When you are not doing anything at all – bodily, mentally, on no level – when all activity has ceased and you simply are, just being, that’s what meditation is. You cannot do it, you cannot practice it; you have only to understand it.
– Osho
When you hear the word ‘meditation’ how does it make you feel?
Do you think “Yay, Zen man!!!” or do you go into “arrrggh! I can’t meditate. I can’t clear my mind, my brain is to busy…”
Meditating isn’t as challenging as it seems. In fact, most of us have dabbled (possibly without knowing it) in meditation in some way, shape or form. Anytime you have participated in some form of conscious relaxation, maybe during an exercise class, soaking in a bath with your eyes closed or deep breathing to calm down when you feel stressed, you have taken yourself into the mediative state. A meditation practice is about achieving these moments of peace and calm for longer periods of time.
So, what is meditation?
Meditation is a set of techniques that promote a heightened state of awareness and to focus our attention. By becoming aware of our deepest thoughts and feelings we can develop clarity around who we are and develop more positive ways of being and thinking.
With a regular practice you can experience:
- Deep relaxation
- Improved concentration
- Greater Self-discipline
- Improved well-being
- Increased energy
- Lower blood pressure
- A decrease in stress related diseases
- Relief in physical fatigue
- Improved ability to listen
How to get started…
The simplest way of beginning a meditation practice is to pay attention to our breath. When we purposely focus on our breathing it takes our minds away from the “mind clutter” that constantly occupies our minds and stops us from finding a place of calm.
One of my favourite breathing practices is Rhythmic Breathing:
The exercise will help to relax you and cleanse the lungs.
- Start by sitting up straight, chest, neck and head in a straight line, shoulders slightly back, hands resting easily on the lap.
- Take a slow, complete inhale through the nostrils to a count of six.
- Hold the breath for a count of three.
- Then exhale slowly through the nostrils to a count of six
- Then complete another count of three before you take your next inhale.
If you are a beginner, try this technique for five rounds of breath. As you get used to the breathing you can increase the number of rounds. If you feel any discomfort or difficulty stop and try again another time. If you find the six counts on the inhale and exhale to long then reduce it to four counts, increasing the length of the breath overtime. It is more important to reach a consistent rhythm than it is to increase the length of the breath.
Diagram showing Rhythmic Breathing
With time and commitment to a meditation practice, (daily if you can), you may experience “leaving the moment.” A feeling of separation exists where the mind is clear, clean and blank, resulting in peace, serenity, and calmness, eventually opening you to new insights. You will still hear sounds around you, but they will not interfere with your meditation.
Meditation in Face Yoga…
When we use meditation in a face yoga practice you release tension in the face. Relaxing the facial muscles helps to reduce and prevent deep set lines and wrinkles that are caused by stress, frowning, squinting, and grimacing.
If you would like to learn more about face yoga and meditation, I would love to invite you to join my Facebook group “The Glow Club”.
