How to Meditate

How to Meditate

There are many different ways to meditate. First I would like to point out that meditation isn’t a specific religion. It works whether you have religious beliefs or not. I seem to remember reading somewhere that every religion has a history of meditation in it, even if it’s not widely explored now.

Now let us consider what meditation is. The best definition I have seen is simply quieting the mind.

I’m going to describe my favorite way to meditate. If this doesn’t work for you, please read about other methods. Whatever you do, don’t give up. It has been shown to repair holes in the brain, which are caused by a number of things, mainly stress. It can open the flood gates to creativity. There are many other benefits to meditating, too many to name them all. Even though I access my right brain daily, I still had some problems learning how to meditate. Infact, I still have a problem occasionally, but I don’t give up. I just try again later, and have no problems.

My favorite method is after yoga, during corpse pose. I believe it helps me because yoga focuses my mind, which helps to clear it. Corpse pose is simply lying down on the floor. Sometimes my back bothers me enough to keep my legs up, knees bent, and feet on the floor. Most of the time I lay completely flat. Legs are separated and arms are out slightly from the body. Wiggle your legs, stop, and find their center. Do the same for your arms. Now for your head. Completely relax. Focus on your breath, it should be slow, deep breaths. Relax the muscles around your stomach. Now relax your jaw. Empty your mind of all thoughts. Don’t let it loop over “to do” lists. Let your mind be quite. It needs a break. Keep your mind focused on your breath. After a few minutes you should feel a wonderful sensation over your entire body. Think of it as your body healing itself. Stay like this for as long as you wish. When you are done, slowly bring yourself back into the world.

The more you meditate, the more you’ll be able to work on yourself. After having your mind empty for awhile, you can begin contemplating yourself. Who are you? How can you better yourself? Are you considerate of others? Is your body trying to tell you something? Listen to it. When you do, you can begin a new journey to better understanding of self and eventually the world.

Notes

I’m not an expert on meditation. It is my hope that you will read more about it from those who are. I just hope that I can get you try it, if you never have before. Many of you may wonder about the whole left brain verses right brain. I have read and seen on documentaries research about the different halves of the brain. To briefly explain, right brain is the side used to make art and meditate, etc. Left brain is the side used for language, writing, labeling, etc. If you are interested in this subject, then you should read “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” by Betty Edwards. The focus of the book is teaching people how to use the right side of their brain, which allows them to learn how to draw.

By Gretchen Brannon