We might force ourselves to do a ton of physical work but many of us give up on trying to make our minds think a certain way. That complex our minds can be. We wish it does what it’s told but it always has a completely different plan. One part of the brain says something and the very next second the other part of it contradicts it. It acts as though it has a life of its own. Monkey mind, I say.
Listen up, monkey mind, you work for me. Not otherwise.
Anyway, nevertheless how complex it can be, we figured out a way to tame that wild horse. But it’s not easy, for sure. We call it ‘Meditation’.
Though we all acknowledge the awesomeness of meditation most of us fail to reap the benefits of it. For that, I have a few pointers to give you to meditate properly.
Let’s dive into it right away.
How to Meditate Properly
1. Stop trying too hard
While meditating the most common mistake anyone can do is trying too hard – To control your thoughts. The mind is supposed to think and you shouldn’t block its flow. You just have to regulate those thoughts so they cannot overwhelm you.
So next time when you are meditating remember to just observe your thoughts flow freely. And when you want to focus on one thing, gently bring your focus back to that. Never ever fight your mind for wandering away. Be patient with it.
2. Get comfortable
I lay down on my bed when I meditate. Because that’s my comfort. You don’t necessarily have to sit cross-legged on the floor. Just find a comfortable position and get meditating. Laying down or sitting up, on the bed or on the ground, eyes closed or open, however you feel comfortable.
3. Visualize
There’s no such thing as ‘one size fits all’. Depending on you and your mood, your technique changes. Some can easily focus with just breathing in and out while some others find it better with visualization.
4. Practice
Never underestimate the power of practice. Even if you are born with some talent, you still need to practice it. Practice and persistence always overweigh talent.
I’ve been practicing meditation for a while now and now when I close my eyes I’m able to immediately bring all my focus to one place. I had no idea I could be able to do that someday but here I am, effortlessly focussing. Though I’m not totally quite there yet, it changes day-to-day, I can definitely see some great changes. Some days it’s easier and some days, not so much. So I’m very much looking forward to seeing the changes it’s gonna bring in thought patterns.
5. Ambience
Do you meditate in a cluttered room? If it happens to be so, stop doing that. You are meditating to open up to the new world within and if not even your room is open enough, how are you gonna achieve that? Always meditate in an open and clean space. It gives off a positive vibe that you could use in your meditation.
Not long ago, I watched a documentary on Netflix about meditation and it’s been really helpful. I’ve been re-watching it whenever I feel like and it is one of the best guides I’ve seen on meditation. It’s called ‘Headspace guide to meditation’.
If you have not watched that, I seriously suggest you do.
So that’s about it. I hope you found my experiences helpful. This is the way I learned to meditate properly, leave a comment to let me know which of these pointers seem good to you, and I’ll see you soon again.
Love,
Nikki.
(Penname: Sarvani)
Thank you for your time!