Get to Know about Meditation

We often hear about the term meditation and many of us have even tried it too. Most of the time it is just thought of as an attractive part of Eastern spiritual exercise, however it is not merely a supreme endeavour.

The term meditation often summons image of an Indian sage in or vision of Buddha being seated in a peaceful thought and tranquillity.
The Yogis, Zen Master and Taoists; all have meditated for eras. The term meditation is mentioned for more than 20 times in the holy book of Christianity.

Throughout the history of mankind, meditation has been a superb therapy for the depression, stress and anxiety. It is a main therapy in Ayurveda science and also famous amongst the allopathic physician. The benefits of meditation are well-recognized and recommended by all.

Scientists have actually examined meditation and thus no one can deny the positive, emotional, psychosomatic and biological benefits of a regular meditation practice. It brings calm to the human spirit. There are numerous styles of meditation and several reasons to opt for meditation therapy. Mostly it is done to manage stress, gain knowledge, show devotion, and/or just take a refreshing and soporific break in a day.

Following are the few famous types of Meditation;

Breath watching is the simplest type of meditation. It requires you to pay attention to your breath, just for few minutes. You can get relax in the posture that works best. Just close your eyes and watch your breath. While you breathe in air through nose, the diaphragm elevates and oxygen gets into the lungs. Make your wander and watch the path of air as it goes in or out of the nostrils. You only need to repeat it a several times for few minutes to meditate and get calmness.

One other type is mind meditation. Actually meditation creates awareness without an object. Empty your mind from all thoughts and sit still, preferably in a full lotus or a cross-legged posture. Now let the mind go in silence itself. It is sometimes difficult but not impossible.

In walking meditation, whole body gets involved. You can do that out-door or in your living room as well. While walking, pay attention to your foot-steps and breathe. Hear and feel the sound as you walk and your feet contact ground. If your mind wanders, bring it back by concentrating on foot-steps and breathing pattern. This sort of meditation is difficult to carry out outdoor, because of distractions. However, if you still intend to do it outside, try to find a quiet place and levelled ground.

In the mindfulness meditation which was practiced by Buddhists is also known as an insight meditation. It is actually the art of becoming aware of the happenings. This can be started by simply concentrating on your breath and then move on to your brain to capture the thoughts coming in your mind and also the light sounds that you can hear around you. The only key is to watch the happenings without analysing.

The simple mantra meditation is so-call because people find it easier. This is done by concentrating on a specific mantra; a word or phrase which you repeat over and again while meditating. The phrase or selected word is the choice of an experienced master.

One other type of meditating is on a concept. This involves contemplation of ideas or scenarios. One such example is meditation on impermanence; where you focus on the ephemeral nature of things. In Buddhist the meditation on corpse involves thinking about gradual decay of a body in the ground which is eaten away by the worms.

There are so many other types of meditations one can try. A few to mention here are the ones on loving-kindness, object and the ones that use brain waving entrainment product. No matter what you choose, each type has its specification and impact. This is why we see specific meditation for different purposes.

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Rob Wart