Meditation – set yourself a challenge

Meditation refers to a state where your body and mind are consciously relaxed and focused. Practitioners of meditation often experience increased awareness, focus, and concentration, as well as a more positive outlook in life. Meditation is most commonly associated with monks, mystics and other spiritual disciplines. But you don’t have to be a monk or mystic to enjoy its benefits and you certainly don’t have to be in a special place to practice it.

To get the full benefits of meditation it should be practiced daily. So the best way to integrate a meditation routine in your life is to get used to meditating in the same spot each day. Whether its in your own living room, bedroom or a spare seat any will do.

There are many different approaches to meditation yet the fundamental principles all remain the same. The most valuable step is to start removing obstructive, negative, and wandering thoughts from your mind. Calming the mind with a deep sense of focus, whether that is through a visualisation, mantra or another tool. This helps to clear the mind of debris and prepares it for a higher quality of activity.

The negative thoughts you have – those of anger, jealousy, that parking ticket you got, and unwanted spam– are said to cause the mind to get congested with negative thought patterns. You need to let go of these thoughts and free up some space for the positive and constructive thoughts. Some practitioners even shut out all sensory input – no sights, no sounds, and nothing to touch – and try to detach themselves from the commotion around them.

The process of starting to meditate can seem quite difficult at the start, but it is like a muscle that responds quickly to being used. So once you have mastered being quiet and repeatedly bringing your wandering thoughts back to centre again you can then move onto deeper meditations and tools.

Once you have been able to clear your mind you may want to start focusing within, on a deep feeling of oneness or beingness, simply allow your mind to take you wherever you need to go or follow a guided meditation.

Silence helps most people relax and meditate, so you may want a quiet, isolated area far from the ringing of the phone or the humming of the washing machine. Pleasant scents or relaxing music can also help to relax you if you find this useful.
Focusing on repeated actions such as breathing, and humming can help you to enter a higher state of consciousness. The principle here is focus and relaxation. You could also try focusing on a certain object or thought, or even, while keeping your eyes open, focus on a single sight.

One sample routine would be to – while in a meditative state – silently name every part of your body and focusing your consciousness on that part. While doing this you should be aware of any tension on any part of your body. Mentally visualize releasing this tension. It can leave you feeling light and very relaxed.

Studies have shown that meditation does bring about beneficial physiologic effects to the body, it also refuels our mind and body and can take as little as 10 mins per day.

So why not give it a go and sign yourself up to a 21 day Meditation challenge?

If you’re interested let me know and I will put one together!

With love

Helene