Introduction to Meditation

Introduction to Meditation
Summary:
But it shouldn't be so. Every one of us needs to slow down a little from time to time and be calm. Otherwise, stress will build up and will affect how we deal with the people around us, not only in the workplace but also at home.
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Article Body:
Today we live in a fast-paced world. Things happen so quickly that more often that not, we do not have the chance to react to the things thrown at us. We somehow lose the ability to think things over in favor of lightning-quick decisions.
But it shouldn't be so. Every one of us needs to slow down a little from time to time and be calm. Otherwise, stress will build up and will affect how we deal with the people around us, not only in the workplace but also at home.
The practice of meditation is a way for us to be still for a while and let our minds become focused until we become calm enough to deal with the daily pressures of life.
Some may think that meditation is a completely religious practice. While it is true that a lot of religions, especially Eastern ones, take meditation as an integral part of their practice, it is not necessarily the case. In fact, more and more people who aren't necessarily religious get into meditation.
People practice meditation for a variety of reasons. While we already mentioned that it helps us become still in this fast-paced world, other people meditate for health reasons and to attain a higher state of consciousness, among others.
So if you think that life is stressing you out, it's probably time for you to slow things down a little bit. Your mind is probably too distracted with so many things to consider and to think about. Meditation can help you calm down and let you be stress and worry-free.
Meditation to Improve Concentration
Today, there are a lot of things that help in keeping us entertained. In the internet alone, there are a multitude of websites that do such that like video sharing sites, gaming sites and other websites which cater to our interests.
While there is nothing wrong with entertaining ourselves, a problem arises with our constant need for distractions. Because of that, it becomes difficult for us to focus on one thing.
We do not need to take extreme measures to help us focus. There are practices which can do the job for us. It includes the practice of meditation.
People take up meditation for different purposes and improving concentration is one of them. There are several methods by which meditation does its job.
One is through breathing exercises. Even an exercise that is as simple as being aware of the times we inhale and exhale can do wonders to our ability to concentrate.
While it may sound easy, it can be quite difficult especially if one has to deal with distractions such as outside noise.
Another method is by reciting a mantra. A mantra is a phrase or a sound that is recited repeatedly. For Catholics, praying the rosary is a form of a mantra.
The repetition becomes the center of the meditation to which the person's attention becomes focused.
There are other more methods by which meditation can help improve concentration. However, the two mentioned above are the most basic and could help beginners start out with the practice.
Breathing and Meditation
Breathing is an integral part of meditation. Proper breathing is required in many practices of meditation and is therefore an important tool to be possessed by people who wish to perform this activity.
The practice of proper breathing while meditating helps a person relax while doing the exercise. Proper breathing is achieved by inhaling through the nose, letting the diaphragm (not the chest) expand and exhaling through the mouth.
Doing this slows down a person's heart rate which leads to a relaxed mood.
Breathing also plays a significant role when a person aims to improve his/her concentration. This is done by focusing the mind on the act of taking in air and feeling it pass through the nostrils until the air is finally exhaled through the mouth.
While this may sound easy, it can be quite challenging when done for the first time.
Then there's the method for increasing a person's awareness. Just like the concentration technique mentioned above, it involves putting one's attention to his/her breathing.
But instead of focusing on the act of inhaling and exhaling air, it is the sensation of breathing where the person trains his/her thoughts. The feeling of the air passing through the nose, filling the lungs and expanding the diaphragm is the sensation that a person should look for.
It helps him/her feel how it is to be truly alive.
This article has shown how important breathing is in the practice of meditation. It is no wonder, therefore, that the two are inseparable activities that a student of meditation should learn.
Meditation and Dealing with Fear and Phobia
Every person has a phobia of certain things, be it of heights or speaking in front of people. While most people overcome their fears, some are crippled by it. This therefore prevents them from doing things that they would otherwise find enjoyable.
Meditation is one way for people trapped by their phobias to finally get out of their shell and start living the full life.
A definition of fear is that it is the anxiety caused by a perceived danger. It is the state of mind by which a person foresees something wrong happening either to him/her or the people around him/her.
Meditation helps in overcoming a person's fear by altering his/her state of mind. There are several ways by which this practice can help people achieve this.
One such way is called mindfulness meditation. By training the person to live in the now, his/her attention is veered away from the future where that person perceives the danger. Besides, it is only a mere perception and such event may or may not actually happen.
Visualization can also help a person cope with fear by making the person imagine what he/she will do in case the perceived danger comes. By being mentally prepared for such an event, the person will be able to deal with the future situation better.
Again, fear is a mere state of mind. Facing it, therefore, needs some alteration in the person's perception of what may or may not happen. It can be achieved by the practice of meditation.
Meditation and Pain
Anyone who has heard of the expression about the power of mind over matter will easily understand the benefit of meditation on people suffering from different forms of physical pain.
This article will deal with several methods by which meditation can help in alleviating a person's condition.
Concentration techniques in meditation can help in easing a person's suffering by keeping his/her mind away from the source of the pain. Usually, the pain is magnified because people choose to focus on it.
If their attention is trained somewhere else, the pain becomes more manageable.
Another method is called mindfulness meditation. This involves being aware of one's present condition and accepting it as such. If a person accepts that he/she is currently in pain, dealing with it would be much easier.
Then there's visualization. It could be considered as a form of self-hypnosis. It is done by creating an image of the pain and imagining it moving away from the body.
As suggested by these methods, they do not actually take away pain from the person. Rather, they make dealing with the pain much easier.
This is also the reason why methods like those mentioned should be coupled with the proper medical advice. In fact, consulting one's doctor is advised before even trying the meditation exercises out.
Otherwise, there will be a risk of overlooking more serious conditions that could be causing the pain. Along with the proper medical advice, meditation can help improve a person's tolerance for pain.