My mom kept urging me to try out a meditation tape, in hopes that it would help ease my anxiety, but I had a preconceived fear that it was going to fail—just like the rest of the coping skills I had tried. I eventually did try it, however, and I still remember the moment I decided. In my quiet bedroom, I turned the meditation DVD on and just listened to the directions while I closed my eyes. The next thing I knew, the man’s voice guided me to open my eyes.
I couldn’t believe the results: I felt calmer and more peaceful than I had in a very long time. Many people can find a comfortable—if not "traditional"—meditation place that works perfectly for them, whether it be their home, car, or work. Meditation is not governed by a set of rules, but more specifically, a set of beliefs. And no, you do not have to be a pretzel-bending yogi to have a successful and empowering meditation practice. To keep it realistic, not everyone will have these results immediately. Some people may not even believe that meditation can help you find a peaceful place. From my personal experience, however, I will say that it requires making the practice a habit—not just a one-time thing. Taking up a meditation practice can be daunting, so here are four practical recommendations to help make your meditation practice a successful habit. 1. Start Early Put on a five minute YouTube video or other recording as soon as you wake up. Your phone is probably sitting right there, so instead of checking Instagram, grab some earbuds and make your way to meditation land. This will help start your day out from a peaceful and grounded place. 2. Set the Mood Light a candle or some incense. Put on some soothing music. These simple actions will makes you feel somewhat peaceful, and it can certainly set the mood for a meditative state. 3. Let It Flow Do not worry about having other thoughts, and don't try to empty your mind. It is entirely normal to have many thoughts while you are meditating—that is fine! Do not have a mindset that you are taking nothing from it if you can't slow your thought stream—just allow the thoughts to come in and go as they please. Eventually, with practice, they will settle. 4. Stretch When you've finished meditating, take a long stretch at the end. Stretching your muscles allows you to loosen up and get the blood and breath flowing again. Stretching is a great way to end the practice and start your day. While stretching, bring to mind something that you are grateful for and keep in the back of your mind for the day. Let that thought be your anchor to your meditation, and to your peace. 5. Chant If your mind is overly active or if you have a hard time focusing and concentrating, you can experiment with chanting a Sanskrit mantra. Mantras are sacred sounds that captivate the mind and make meditation easeful. Mantras also are a great way to set and link your intentions and goals with your meditation practice. You can use a set of meditation mala beads to help you count the mantras in sets of 108.
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This is an excellent meditation to follow if you’re stuck in an awareness that’s too overly focused on yourself and your thoughts. You might be feeling stressed, frustrated, confused, or just downright agitated because your state of consciousness is narrow and restricted. Typically, when we’re in a less than a blissful state of being, we’re overly focused on ourselves. Perhaps we’re wholly fixated on a particular drama that’s going on in our lives and going round and round in circles trying to fix it or make it somehow better. If you’re caught up in this kind of mental state, it’s always a good idea to get out of it—remember, you can’t fix a problem from the same level of awareness from which it came.
That said, take a moment to get comfortable and find a meditation seat. Close your eyes and begin to focus your attention solely on the breath. As you breathe deeply, become very still, drawing your focus inward. Now, take a moment to consider what it feels like to be you, experiencing the particular drama or life situation that’s got you “hooked,” as Pema Chodron would say. Whatever it is you’re experiencing in this moment, bring it into your body and into your awareness. How does it feel? You might even want to exaggerate these feelings a bit, to make them big and clear within your state of consciousness. Even if it feels icky and sticky, take a moment to feel into it, with all your senses. Allow yourself to feel totally and entirely constricted by your mind stuff. Now, bring your attention back to your breath and use your inhalations and exhalations to begin to release all that constricted tension gradually. Just begin to let it all go. As you do this, notice how your body starts to relax. Perhaps your shoulders fall down from your ears, and your face begins to soften. Just allow your body to continue relaxing and releasing the stress and tension that’s there. As you do this, start to notice the environment around you. Notice the space that surrounds your being. In other words, slowly begin to move your awareness outward. Connect yourself to the room or space in which you’re meditating. Allow your exhalations to lengthen a bit, as you continue to expand your awareness outward, bringing it to the space outside—to the elements of nature around you. Think about the entire continent upon which you’re sitting. Can you bring into your mind’s eye all the living beings going about their daily business, with all their struggles and all their happiness and everything in between? Continue to expand your awareness outward to the many continents beyond this one. Think about the planet and all its sentient beings. Imagine what it might be like to walk in their shoes for a moment – rather than your own. See if you can connect to all of them, as you continue to breathe deeply. Offer everyone and everything inner peace and unconditional love. Breathe deeply as you offer this love and feel it is given back to you.
I was first attracted to mala beads because I thought they were beautiful and super adorable! After using and wearing mala beads for a while, I found out that they can enable me to adapt to the pressures and stress I had in my everyday life. Seeing how powerful mala beads are, I don't understand how these beads aren't better known. They have the ability to help with prayer, meditation, mindfulness, as well as stress and anxiety relief. From my research and explorations into mala beads I've put together a little guide for where mala beads originated from, how they were initially used and how you can use them into your everyday life today.
What are mala beads? A Japa mala (also known as mala beads, prayer beads, Buddha beads, Buddhist rosary, mantra beads or yoga beads) alludes to chanting beads utilized in the meditation practices of both Buddhism and Hinduism. Recitations of prayers, mantras and affirmations are tallied bead by bead on a Mala. Buddhist and Hindu malas usually have 108 counting beads, but a mala bracelet will only have 18 or 27 counting beads. The use of mala beads began over a thousand years prior and was first utilized by Buddhist priests amid their prayer and meditation time. Each series of beads comprises of 108 beads that are separated in 4 areas of 27 beads. You can see that each area of 27 beads is isolated by a bead of an alternate color or type of material. Best of all, you can likewise purchase littler mala beads with just 27 beads on them! These are an awesome thought on the off chance that you are next beginning with meditation or in the event that you need to enable your more youthful kids to start some simple meditation methods. For priests, each bead was utilized to invoke a prayer or to chant a sacred Sanskrit mantra. Today malas can be utilized in the same way using common meditation mantras. Some of the most common intentions for mala beads are as follows: healing fertility love prosperity anxiety help protection abundance wealth confidence creativity patience courage depression help focus grounding happiness letting go protection self-love weight loss Mala beads can be made of any material, however, they are customarily made from Rudraksha, lotus seeds, yak bone, Bodhi seeds, or wood. Semi-precious gemstones are also used in malas, which come with their own healing properties. Where you can find mala beads? You can find a wide assortment of mala beads in many different places. Locally, a new age shop or yoga studio might carry them. For online shopping, Amazon is my go-to source for malas. Unfortunately these malas are often cheaply made and break easily. You can also find an enormous assortment of mala bead creators on Etsy. These are very small shops that have a limited number of designs so it may be frustrating to find what you want. On the off chance that you yourself are helpful with making, at that point gathering some of these beads and modifying them to your loving is effortlessly done too. Me, I lean toward mine to remain in one piece and maintain a strategic distance from the cussing that joins making when I attempt. Here is a video on how to make your own mala beads: |
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