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Meditation: Naveed Farooq
Meditation: Naveed Farooq
Presented by
Naveed Farooq
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What is meditation?
MEDITATION?
Meditation is simply the practice of focusing your attention on a particular object. generally something simple, like a word or phrase, a candle flame or geometrical figure, or the coming and going of your breath. In everyday life, your mind is constantly processing a barrage of sensations, visual impressions, emotions, and thoughts. When you meditate, you narrow your focus, limit the stimuli bombarding your nervous system and calm your mind in the process.
Start meditation by setting aside 20 to 30 minutes. You will need to be undisturbed for the duration of your meditation with no distractions. The room should be comfortable so that you are not thinking about it.
Meditative Pose
Some people use a meditative pose that is commonly associated with meditation. Sitting cross-legged on the floor is a simple pose used for meditation. However you can sit or lay down in any position that is comfortable to you. The main thing to keep in mind when choosing a position is to find a pose that will be comfortable to you for the length of the session.
How to start ?
To begin your meditation sit comfortably in your meditation room. Close your eyes and start controlled breathing techniques. Take slow deliberate breaths in and out in a rhythmic pattern. Then you can start to clear your mind. The goal is to stop all thoughts except those of the meditation itself. Some people like to repeat one word over and over to help clear the mind.
Pre-recorded meditations
Another technique that is helpful for those who only begin meditation is to use guided meditations. Guided meditations are pre-recorded meditations that you will listen to and follow along.
Focus
If you find that your mind does begin to wander during meditation youll need to bring it back in focus. It is normal for the untrained mind to jump to many other thoughts as it is not used to calm relaxation. Each time your mind thinks of something else bring it back to focus on the meditation. Concentrating on your breathing is one way to help keep your mind clear.
Continue to practice
Meditation gets easier and easier to do the more you do it. As you train your mind to relax it will simplify the meditation process. Continue to practice meditation even if you dont feel its full effects. Soon you will be able to feel total relaxation and calm through meditation. Set aside time each week to meditate. Meditation will help to keep you centered and focused and will create a calm and peaceful life.
Type of Meditation
There are different kinds of meditation. A particular kind is best suited for a particular mind. The kind of meditation varies according to taste, temperament, capacity and type of mind of the individual. A devotee meditates on his tutelary deity or Ishta Devata. A Raja Yogi meditates on the special Purusha or Isvara who is not touched by the afflictions, desires and Karmas.
Mindfulness, also called Vipassana, comes from the Buddhist tradition. Id say mindfulness is the most popular form of meditation in the western world. Its all about being present, letting your mind run, and accepting whatever thoughts come up, while practicing detachment from each thought
Zazen is the generic term for seated meditation in the Buddhist tradition, but in the modern Zen tradition, it is often referred to as just sitting. It is a minimal kind of meditation, done for long periods of time, with little instruction beyond the basics of posture (sit with your back straight).
Transcendental Meditation is a simplified practice that emerges from Vedanta, the meditative tradition within Hinduism. In TM, you sit with your back straight (ideally in the Lotus or half-Lotus posture), and use a mantra, a sacred word that is repeated. Your focus is on rising above all that is impermanent. TM is a more involved method than either mindfulness or zazen.
Kundalini is another practice that comes from Vedanta. Kundalini is the name for the rising stream of energy that exists in a human being (there is also a downward stream, not emphasized in Kundalini). The aim of Kundalini meditation is to become aware of that rising stream, and to ride the stream to infinity.
Qi gong is a form of Taoist meditation that uses the breath to circulate energy through the organs and energy centers of the body in a oval pattern called the microcosmic orbit. Attention is focused on the breath and the circulation of energy (called qi or chi). Attention is also focused on the three major centers used in Taoist meditation: a point about two inches below the navel, the center of the chest, and the center of the forehead.
Guided visualization is a popular form of meditation that involves concentration upon an image or imaginary environment. It is usually done while listening to a recording. An example would be to imagine you are in a grassy field, with a clear sky overhead. There is sometimes a focus on the breath, but generally no attempt to use or control the breath, and because the sensation is imaginary, and the impetus for it comes from outside, the practice tends to be rather passive.
Trance-based practices. This is my category for a whole set of reflective practices that generate a trance state. The hallmarks of a trance are: awareness of the self and the environment is limited, conscious control of the experience is absent, rational thinking is absent, and memory of the experience is very limited.
Heart Rhythm Meditation focuses on the breath and heartbeat, making the breath full, deep, rich, rhythmic, and balanced. Attention is focused on the heart as the center of the energetic system. One tries to identify oneself with the heart. By focusing on the breath, you make your breath powerful.
Benefits of Meditations
Stress Relief
Studies have shown that meditation is effective in relieving stress by stimulating the other parts of the brain, giving the hypothalamus a chance to slow down and rest.
Pain Management
People who are stressed feel pain more intensely than those who are not. With constant meditation, you become relaxed and at ease, thus reducing the amount of pain you experience.
Self-awareness
You become more aware of your thoughts and feelings through the regular practice of meditation. Meditation helps open up your awareness of the self. Instead of blaming circumstances and fate, you are now able to view and asses situations clearly. You stop being a victim of fate.