Meditation is frequently misunderstood by many individuals. Some assume it to be mystical or inherently tied to religion, but these assumptions are untrue. There are various forms of meditation, such as transcendental, mindfulness, and religious meditation. However, they all share one common aspect: the deliberate focus of attention inward. Whether it involves reflecting on thoughts, praying, or simply sitting silently to clear the mind, meditation entails consciously taking charge of one's thoughts and attempting to prevent them from wandering. This practice has a profound impact on one's ability to remain calm in stressful situations, control the nature of thoughts, and counteract the detrimental effects of stress.
Scientific studies reveal that meditation can enhance the regions of the brain that are harmed by stress, increasing both grey matter and whole-brain connectivity. Furthermore, it can improve areas of the brain associated with motivation, attention, and willpower. Astonishingly, research demonstrates that remarkable positive changes, particularly in grey matter restoration, can be observed in just eight weeks.
Individuals who incorporate meditation into their routines often report feeling more serene, content, and at peace throughout the day. This results in an improved mood, heightened focus, and overall enhancement in cognitive function and productivity.
Consequently, meditation serves as an ideal remedy for stress, reversing much of the damage it causes. Apart from providing a respite from the constant stress of daily life and the accompanying racing thoughts, meditation teaches individuals to take control of their racing thoughts and set them aside at will.
How to Get Started With Meditation
The next question is how can you get started with meditation? Do you need to attend a class? Do you need to be a Buddhist monk?
Fortunately, meditation is actually pretty simple and this is what ends up making it hard even in some cases. A lot of people who first try meditation feel that it is too simple and thus assume they must be doing something wrong!
The easiest way to get started if you’re a complete beginner, is to try guided meditation. Guided meditation means using a pre-recorded script that will talk you through everything you need to be doing at any given stage. Essentially, this works to help direct your attention and show you what you need to be reflecting on or paying attention to at any given time.
To start with, you will sit somewhere comfortable and close your eyes. Set a timer for 10 minutes, or however long you have until you need to be doing other things. While you should be comfortable, you shouldn’t be too reclined or generally put yourself in danger of falling asleep!
The next thing to do, is to bring your attention to the sounds and the world around you. This means just listening to the sounds and noticing what you can hear. This is an interesting exercise in and of itself: if you actually stop to listen you’ll be able to pick up on a lot more information than you were probably previously aware of.
Don’t strain to listen but instead just let the sounds come to you – whether those be barks from dogs next door, the sound of birds or perhaps chatter from someone in another building that you can hear through the walls.
After you have done this for a little while, the next step is to bring your attention in to yourself and to notice how your body feels. This means noticing the way that your weight is distributed on your buttocks. Is it evenly distributed? Are you leaning slightly to one side? Likewise, try to notice the air against your skin, the temperature, any aches and pains etc.
