When you think of meditation, you may picture Tibetan monks high on a mountaintop or a guru in an uncomfortable pretzel position on the floor. The truth is you don’t have to be a monk or an expert to meditate. There are many types of meditations and this article will help to explain them. Learn about meditation for beginners and how this practice can help improve your health.
What is Meditation?
During our everyday lives, our brains are often filled with thousands of thoughts that cause physical reactions in the body. Meditation is the practice of quieting the mind and easing the body into a calm, relaxed state. This can be achieved through deep breathing, gazing at an object, reciting mantras for meditation or watching a guided meditation DVD.
Is Meditation Religious?
Though meditation has been integrated into many religious practices, the act of meditation itself is not a religious act.
Health Benefits of Meditation
Considering the hectic pace of our everyday lives, stress can take a huge toll on our health. Stress is the number one reason for doctors’ visits in the United States and can cause everything from headaches to stomach disorders to heart attacks. The practice of meditation helps calm and center the mind so muscles relax, digestion eases and blood pressure lowers naturally.
Meditation for Beginners
If you’re brand new to meditation, here is a very easy way to get started:
Find a quiet room where you will not be disturbed. Turn the lights down low, sit in a comfortable chair with your hands on your lap, palms facing upward. Close your eyes and take several slow deep breaths. Then, allow your breathing to slow and focus only on the feeling of the air flowing in and out of your nostrils. It’s normal for your attention to wander quite a bit. When it does, just bring it gently back to your breathing.
This is one of the easiest ways to begin a meditation practice. Another effective way to begin meditating is to use a guided meditation DVD or CD. This way, you can close your eyes and let the instructor’s voice guide you into a calm, relaxing place that will help block the distractions of your mind.
Other Types of Meditation
Mantra Meditations
The mind is difficult to quiet when you’re new to meditation. This is why many people who meditate choose to use mantras. Mantras are words or phrases spoken aloud or internally that focus the mind of the meditator and helps him achieve a deeper state of relaxation.
Pyramid Meditations
When one meditates inside or beneath a pyramid, it is called pyramid meditation. Pyramid meditation is good for beginners because it focuses energy and helps put the meditator into a more physically relaxed state. This type of meditation has also been known to induce healing and out-of-body experiences. To experience pyramid meditation for yourself, purchase or build a pyramid to sit inside of or suspend a pyramid over your head during meditation.
Meditation has many health benefits and is easier than you think. Though it has been used in religious practice, it has no religious affiliations. Beginners to meditation may enjoy using a guided meditation DVD, meditation mantras or pyramid meditations.