Are you a rookie at meditating or just getting started with this game-changing technique?
Well, either way, you are lucky because I've got you!
We hear the wonders of meditation left and right, all the time. Some people incorporate guided meditation for relaxation and stress relief, while others are fond of guided meditation for sleep problems and insomnia.
Meditation is one of the most popular ways to relieve stress and resolve sleep problems. Hence, it gets widely practiced by people from all walks of life. The long-established practice of meditation comes in many forms. It gets associated with many spiritual principles and proves to be beneficial for the masses.
Meditation can be a part of your daily morning and evening regimes as it helps build resilience towards stress and acts as an impeccable de-stressor. Meditation is an incredible technique that you can use to dive beneath the superficial layers of everyday life and dig deep down in the realm of awareness and imagination. When the inevitable worries of life throw you off, and you find yourself in the depths of despair, meditation becomes your savior and light in the dark. Therefore, you should bring meditation into your life without wasting any further seconds. It not only resolves all the weight of emotional stress but also takes away your physical stress in the blink of an eye and reverses the body's physical stress response.
In this article, we will talk about:-
- What is meditation?
- What are the most common types of meditation?
- How to meditate properly?
- How can meditation help you unwind and distress?
- How can meditation assist in managing sleep problems and insomnia?
- What is the final verdict?
Continue to read on to change your life with the support of meditation by your side!
What is Meditation?
If we break it down in simpler terms, meditation is another word for awareness. When we meditate, we become aware of our thoughts and process our feelings in a better way. It is one of the best ways to help find tranquility and a sense of clarity in life when things seem to fall apart and leave us in shambles.
Meditation is a technique for resting your mind, acquiring peace, and delving into a different state of consciousness.
Meditation provides us solitude, helps us to concentrate, and brings peace to our soul. Psychologists from all around the world emphasize on regulating the thought process as our thoughts play an integral part in controlling our life. Therefore, it is crucial to organize our thoughts through meditation. All you have to do is sit in any comfortable position and keep your mind at bay from any wandering thoughts that bother the peace of your mind. A legendary personality once said,
Let go of anything that interferes with the serenity of your mind.
Meditation is a brilliant technique for calming our soul and attaining a state of consciousness that is apart from the normal waking state. It is outside the bounds of our ego and very own self. It is the name of a heavenly concept in which we surpass our ego and consciousness and enter the state of peace, calmness, and serenity. Meditation is an out of the world experience, a state of mind, where you can get all the bounties this world has to offer.
Meditation does not correlate with any religion whatsoever; it is a rather scientific technique that has consistently helped masses for centuries. Nevertheless, meditation follows a particular order, principles, and gives incredible proven results.
With the life-changing practice of meditation, your mind becomes clear, relaxed, and focused. Although you are fully awake when you are meditating, you do not let any wandering thoughts invade your peace and bring your attention back to this material world. When you enter the realm of meditation, no distracting thoughts and worries can distract you. If someone asks me to encapsulate my meditation experience in one sentence, I would surely fail, because meditation can be a varying experience for each individual, and it will be hard to confine the whole concept merely within a few words. However, if I had to describe it in one word, I would say it feels exquisitely ethereal.
What are some of the most popular meditation practices of all time?
The following are some of the most common types of meditation practices highlighted just for you!
Mindfulness meditation: Befitting to the name, this type of meditation revolves around the idea of mindfulness. It is a relatively simple and fuss-free meditation practice as you do not need any teacher or guide to walk you through the whole process of meditation. In mindfulness meditation, you entirely focus on the initial thoughts that are running through your mind and process them. Moreover, you observe them and notice any recurring or similar patterns. Additionally, you can focus on a particular thought, idea, object, or even your breathing pattern.
Spiritual Meditation: Spiritual meditation typically gets practiced in eastern cultures, specifically Hinduism and Christian faiths. It is quite similar to the religious prayers where you enter an exceptional realm of spirituality and inner awareness. Essentially, it is a way to get closer to the higher self and God. Therefore, you can achieve true happiness and taste the essence of tranquillity.
Focused Meditation: Focused meditation is a unique form of meditation as it involves any of your five senses. For instance, you can focus and target your breathing pattern while incorporating the external sources like counting beads, looking at the candlelight flame for a set time, and so on. You might find it hard to focus, specifically if you are only getting started. However, with consistent practice and determination, you will become a pro in no time!
Movement Meditation: Movement meditation is the kind of meditation you usually see everywhere on TV advertisements and movies. Even though yoga is probably the first thing that pops up in our mind when we hear about movement meditation, there are several other practices too, such as gardening, walking, hiking, or other exercises. Movement meditation is all about the flow of your thoughts, along with the motion of your body.
Transcendental Meditation: It would not be wrong if I call this the most famed, among all types of meditation. Transcendental meditation gets scientifically studied all around the world and continuously receives praise from renowned yoga practitioners and spiritual teachers and gurus. This practice is highly versatile and flexible, as you can change the mantras and affirmations according to your wishes and desires. Therefore, many people rely on this type of meditation to bring them peace and a sense of purpose.
Mantra Meditation: Mantra meditation is an eminent practice carried out in Hindu and Buddhist cultures. In this type of mediation, a repetitive sound or word gets used to focus on thoughts and let the wandering thoughts out in the first instance. Similarly, Om is a popular word that gets used typically. When you chant the same words or mantra over and over, it gets easy for you to uncover an out of the ordinary realm and experience the awareness as you get in tune with your thoughts.
How to meditate?
So you think you have had enough of celebrities claiming they cannot live without meditation and seeing yoga experts channel their body flexibility? Do not worry! You can meditate too. Here is how,
First things first, find a comfortable and quiet place to sit and settle. It can be a chair or even a bench in your favorite park. Now that you are seated, you have to fix your posture. Find a position that keeps your back straight as a stick. Listen, no more slouching, okay?
Breathe in deeply and exhale out gradually, holding your breath for as long you can. Notice the movement and pattern of your breath. Finally, try to get in tune with your thoughts, acknowledge them with compassion and kindness for yourself. Understand that all kinds of emotions are essential for a good life. Therefore, do not let negative feelings discourage you and keep going until you feel at peace. However, do note that meditation is only helpful when you are consistent with it. You cannot wake up a day after meditating and expect your worries to vanish away. With patience and integrity, the greatest of the mountains get conquered. Don't give up just yet!
Guided meditation for relaxation and stress relief:
Stress and anxiety are among the most common reasons behind all the health issues we face on a day-to-day basis. Therefore, it is essential to take part in a guided meditation for relaxation and stress relief. Stress is an inevitable part of life. Simultaneously, it is crucial to know that you cannot just shrug it off whenever you want. More so, you have to accept the negative emotions and worries rather than letting them rain on your parade. You can try looking within yourself with mindfulness and calmness. With kindness for your soul, you can not only acknowledge the worrying thoughts and emotions but also walk past them successfully. You have to realize that your thoughts and feelings do not make you whole as a person. In actuality, it is the qualities of your personality, such as your compassion, generosity, and kindness that makes you distinguishable. These are the things that determine the purity of your soul.
How to carry out guided meditation for relaxation and stress relief: Take a deep breath and feel it deep down in your belly. Feel your diaphragm rise and fall rapidly. Additionally, being present with each breath is a prerequisite. You have to realize you are in no rush to get things done. You are just staying calm and in tune with your breathing pattern. Nonetheless, worries and distractions might steal your attention for a bit but do not give in to those wandering noises, keeping the judgment aside, bring yourself back to the waves of breathings to get in tune with the raised state of awareness.
Guided meditation for sleep problems and insomnia:
We are well aware that the continuous tossing and turning in bed in hopes of catching some snooze can be a bit grueling. Specifically, when all you want to do is doze off to a heavy slumber and push the worries to the back of your mind, but you fail to do so miserably. You can try meditating right before heading off to bed for a relaxed state of mind, calmer energy, and improved quality of sleep.
How to do a guided meditation for sleep problems and insomnia:
The beauty of meditation lies in the fact that it is incredibly easy to do and does not require any equipment at all. You can calm the racing thoughts in your mind and sleep peacefully too. Here is how, Choose any quiet place. Sit or lie down comfortably to relax your jittery nerves.
Now, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Feel the way your chest rises and falls with each breath you take and notice your breathing pattern Eventually, if there is any thought or worry that pops up in your mind and invades your peace, instead of revolting against it, try to accept it. Whenever it happens, you can try to acknowledge it and then gently let it go.
Start by doing this practice 3-5 minutes before bed and then gradually increase the time of meditation as you start to get the hang of it. Remember to be patient with yourself!
What is the bottom line?
Research has repeatedly shown that meditation has helped an array of medical conditions such as high blood pressure, certain psychological disorders, and pains. Studies prove that practicing meditation consistently reduces the blood pressure significantly, regulates irritated bowel movements, and calms the crippling anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Furthermore, including guided meditation for sleep problems and insomnia works like magic. At the same time, never let the process of meditating overwhelm you because all it takes is a little trial and error and finding what works best for you. Consequently, it results in improved physical and mental health conditions.
Therefore, push the pills, sceptical teas aside, and embrace guided meditation for better sleep, relaxation and stress relief.
