Introduction to Meditation
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If you’re looking for a healthy escape from the hustle and bustle of your daily routine, then meditation is just what you need. Regardless of where you are in life (student, executive, full-time parent), meditation will help ease your mind, increase your self-awareness, and develop your appreciation for the present moment.
I began my meditation practices this summer in martial arts. At the time, I had no experience whatsoever in meditation, just the knowledge that it was supposedly very helpful. I still remember the first time we performed meditation in class.
My First Meditation Session
After a grueling morning class, which almost made me pass out, my instructor turned off the lights, and turned on music that sounded like it was straight from the monks in the Himalayas. He then instructed us to close our eyes, sit up straight, and breathe normally. We were to focus on the ins and outs of our breath, and focus on the flow of air in and out of our nostrils. If thoughts popped into our head, we were instructed to let them go, and regain focus on our breathing.
I remember thinking, “How is this going to work?” My question was quickly answered when I felt an almost immediate relaxation of my body and mind. It was an interesting experience, to say in the least. I could feel my heartbeat reverberating through my body, and I was slowly gaining a feeling of lightness.
Keep in mind this was right after an intense workout session in class. My body was tense, and my mind was cluttered with what I had just learned. “This stuff is powerful,” I thought to myself. I definitely wanted to experience more of it.
5 Months Later
It’s been 5 months since that day, and I’ve continued my meditation practices ever since. I still do the version of breathing meditation I learned in class when I am seeking relaxation of my mind and body. However, I now do a number of different techniques, which build upon the relaxation properties of the breathing meditation. They offer increased concentration, detachment from emotional ups and downs, and clarity of the mind.
I normally won’t link to external sources of information on this site, unless it is an exceptional source. Today, as I was browsing one of the personal development forums I read regularly, I came across an exceptional post on meditation techniques and practices. This post describes, in detail, all of the techniques and methods I’ve been learning and using over the past 5 months. In addition, I learned new meditation techniques from this helpful post. I am excited to start experimenting with them as soon as possible; the benefits seem to be incredible.
I encourage you all to take 15-30 minutes out of your busy day to make time for meditation. Unless you are superhuman, I’m sure you waste more time than this in a day. The benefits of meditation are enormous. You will become a more relaxed, patient, and self-aware individual. Not to mention you will experience the beneficial health side effects which have been attributed to daily meditation.
If you keep it at it, you may forge a connection with a source of faith or higher power you never knew existed. Wouldn’t you say this is a wee bit more beneficial than sitting on the couch and watching the plug-in drug for 30 minutes a day? Maybe you can watch the televangelist channel and connect with a higher power that way 
(I’m kidding!)
So, without further ado, here is the link to the exceptional forum post.
If the link is not functional, please click shivraj meditation techniques
Photo by Mooganic
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Ive read and been told countless times that I need to meditate, and I still only do it sparingly.
I need to fix that quick.
The thing about meditation is not that it “makes you relaxed” – Exercise does that, and so does good food. When people hear “meditate, it helps you relax” they think “Sit still and breathe for an hour, just to relax? It’s not worth it.”
Meditation is a lot more. It’s a way of life. It’s something you do 24/7, not just while sitting. It can be done while driving (eyes open), walking, etc. Meditation is basically being “in the zone” all the time. You focus on the present moment to turn off your brain from thinking about nonsense. Normally, your brain feels like it’s using up 100% CPU cycles. Meditation is the process by which we turn it off when it isn’t needed.
“The Power Of Now” (book) is an indepth FAQ dedicated to why this is good.
Here’s an interesting tidbit that most Selfdev gurus wouldn’t mention due to the nature of the statement:
Psychedelic drugs are byfar the best self-development catalyst one can pursue. Most people don’t meditate because it takes years of meditation to get any worthwhile effects that encourage you to remain dedicated. However, an experience with LSD, Psilocybin or Mescaline (or ayahuasca, or any other long-lasting psychedelic) show you why being in the present moment is how life should be. In my experience (and others, I used to do studies with these drugs in the 60s), these drugs FORCE you into the present moment, which can freak some people out. This is why there was a surge of interest in Buddhism during the 60s.
I highly encourage you to check out Erowid. This site is well known in the entheogenic and medical community and is highly regarded as being one of the most trustworthy and indepth sources of information on all types of drugs.
http://erowid.org/psychoactives/psychoactives.shtml
Click ‘LSD’ then the ‘Effects’ image.
# increased awareness of senses. (eating, drinking, smell)
# profound life-changing spiritual experiences
These two in particular, are what people try to attain when they meditate on a regular basis. Having a glimpse of the goal is highly encouraging in making meditation a daily habit. It’s not the ONLY way, but one of the few (prob the only) way to explain to somebody WHY they should meditate.
Derk,
These comments are extremely interesting. I would’ve never guessed that LSD could force you into present moment awareness. That’s crazy! I started off my article by saying “an escape, not related to drugs” for this very reason! I’ll definitely look into it.
You’re right, meditation’s greatest benefit is not its relaxative properties. However, it’s definitely one of the benefits of daily meditation. I agree with you that it creates a greater appreciation for the present moment, and raises our awareness at the time of practice. This is by far the most important attribute of daily meditation.
I use meditation as a way to strengthen my spiritual connection. I feel as though it gives me access to the pure potentiality in the present moment, and helps me connect with what I really am. This is definitely the most beneficial byproduct of meditation for me. I’m getting better and better at it each day.
It would be interesting to always be in a state where we have no thoughts (while driving a car, for example). However, I really don’t believe something like that is attainable if people can’t even sit in a dark room, with no noise, and be clear of mind. This is why I believe it’s essential to master meditation in the typical setting first, then perhaps attempt to carry on that clarity of mind to every area of our life.
Thanks again for your wonderful comments!