A lot of people view meditation as some sort of hippie dippie practice that doesn’t accomplish anything. For many people, they have a hard time separating the idea of meditation from the mental image of sitting cross legged on a yoga mat, chanting “ohm” and trying to clear your mind to a blank state. This can be an effective form of meditation for many people, but it’s far from being the only type of meditation there is. If you’ve been interested in meditating but aren’t sure where or how to start, here are a few of our favorite ways to meditate.
Transcendental Meditation
The goal of transcendental meditation is to reach of a state of enlightenment. It’s in search of finding inner calmness, a more quiet state, and the ability to not feel the stress of your busy schedule. In the traditional Hindu practice, you would sit with your legs crossed, and focus on rising above the negativity. For a more effective time with transcendental meditation, it is recommended that you have guidance to learn how to practice and be most effective.
Guided Visualization
Guided visualization is a technique that can be used to achieve spiritual healing, stress relief, and personal development. The inspiration for this somewhat newer form of meditation comes from Buddha, “The mind is everything. What you think you become”. What makes this form of meditation so successful is the practice of focusing on one specific goal, and defining it. Sit, and imagine relaxing and positive experiences. This will cause your body to release chemicals that generate positivity. You can do this in a casual setting, or you can also do a guided visualization to make it more effective.
Yoga
Yoga is an effective form of meditation that causes you to use your entire body. A lot of people find that by focusing on pushing your energy into different limbs of your body as you move through a yoga flow, you are able to move negative energy out, while welcoming positive energy in. Yoga helps alleviate stress and anxiety, as well as helps you remain physically healthy, and clears your mind. As you practice yoga, try to think mindfully, rather than letting your mind wander.
Mindfulness
Another form of meditation with roots in Buddhism, is mindfulness. Focusing on becoming mindful is essential to overcoming your suffering and understanding your natural wisdom. In simple terms, it is all about acknowledging reality, accepting the thoughts that come to you, and understanding the present. Sit down with your legs crossed, close your eyes, straighten your back, and focus on breathing in and out. Thoughts may come back, but after they have come up, return your focus back to your breathing.
Exercise
Although a less conventional form of meditation, exercise can be a very effective form of meditation for a lot of people. It’s a natural opportunity to connect your physical well being with your mental state and wellbeing. During exercise, you have to be conscious of your breathing, and it’s a great opportunity for retrospection and mindfulness. Some people go into their workout with a specific issue or problem that they want to think over and resolve as they workout. The music that you listen to during your workout can have a big effect on how effective your meditative state is.
Affirmations
Similar to mindfulness, doing affirmations is a casual way of meditating and trying to set the mood for both your day, and your life, while focusing on specific goals and tasks you hope to accomplish. To do affirmations, sit down with your legs crossed, and spend a few minutes focusing on your breathing. Breathe in and breathe out, being conscious of that and being mindful, rejecting thoughts that enter your mind. Once you’ve become mindful, vocalize affirmations. These can be affirmations about your financial situation, your work life, or personal life. The idea behind this is to put out into the universe what goals you have, and the universe will deliver them to you. You have to phrase these affirmations as if they are currently true, even if they aren’t yet, in order to make them most effective.
Guest Post by Aurora McCausland
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