When getting acquainted with the object of relaxation, we hold it in our hands and mentally monitor its shape, temperature, surface. Then we move the beads of the rosary in our fingers or another object from hand to hand, we direct all our attention to this process, we do it slowly, at the same pace. And we pronounce or chant a mantra or prayer to ourselves.

One of the meditation exercises is concentrating on some object or phenomenon. Contemplation of a fire in a fire, a candle flame, rolling waves, the movement of clouds, the appearance of a rainbow after rain, sunset or sunrise on the horizon. One must take advantage of divine beauty and enjoy it consciously. Meditative activities of contemplation restore peace of mind, peace and saturate with vital energy.

Of course, everyone chooses the place and method of meditation, but there are several basic rules of meditation that should be followed.

1. Correct posture is the basis for meditation. It is necessary to keep the spine and neck straight and straight while sitting on the floor or on a chair. Try not to slouch! Hands are placed on the knees, palms up, or mudra is used. We direct the tongue to the upper palate. We close our eyes or slightly cover them. This is the basis for calming the mind.
2. In order to calm our mind and not fall asleep quickly and safely, we must hold the object of meditation. The most accessible is our breath.
3. The meditation time should gradually increase; an experienced practitioner can quickly attune the mind and enter into the process, but beginners or emotional people will need more time. Therefore, you need to start from 10 - 15 minutes to 45 - 60 minutes - this is general recommendations. Gradually we will learn to meditate without a special time. It will be a close observation objective reality, behind any process or person entering our lives.
4. You can meditate anywhere and anytime. It is not at all necessary to sit alone and with your eyes closed. This could be a walk, a trip, doing work, practice.
5. During meditation, the mind becomes aware. It may seem that this has an even greater effect on emotionality, agitation, and irritability. The main thing is not to stop and move on, exploring the traps of the mind, that is, yourself. It will take time to resolve important issues, thoughts and experiences. Therefore, be patient!

And yet, meditation does not come down to specific methods, techniques and exercises, methods and techniques, and it also cannot be said that it achieves certain states. It is growth, expansion and self-discovery.

Alas, to most people today this seems like “ideas”; they have no idea about their own spiritual potential. Unfortunately, people have completely forgotten to trust themselves and listen to their inner voice. Being immersed in the bustle of worldly affairs does not allow you to always remember your Beginning. These are all big words...

Therefore, it is easier to start with deep muscle relaxation and relieve body tension. Relaxation of muscle tone and bone structure is achievable in the process of certain work. But you should set aside time for this too. And already next step practice will stabilize internal experiences, states, calm and stabilize mental vortices. Thus, you can come to meditation through relaxation, directing your attention not “outside”, but inside yourself, achieving a state of peace, preserving and increasing energy.

Krishnamurti said: “Meditation cannot be learned. This is growth: the growth of your whole life process, from your whole life process. You must grow towards meditation."

Therefore, the main goal of practice is to become yourself according to your Nature, to find yourself, accept and love. This will be followed by acceptance of everything that surrounds us: loved ones, colleagues, boss, passers-by, situations that are very different every day... We will learn to carefully observe the realities of life, changes in our mood, and, first of all, the manifestation of ourselves in what is happening around us. From the depths, drawing wisdom and the answer to what to do in a given situation.