The Wisdom of Silence: Finding Stillness Within
The human brain demands to be constantly stimulated. From the time we are young, our minds are told how important it is to stay busy and on-task. This incessant need for activity actually affects our level of creativity and productivity. That's why a contemplative practice like meditation has become so popular in recent years — it is a way to regain control of your thoughts and let your mind rest without having to worry about being productive all the time.
This article will explore meditation techniques which can help you find stillness within during times when you may feel anxious or distracted; find some space that isn't cluttered with other tasks; finally quiet your mind in order to create something new and worthwhile.
What is meditation? [ARTICLE END]
Meditation is a practice that can provide you with the tools to find stillness within during what may seem like an overwhelming or chaotic time. It can be practiced by itself, or in combination with other techniques like yoga, exercise, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques.
There are two kinds of meditation: Transcendental Meditation (TM) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). In this article I will examine the benefits of TM and MBSR along with their differences and advantages. The aim of this article is to help you decide which one is right for you.
Understanding the difference between TM and MBSR is important, as both have been proven to be effective treatments for anxiety and stress. It's important to note that not all meditation practices are the same. Meditation has evolved over time and the methods used today are much different from those in other cultures or traditions. Therefore, not every form of meditation is effective for everyone.
Requirements [ARTICLE BEGIN]
For a meditation practice to be effective, you need two things: 1) a desire to learn something new, and 2) a desire to find stillness within. If you don't have both, it will be difficult to maintain a steady practice.
Sit comfortably in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed for the duration of the meditation period.
There are many methods that can get you there – sitting with your eyes open, sitting with your eyes closed, walking meditation, and mindful exercise (exercises done with complete awareness and no distractions). For the purpose of this article, I'm going to focus on creating stillness by doing walking meditations. It's easy to do walking meditation anywhere as long as you are not in danger of being hit or run over by other people.
Find a secluded area where you won't be disturbed.
Walking meditation provides both benefits and challenges. On the one hand, it can be done anywhere as long as you are not in danger of being hit or run over by other people. On the other hand, finding a quiet place is not an easy task for many people because we spend so much time in our heads. If there is someone else that can help you find a quiet place, that would be ideal! Call your friends over and tell them to help you out with the meditation. Although one person on their own will be alright, the more people you have around you, the more likely they will interrupt your "practice". It's much easier to find a quiet place when there are no distractions and as few people as possible.
Use headphones with soothing music.
You can use soothing music through headphones to help calm your mind while walking. The music helps drown out other noises in the environment and creates a peaceful atmosphere for walking meditations. This certainly takes away from the idea of meditation (at least in my opinion), but it is an option available to us all when we want or need to make some changes in our lives, especially if we are new to meditation.
Be comfortable.
When you first begin, keep a fairly slow pace and try to concentrate on your breathing. As your practice deepens, you'll find yourself in a much more comfortable place and will be able to increase your speed. Stillness is not something that you can force. It takes time and patience, so be patient with yourself! [ARTICLE END]
Practical Tips for Meditation [ARTICLE BEGIN]
1. Sitting Meditation (zazen)
A lot of people like to start off their meditation sessions by sitting in what is known as "Sitting Meditation" or "Zazen". In this form of meditation, you are required to sit comfortably on a pillow with your legs crossed together.
It would be the best to find a place where you feel completely comfortable. If it is too cold, turn up the heat in your room. If it's too hot, open your window.
Sit comfortably with a straight spine.
If you are not used to sitting cross legged, it may take a while for your legs and spine muscles to get used to this new position. As you practice more, you will eventually get better at finding that perfect balance of "enjoyable" yet "comfortable".
Create an environment where you focus on one thing only: yourself.
This is the purpose of all meditation techniques – to focus on only one thing and doing so without distractions. In other words, the purpose of meditation is to focus on yourself only.
Let your mind wander with every breath.
As you start off your meditation session, it will be natural for your mind to wander away from the process of breathing. This doesn't make a difference because that is what meditation is all about – being able to come back to your center even if you are not in control of everything around you and even if you feel overwhelmed by it all.
If your mind starts to wander, just gently bring it back to the focus of your breath. You don't need to be restless and anxious about it. Just let your mind wander a bit and then gently bring it back.
When you find yourself getting distracted, just calmly bring your focus back again. This is not something that your mind can solve all on its own. You need to be patient with yourself and allow everything to unfold naturally during the course of meditation.
Being able to return to where you started will come with practice – something that you can learn and experience on a daily basis in the first several months of any new practice.
Conclusion
All in all, meditation is a great stress buster and mood enhancer because when you start to practice regularly, it can be life-changing. In the end, meditation will change the way you look at the world. You will then see things from a different perspective and everything in your life will become meaningful. It certainly won't happen over night, but as you continue with your daily routine of meditation practice – everything will slowly start to fall into place.
Be patient with yourself and always keep in mind that it's a process that takes time .