when ml is good?
Use these meditation practices to intensify your focus, stimulate the flow of life-force energy, silence the mind and much more.
Focus
on quality over quantity. You don’t have to spend hours every day in
meditation. 10 minutes of intense focus is better than an hour of
frustrated fidgeting and internal battles. If you can only manage a few
minutes of focus at a time, you’re still benefiting, and you’ll be more
likely to come back to the practice the next day if you leave it on a
positive note.
1. Posture
The
traditional cross-legged meditation position has several advantages.
For most people, using a meditation cushion is beneficial as it
positions the hips higher than the knees, preventing circulation
problems.
It
provides a stable foundation that allows for the free flow of energy
through the seven chakras in the body (chakras are energy centers;
blocked chakras result in a host of physical and psychological
problems).
It
allows your spine to be upright yet supple. Sitting with proper posture
allows for open breathing and doesn’t constrict any blood flow.
Ironically, sitting upright with your spine curved naturally takes far
less muscular effort than sitting hunched over or stiff as a board!
If
your knees protest at sitting cross-legged, try doing it on a softer
surface like a couch or bed; or, sit in a chair with your feet flat on
the ground and spine unsupported by the back of the seat. You can also
meditate lying down on a yoga mat, but beware, it’s very easy to doze
off in this position!
Your
hands can rest on your thighs, or you may wish to use one of several
“mudras” or hand positions to stimulate the flow of energy. One popular
mudra involves putting your dominant hand palm up in your lap and then
putting your non-dominant hand on top of it, also palm up so that the
dominant hand cradles the non-dominant hand. Lightly touch the thumbs
together.
2. Intention
Meditation
is a process of self-discovery. It can, and will, teach you the inner
workings of yourself, but only if you are willing to let go of
timelines, agendas and hurry.
The
process of self-discovery is not always easy. The discipline you need
to sit silently and observe your thoughts (or silence them entirely) can
be an exercise in frustration. Disempowering ways of thinking will come
into your awareness, and they are uncomfortable and unpleasant. But,
once these thought patterns are identified, they become easy to discard.
Therefore,
set your intention to simply be an observer of whatever happens. Don’t
try to control your breathing or to force yourself into immobile
stillness if you’re fidgety. Observe, allow and be interested in your
inner workings, many of which are manifested in physical sensations!
What’s going on inside is truly fascinating!
Don’t
expect anything, just be open to what will unfold. Simply observe.
That’s all. Let whatever happens, happen. Don’t judge what’s happening,
and don’t worry about whether you’re “doing it right.” You are
meditating correctly if you are aware of what is happening within you.
3. Focus
Pick
a point of focus. It could be a mantra, an object (physical or mental
image of something), music or your breath. Having some point of focus
will help you keep your mind from wandering so that gradually you
develop amazing mental self-mastery.
Use
this very effective technique to deal with thoughts that arise: If your
mind is very busy, you might have a torrent of thoughts vying for your
attention and it might seem impossible to slow the rush. Practice a
“catch and release” technique where you become aware of a thought, and
let it pass without becoming entangled in it.
Imagine
yourself sitting at a cafe on a busy city street, watching traffic and
people move by. Imagine your thoughts to be the hustle and bustle of the
city. You see a taxi and watch it drive past you and out of sight; you
see an interesting person and watch him walk by; you see a pigeon, a
bus, a cyclist… and since you’re only observing, you don’t stop them so
they can interact with you. Do the same with your thoughts. Observe
without reacting to them in any way. Even if you have an unpleasant
thought about your ex, just think, “I’m having a thought about my ex”
and let it drift away.
To
silence your thoughts entirely takes practice. You can do this through
breath focus as well as a simple command, “Be still.” As you focus on
the marvelous experience (the miracle!) of the breath, your mind will
wander. When it does, acknowledge the thought and immediately bring your
attention back to your breath with a “Be still” command. It will take
time, but you’ll notice that the moments of pure silence get longer and
more frequent.
4. Practice
The
best way to get the most out of a meditation practice is to set aside
time daily for it. It need not be a lengthy meditation – just 15-30
minutes of “me time” is plenty. One of the best ways to ensure you can
fit it into even the busiest schedule is to wake up 30 minutes early and
go meditate before you do anything else – a peaceful way to start the
day.
You
can take a meditation practice along with you as you go about your day.
Anytime you find yourself in a stressful situation, use a countdown to
get yourself into a meditative state very quickly – this will soothe
you, prevent emotions from escalating, minimize the “fight or flight”
response, and give you a chance to gather your thoughts so you can
respond rather than react.
Over
time, you’ll get to know your inner mental and emotional workings very
well, and you’ll gain mastery over your thoughts, enabling you to make
choices that are aligned with what you want in life.
