a 360° view of Meditation

Introduction to Meditation

Meditation has a long history in the religious practices of Budhism and Hinduism, but has only recently achieved widespread adoption in the West as a way to invoke the body's natural relaxation response. Meditation also is a powerful stress reliever that can be harnessed to help achieve a state of relaxation, and to control stress in your life.

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation is particularly effective at relieving stress, anxiety, depression, and other negative emotions. The goal of mindfulness meditation is to experience and focus on the present, without concerning yourself about the past or future consequences. You engage in the present without analyzing the experience, by concentrating on your thoughts, emotions, sensations, and your surroundings. The challenge is not to be bored and allow your mind to wander, and not to be distracted by any one of the sensations or thoughts you experience.

Over time, you should become aware of your emotions without reacting to them. Mindfulness techniques include:

• Body scan
• Waling meditation
• Mindful eating

You can use mindfulness meditation in the middle of a hectic day, for example, while sitting at a traffic light. Many people find it best to devote a regular time to this meditation, and adopt a traditional meditation pose in a quiet room free of distractions.

Transcendental meditation

In transcendental meditation, the practitioner sits in a meditation pose, closes the eyes, and repeats a mantra silently. A verbal mantra is a word or phrase that means something to you that represents a goal that you will attain, and that you can repeat over and over again. It should be a positive affirmation of a state that you wish to be true.

The classic mantra is "OM" , but you can also choose another word for your mantra - such as "calm", "peace", or "love." Some people choose more focused goals for their mantra, such as "the promotion is mine" or "I have a strong and faithful marriage" ›› Read more