Relaxation: How To Meditate
By Sara Jamison
Feeling stressful lately? Hasn't everyone! With the holidays around the corner, homework on the rise, and trying to make time for friends, your life can feel a little scrunched. But here's a solution: mediation.
Meditation can be spiritual or just a relaxation method. It clears the mind, helps one find the solution to all their problems, and can improve your energy levels and thinking strategies. Many find that after a couple of weeks after starting meditation techniques, they're happier, less stressful, and can easily solve arising problems. Really neat when you think about it. All of us would like to feel happier and have life seem a little more easier. Wouldn't you?
So, in this article, I am going to share a couple techniques with you, to help you learn some simple forms of meditation.
There are tons of different ways to practice meditation, and a person can "advance" with more difficult practices as they progress.
Of all the website and articles I've read, the main start-up point of meditation is to learn how to relax, think of nothing (or focus on a single problem), and most importantly of all, breathing. The way you breath helps you relax, and it's easy for a person to concentrate on breathing and breathing alone. Basically, you sit in a comfortable position, in a quiet room (or with some meditative CD on, such as the rain tapes, forest, etc.) and concentrate on your breathing. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. Try and hold your breath for a couple of seconds, then slowly release. Breathing alone can bring you to a restful state, and even if you just breathe for about 5-10 minutes, after you slowly awaken from your rest and get into the groove of things, you feel refreshed, kind of like you took a little cat nap. Nice feeling it is.
From a friend, I also learned another way to relax. What you do is lay flat on your back, and slowly breathe. Then you're supposed to relax your entire body, slowly, from the bottom of your feet to your head. Start from the bottom and work your way up. Tense your toes as tight as you can for five seconds, then release. Breathe in and out a couple of times, then tense your entire foot. Hold for five seconds, then release. Continue doing this, from your ankle, bottom leg, knee, etc until you've reached your shoulders. Then breathe in and out and take a few minutes to focus on how relaxed your whole body feels. Then slowly awaken and arise from your rest. Feel refreshed? I do!
Now I'm not sharing this with you as a "pro" at meditation. I've just started doing it and have yet to notice much of a dramatic change, but the results come in time. There are a ton of sites out there to help you learn more about this intriguing relaxation technique.
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About the Author:
Sara Jamison may be contacted by email at sarajamison@hotmail.com.
Article courtesy of www.suite101.com.
