The Basics
Meditation is the practice of breathing, of being mindful and being present all to make your mind and your body feel re-balanced and in a state of bliss. If you ever saw someone who has just finished meditating or coming out of a yoga class, they may have the same relaxed look on their face as if they had just gotten a massage! Those people look so Zen at that moment that they look like they are stress free all the time. And perhaps they are, because people who meditate as a daily or weekly practice often lead a healthy lifestyle due to the awareness that one can gain from meditation.
Find the meditation that is right for you
There are many different types of meditation therefore, it’s important you find the right one for you because we are not all the same. Find the one that speaks to you and see if you think you can implement it in your routine. Guided meditation, mindful meditation, chakra meditation and yoga as a form of meditation will be the ones we focus on.
Guided meditation is where one is being spoken to during the meditation, often by a teacher, life coach or yoga instructor. The guide helps you from the first breath to the last breath and what to focus on in between. Following a guide can help you slow down your thoughts, after all, one of the goals of meditation is to quiet the mind. You can allow yourself just to listen and follow along as you achieve a state of balance.
Guided meditation is often best for beginners because when you are first starting to meditate you may not know how to control all your thoughts and how to breathe yet. After following guided meditations for a while, one can practice mindful meditation, which is often done internally within each individual. Mindful meditation brings you on a journey to connect to your own breath, control your own thoughts and scan your own body. This tells you where to focus on in order to heal. Whether it is to heal from a trauma or to heal from the stress of the day, it is a meditation that can be practiced by anyone anywhere.
Mindful meditation is like chakra meditation and yoga meditation because they also control the mind and breath while scanning the body. If any chakras feel out of balance, the meditation can pause on the chakra in question and time is spent sending breath to the area. If a yoga pose is found to be difficult, it is often best to stay in the pose at level where breathing is comfortable and eventually makes it easier to hold.
Breath is the best tool to support any meditation practice, but it is only one of the things to focus on during this moment of Zen.
What to focus on during meditation
If you have read any of my other articles like "...and Breathe!" or my other emails, you may know by now that I believe breathing well can bring a sense of calm and clarity to any situation. So it is no surprise when I say that breath is one of the main things to focus on during meditation. The best way to ensure that you keep your attention on your breath, in my experience, is to make it audible, meaning you should be able to hear every inhale and every exhale you take. Especially when practicing yoga, moving the body during an inhale or during an exhale in turn makes each pose becomes more fluid.
The next thing to direct your focus on during meditation would be your body. During yoga, body scanning is often used to increase the awareness of the position the person is in. Body scanning can also be done during a chakra meditation, most often done lying down or seated. The goal of body scanning is to check our posture, the alignment of our structures and our energies and get them back to center.
Another aspect to focus on during meditation is gratitude. Focusing on what we are thankful for and how abundant we truly are in this moment can help anyone become more grounded and more present because gratitude shows us that what we have right now is enough. Right now, is the moment, the only moment, and that is true for every other moment. Taking a moment to lie down and breathe and just focus on all the good aspects in your life can help achieve the same calmness as a full mindful meditation.
Lastly, one of my favorite tools during a meditation is the use of a mantra. A mantra is a word or saying to focus on while breathing for a dedicated number of minutes. The word or the sentence can be used to help you have a good day, achieve a goal, release the stress of your day or to help you fall asleep. Choose a mantra that is right for you, such as “Stay in the present moment” or “I Am that I Am”. Or choose one word that is best for you, such as “Patience” or “Breathe”. That's right, if you can’t focus on breathing, then it is perfectly fine to just tell yourself to breathe and it will happen. For more mantras, click HERE.
Incorporate meditation into your life… Starting Now!
I understand that meditation is not so easy for many of us. It is not easy for everyone to find time to lie down and focus on your own breath without thinking about all the things on your To Do List. That is why I often use the word practice, because it is a practice. And just like anything else in life, the only way to get better at something is to practice. The more time you put in, the better you will become.
After reading this, if you think that guided meditation is best for you, I’ve got you covered!
Watch the videos below or go to my YouTube Channel and watch the meditation of your choice for FREE with ME as your guide! I have created a 5-Minute Morning Meditation to start your day and a 5-Minute Bedtime Meditation to help you wind down.
When you are ready to meditate, remember to sit in a quiet, uninterrupted area and get comfortable. You may also choose to wear headphones to help cancel out more noise. Then go to the video, settle into your body and push play. You are on your way to a better day, a better night and a better way of being.