Meditation: Change Your Life With Meditation


What is meditation?

Meditation is a simple exercise which helps you to come into the present moment.

Why do we want to be in the present moment?

Most people spend their time thinking about either the past which leads them to be depressed or the future which leads them to become anxious. There is nothing wrong with thinking about the past or future because it's a natural part of life but when these thoughts take over our minds we become stressed, anxious or depressed.

Do you ever think these type of thoughts?

  • I never have time for anything anymore, if I don't get this done now I never will! (Stress)
  • What if I get fired from my job, my life will be over! (Anxiety)
  • My life hasn't turned out the way I wanted it to, I am a failure! (Depressed)

Your mind is constantly chattering to it's self and you can't stop that. But you can become aware of it by meditation and learning how to deal with it.

You miss out on a huge chunk of your life by not being in the present moment. Have you ever been driving and don't remember how you got home? or done something and not remembered doing it? Everyone has and you probably will always be that way but meditation can help you come out of auto-pilot mode and see whats in front of you.

The ultimate goal of meditation is to become aware and mindful. It's not about religion or become enlightened. It's about slowing down and appreciating life for what it is!

Life is a choice, you can experience it or you can just pass through it not taking in the beauty of the world we live in.

Meditation teaches you that the thoughts you have are not who you are, they are just passing clouds. When we meditate our minds are filled with thoughts which flood into our head, as we learn how to meditate we realize that thoughts are just thoughts and don't make us who we are.

So please make the choice to learn meditation today!

How will meditation benefit me?


Most of us don't know how to relax and just enjoy our lives. Even if we are not working our mind may still be at work. Meditation takes you away from your worries and puts your mind in a place where it can just enjoy being alive.

Relaxation is so important because so many people die each year of diseases related to stress, if you do meditation for nothing else but to learn how to relax you will live a healthier life.

You will sleep better, have more energy and feel more self confidence in yourself. You won't waste your time and life worrying about things that don't really matter.

Appreciation and Awareness

When you meditate you concentrate your mind on your breath. How often do we think about what our bodies are doing and really feel your body? Meditation will help you get in touch with your body, teach you to be aware of your body and whats really there.

Your awareness of the world out side will also increase, you will start to see beauty in the things you didn't see before. Like the dull tasks we have to do everyday will start to feel fun. You will feel lucky and happy to be alive and accept reality for what it is and what you are!


What do I need to start meditating?

All you really need is yourself, all meditation is done just using your mind. But there are a few things to consider.

First thing you need is a quiet place. Most often meditation is done in your home, so you need a room you can get away to for about 10-20 minutes a day where someone can't disturb you. Telling your family you wish to be alone will stop people from distracting you while you are meditating. Noise will distract you from concentrating so this is why we always go to a quiet and familiar place where you can feel safe and comfortable.

Another thing to consider is if you want to meditate using a chair or using the floor. Neither is better than the other, it's just a personal preference. Many people will use a chair because it's slightly more comfortable than the floor. I would not recommend using a bed to meditate laying down on because it may encourage you to fall asleep, it's okay to sit on the bed but try not to lay down.

One last thing you may consider is purchasing a CD of guided meditations. This helps in the beginning if you are new to meditations because it will guide you into doing the right thing and getting the most out of the meditation. This isn't mandatory because eventually you will want to meditate without the CD. There are also lots of free guided meditations on Youtube.

You might also so want to put on some quiet and relaxing music to listen to. You can choose anything you love, but here are a couple of playlists with some relaxing music!

How do I meditate?

So once you are ready here is a simple meditation that most people start with.

Breathing meditation

  1. Sit down on a chair or if you prefer on the floor with your legs crossed.
  2. Make sure your back is straight and away from the back of the chair if you are using one. You want to make sure your body feels awake and alive.
  3. Close your eyes.
  4. Now focus your mind on your breath. Just yourself breathing but don't force your breath.
  5. Make sure you are just breathing through your nose.
  6. Feel the flow of air over your lips as you breath in and out.
  7. If your mind get distracted (Which it will) bring it back to the breath.
  8. Keeping doing this for as long as you you want. You are training you mind to come in to the present moment.

Why do we need to train our minds?

Our minds are programmed to look into the future or into the past. Which is helpful in some situations but it can be where most of us live our lives. So by concentrating our minds on our breath we are pulling it into the present moment. With training you will eventually be able to pull your mind into the present by just concentrating on your breath even if you're not meditating.

When your mind wonders, just gently pull it back into the present moment. Don't berate yourself for getting distracted because this is part of the training by pulling it back to the present moment you are training you mind to be present and quiet.

How often should I meditate?


Ideally you should meditate everyday but we all know that's not always possible to sit down in silence for 10-20 minutes. So if you can't don't worry because even a three minute breathing meditation can be enough.

Just take three minutes when you are alone and follow the breathing meditation at an accelerated rate. You will be surprised how much it can change your day. You can take a breathing space at the traffic lights, waiting in line or while at work.

Don't put yourself down if you don't manage to meditate everyday. It may just be that you don't feel like it that day and things aren't working out for you. That's fine, and it happens to everyone. You can always find an alternative way to relax like having a bath or reading a book.


Myths about meditation

There are a few things about meditation that need to be said before you start. Only because some people have a view certain view about meditation which may be stopping them from trying it.

First of all you don't need to be a Buddhist or a religious person to meditate. When we think of meditation we think of a monk in robes chanting "OM"!. That's not the case, you don't need to follow any religion to meditate. Meditation may bring you closer with God or not affect you in anyway!

Secondly, you don't need to meditate for hours a day. I meditate for 10 minutes morning and evening and that's enough for me. Sometimes I may go for longer, it just depends on what day I am having and how I feel! It's about the quality of the meditation not the quantity.

Lastly, just enjoy it. Meditation is for us to enjoy. Just open your mind and see what your mind has to offer!

When will I start to see results?

It hard to say when you will see the improvement for meditation but all that you can be sure of it that it won't be an overnight fix. It's something you will need to work hard at to achieve but by working consistently every day you will get better.

It could take up to about 2 months to see an everyday change in the way you live your life, you may start to notice small things that have changed about yourself like.

  • Not getting upset over small things
  • Enjoying tedious or dull tasks
  • Accepting yourself and the life you live
  • Being nicer to others
  • Loving life


Guided Meditation

How long do you meditate for?

How long do you meditate for?

  • 5 minutes or less
  • 5-10 minutes
  • 10-20 minutes
  • 30-40 minutes
  • 50- 60 minutes
  • 1 hours plus
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watergeek 3 years ago

I've been meditating for over thirty years now - not every day, although I did when I first started - but regularly. Especially when things start to go bad or I'm confused is a great time to meditate. It calms me down and I can think straight again.

Now I do it for enlightenment, as well as peace. Take a situation where something has happened or someone said something that totally confuses and upsets me. I go into meditation as soon as I can, calm myself down with deep and steady breathing, and when I'm ready, take myself into a higher feeling place inside and ask what just happened. I always get answers! And they're good ones. They help me know how to handle it. But they come from the calm mind.

In the beginning, meditation helps people reach that calmness. Once you can do it quickly, then you can get answers to questions of all kinds.


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