How to meditate at home. How to learn to meditate for beginners at home

Next, I will describe the key points - why and how to meditate, how to do it correctly, where to start meditating, cover some technical points: postures, breathing, attention, give practical examples and talk about the method - life as meditation.

Preparing for meditation or what you should know.

Why meditate– with tension from stress in everyday life, meditation serves as an excellent relaxing tool that relieves daily stress, plus it helps to pacify fear and anger, cope with troubles, understand and accept other people, experience compassion for yourself and others, and cultivate best qualities– love, kindness, forgiveness, joy and peace.

Meditation does not replace prayer, but enriches and complements it because here we add work with the body, which serves as our conductor of feelings and emotional states and by means of influence which it is easier to effect upon our mind and thinking.

Everyone gets their own individual experience, which is put together piece by piece like a puzzle as they delve deeper into different aspects of the phenomenon and study more densely thematic information, gaining new experiences and sensations.

The main goal of meditation– finding peace and the opportunity to disconnect from the busy life. Each religion can find its own characteristics of meditation, and when practicing it, you can understand that spiritual wisdom comes from the same source and why this source is the human heart.

What's important– regularity of classes and persistence to continue and get results. Many people are “weak” because they cannot cope with many of life’s challenges. It’s easier for them to cover their heads with a blanket and sleep more to escape from their problems instead of dealing with them - going to work, taking on a new challenge, washing the car or tackling a project. And more often we complain not because we want to do it, but simply because the load of problems is very large and falls on us in its heap. We need time to rest and recuperate. Meditation is an excellent tool for this, it helps you relax and find peace in order to cope with your affairs with enthusiasm and joy.

Relieving stress, anxiety and depression, restoring our strength and connecting us to our wise, loving and compassionate inner selves is what a short daily meditation provides.

So, meditation is focusing on one's own thoughts, planning or projecting the mind, healing, prolonged concentration of attention.

During traditional meditation, we concentrate our attention for a long time on a prayer, a mantra or breathing, a candle flame or a point on the wall. In this way, we force our mind to forget about the past, stop planning for the future and focus entirely on the present. This restores our strength and calms our mind both during classes and for a long time after them.

Most people start meditating to relax and find peace of mind lost due to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Stress torments both the body and the mind. It robs us of joy, love and kindness. A tired person who is under stress easily gets irritated, angry, and gives in to envy and fear. His patience is at its limit, and relationships with those closest to him suffer as a result.

Harmonization of the inner self, awakening love and kindness, is the main aspect of meditation. We need to heal and renew ourselves. Our lives are a constant struggle with stress and we can use meditation to calm ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally. Its main benefits are stress relief and calming the nervous system. At the physiological level, meditation normalizes many body functions:

- calms and stabilizes the nervous system,

- reduces the level of cortisol, the main stress hormone,

- relieves muscle tension,

- normalizes blood pressure,

- reduces cholesterol levels in the blood,

- increases levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter often associated with feelings of happiness.

A person becomes calm on all planes - mental, emotional, physical, spiritual. Feeling inner peace, he becomes more alive and full of strength. He is already able to cope with difficulties without worry and fear. As his sense of inner joy and peace increases, it becomes easier for him to show his love, kindness, patience, wisdom and compassion. He connects with his inner self and understands that these qualities are his true nature.

Various meditation techniques are designed to calm the mind in order to better understand its nature and its connection with the cosmos. Through meditation we connect with our consciousness, gain love, joy, sincerity, wisdom, the ability to compassion and forgive. Through meditation we can feel that God lives in the soul of each of us. We discover our own divine potential. Christians call it the Holy Spirit, the Christ consciousness. Buddhists – Buddha nature or emptiness. Taoists - Tao or mystery. But no matter what it is called, its meaning remains the same.

You may start meditating to relieve stress, but very soon you will begin to feel something happening to you that goes beyond your daily existence and this experience will begin to permeate every aspect of your life. Negative habits will fall away, relationships will improve, and your joy in life will increase. The feeling of well-being is contagious and very soon you will feel the need to meditate every day and will be able to find time for it in your busy schedule.

Possible questions for newbies. How to start meditating.

To get started you need to choose a posture and technique or method of meditation that is comfortable for you. Over time, when you grasp the essence and begin to enjoy the process, you can try the most different types meditations.

Meditation time– you can start with three to five minutes, gradually increasing the time to fifteen to twenty minutes or longer as you feel comfortable.

Movement– ideally sit in a position without moving, but if your nose itches, scratch it, trying to watch and be aware of your movement.

Distractions– if you are interrupted by a call, a child or a dog, switch to the situation, and then return to meditation or continue later.

Place– it is best to choose a secluded place in the house, in nature, in a park, church or temple, even in the office during a lunch break. You can meditate on a plane, train, etc.

What to expect– everyone has their own experience, so it’s better to relax, follow the instructions of the chosen meditation and be open to all possibilities and experiences.

Disconnection from thoughts– it is very difficult for beginners to stop thinking, thoughts are part of the process, you can simply observe them or “distract” yourself by concentrating on counting inhalations and exhalations, breathing, mantra, prayer, etc. As soon as you become aware of yourself in thoughts, immediately return to the object of concentration. The main thing is to pacify your mind, it is impossible to get rid of thoughts, but your mind can become much calmer. Over time it will get easier.

What do you need– a rug or chair, a blanket, earplugs, a blindfold, a pillow. Additionally, you can light incense or incense sticks, candles, turn on the sound of bells or meditative music.

Start– first you need to relax, every muscle of the body, one by one, breathe deeply, slowing down and calming your breathing.

Poses– the simplest ones, lying in the corpse pose or sitting in the lotus position or just on a chair. Seated poses are better because you can fall asleep while lying down; they can be used before bed for relaxation or for insomnia. You can raise your feet on a chair or on a wall for best holiday legs

I'll describe the simplest one sitting position on a chair, since beginners may not be comfortable in the lotus position. Here you need to sit up straight (your back and spine should always be straight), deeper on a chair (not on the edge), you can put a small pillow or bolster under your back, your shoulders are relaxed, your hands rest calmly on your knees, palms up, keep your head straight in line with spine, relax your face and neck, close your eyes, direct your inner gaze to the heart area. Focus on your breathing or do one of the meditations.

You can also meditate standing, which makes it easy to do meditation in line or while waiting to quickly feel a surge of strength.

Tadasana Pose – Mountain Pose

When we stand correctly, we feel strong, like mountains, we have a close connection with the earth and a craving for the heavens. Place your feet parallel, legs slightly apart, straighten up, tighten your stomach and back, move your shoulders back and down, relax them, stand straight, keep your head in line with your spine, relax your face and neck, arms hang freely along the body.

Focus on your body position, feeling the energy in your feet and legs that connect you to the earth. Become aware of the center of your body at the base of the spine and pelvic area, feel the energy emanating from this center.

Calming the Mind

Our mind thinks completely independently. We analyze the past or endlessly worry about the future. We don't even know where our thoughts come from. Calming the mind is the first priority and we must completely detach ourselves from all worldly things. All spiritual teachings require a person to completely empty the mind, since only a silent mind can realize God, Buddha, Tao or nature. Below I will describe several techniques to help calm the mind.

Sit in a meditation position that is comfortable for you and follow your breathing, letting your mind continue to wander on its own path. Every time you become aware of your thoughts, try to gently shift your attention to your breathing. In this way, you will learn to be aware of thoughts, but not attach importance to them. These are just thoughts. As you practice this meditation, your mind will become increasingly calm.

Breath control is called pranayama and can be used to calm the mind effectively.

Breathing out the mind

This good way get rid of disturbing thoughts. Inhale for 1,2,3, exhale for 1,2,3,4,5,6, that is, twice as long. First you need to relax, direct your gaze to the area of ​​your heart, formulate a firm intention - to perform this meditation to calm your mind. Focus on your breathing for 1-2 minutes, and then begin to take normal inhalations and longer exhalations (count to three as you inhale and to six as you exhale). As soon as you get into the rhythm, stop counting. Focus on your breathing and let go of your thoughts with each exhalation. Feel them leaving through your nose. Imagine that all your thoughts, all your worries and fears are leaving your mind, sliding through your nostrils and leaving your body.

After exhaling all your thoughts, imagine that you are exhaling your entire mind with each exhalation.

Later, you can add any qualities you need - for example, inhale love and exhale gratitude, while inhaling - light healing energy, while exhaling - all anxieties, fears and tensions. Etc.

Meditation LA-LA-LA

"LA" is a primitive human sound. Basic, initial sound. It is pronounced by babies, whom no one teaches it. This sound always lives inside us. By doing this meditation, you merge with your primal self, with the divine power, with that part of yourself that is one with God, with the cosmic consciousness.

Sit in your favorite meditation position.

Gently close your eyes and direct your inner gaze to the area of ​​your heart.

Start repeating out loud La-La-La-La-La…..La-La

Try saying these words slower or faster. Notice the change in sensations.

Repeat La-La-La for 5-10 minutes. Then just lie down and focus on how you feel.

In the second part - even more meditations :

It’s strange that there is so much misunderstanding around such a simple thing as meditation. Firstly, meditation is a way of calm and self-discovery, so any critical analysis does not work here. Secondly, sitting in the lotus position and reciting mantras is not meditation, although this is also useful. One way or another, forget everything you saw in movies or what your friends told you. Meditation is easy.

What is meditation really like?

Meditation is existence and nothing more. Nothing mysterious, no demands or secrets. This is existence in its simplest and most understandable form. What does it mean?

If you meditate properly, you simply dissolve into emptiness. All your daily problems and worries fade into the background. You become an empty vessel and nothing more.

To start meditating, find a quiet and peaceful place where you will not be disturbed by your family, children and your faithful dog. Then just sit back and relax. Any position in which you feel comfortable will be correct. Once you have relaxed, try to calm your mind and bring order to your thoughts. Close your eyes and breathe deeply.

Become an observer

This technique for clearing the mind is very simple, although it may seem unusual. Top tip is this: just try to get everything out of your head. Of course, this is impossible. Therefore, become an observer and watch the flow of your thoughts. It's like how you feel when a plane takes off: you are here, but your thoughts are somewhere below and you are looking at them from the outside. Let them be somewhere below, they will definitely meet you at the airport.

The key feature of this action is detachment. Just watch your thoughts from the outside. When I started doing this, I noticed that they stopped affecting me in any way. Irritability and serious problems disappeared for a while for me. Whatever you say, detachment has its advantages.

Having relaxed your consciousness in this way, continue to observe the flow. If you are attentive, you will notice that gradually the thoughts simply dissolve. When we were children, we didn't care about anything. We didn't have the seriousness and responsibility we have now. We just lived and didn't think about anything.

Continuing the exercises

There are great benefits to this state of detached existence. When you open your eyes after meditation, everything will seem different, unusual. This is a childish feeling of magic that fills the world. You will also notice that thoughts that you put out of your head will not immediately come back. These two phenomena are related, pay attention to them.

Things around you will seem more complete. It's as if you're seeing them for the first time. This is because meditation puts you in a state where your mind is adrift. You will not be able to immediately return to your usual judgments and the terrible habit of instantly assessing everything around you. You will simply see, say, a chair. Instead of conjuring up an image of a chair in your head. And then an ordinary thing will be filled with incomprehensible depth.

Meditation lifts you up new level consciousness. Yes, yes, this is a common exercise in detachment from reality. If you practice, you will be able to evoke the sensation of an unusual environment whenever you want. It helps to look at things from an unusual angle and decide complex problems. Many people call this enlightenment, although it is not.

Long lasting purity of thoughts

When you first begin a meditation practice, focus on clearing your mind. This is quite a difficult task! Your mind will be very chaotic at first, don't get discouraged and keep practicing. If you feel irritated and angry, but you can’t do anything about it, sit down and study in this state. But it’s better to calm down and accept reality as it is, whatever it may be.

You will feel progress when, after meditation, your worries and everyday thoughts return with some delay. This is where the fun begins. Over time, you will be able to push back the moment of immersion in everyday life further and further. Your thoughts at the time of meditation will be incredibly pure.

The results of meditation and the state itself are worth the effort. By being a calm, adequate person with a new perspective on things, you will achieve much more than others.

Meditation in lately is gaining more and more popularity. Many people are interested in learning how to meditate just because it has become fashionable, but, nevertheless, the majority still prefer to learn meditation to relieve all kinds of stress and tension. Meditation can also help you learn to maintain spiritual balance and remain calm in any situation.

No matter how simple such an activity may seem, in fact, for those who want to learn how to learn to meditate, there may be some obstacles and difficulties. But this does not mean at all that only monks who worship the great Buddha can practice this art. Anyone who wants to can learn how to meditate and master this knowledge.

In fact, meditation can not only help relieve stress after a hard day at work, but also bring enormous benefits physical health person. For example, those who are starting to do this for the first time, after just a few sessions, can notice a significant improvement in their health, which is facilitated by a decrease in blood pressure and the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood. Moreover, this art develops creativity, strengthens the immune system and relieves attacks of groundless anxiety. An interesting scientifically proven fact is that such activities stimulate the production of more antibodies to the flu in the human body.

Before you start meditating, it is enough to learn just one simple technique and use it daily. At the same time, you should not worry or be afraid of doing something wrong, because there are no clearly defined actions. The most important rule- listen to your inner voice, your feelings and, accordingly, adjust your actions, try to change something, look for new sensations.

When answering questions from beginners about how to learn to meditate, experts recommend, first of all, mastering the simplest positions. One of the authors advises taking a comfortable position on a chair, while keeping your back straight, relaxed, and not slouching. Beginners can lean against the back of a chair or against a wall to make it easier to keep their back in a relaxed, straight state. Some people may find it quite difficult to relax in this position. In this case, you should put a pillow on the floor and sit on it. Another author advises beginners to lie on the floor with their feet on a chair.

As a rule, before starting a session, you should turn on relaxing music for a while to get in the mood. There are quite a lot of different melodies created specifically for such activities, but in fact, the most suitable music will be the one that a certain person likes, which helps him calm down. You need to know that the meditation session itself must take place in absolute silence, so before it begins, any sounds should be excluded. To begin with, the lesson can last about five minutes, gradually becoming longer. The main thing here is not the number of minutes or hours spent in relaxation, but the desire to actually feel how tension, negativity, stress leaves the body and calmness sets in. And the indicators depend not on some standards, but on individual capabilities a specific person.

During the exercise, you need to breathe correctly, that is, do it through your nose, calmly, and keep your mouth closed. One of the most common obstacles to relaxation for beginners is the presence of many different thoughts in the head. In this case, it is recommended to focus on breathing, count each inhalation and exhalation, or monitor the movements of the abdomen. If thoughts begin to interfere again, you should return to breathing again. At first, mastering it can be quite difficult, but over time, with constant practice, you can easily learn to get rid of a negative state.

In a busy, busy life, meditation is an excellent, beneficial way to relax your mind and body. The task during the process is to turn off consciousness, the endless stream of thoughts. Sometimes meditation is even compared to the state of sleep. It creates such a feeling that a person is renounced from the world. At first glance, this matter does not seem simple, but proper preparation will help you quickly learn to “disconnect” from our reality.

• On the breath. If a thought intrudes, then allow it to be present, do not be nervous about it. Be an outside observer, the main thing is not to analyze or evaluate. Don't control your breathing. Breathe slowly, exhaling longer than inhaling.
• On the subject. Imagine a fireball, feel its warmth. Feel yourself going beyond the boundaries of your body, beyond the boundaries of the room, the city and the planet as a whole.

In the year and a half that I have been working at MIF, I have read several dozen books on business and self-development. And most of them contain advice: set aside time to meditate every day.

And I know very well how difficult it is to take the first step towards this practice. I will share with you my meditative observations and tell you where to start and how not to deviate from the path to awareness.

What is meditation

Meditation is an ancient method of mental training. Thanks to meditation, you can clear your mind of unnecessary worries, distract yourself and adjust the emotional and physical balance of your body.

Personally, meditation helps me deal with stress. Nothing gets rid of scary thoughts faster than a couple of minutes in silence alone with yourself. In addition, this short break helps me analyze my well-being, identify weak points and, if possible, strengthen them. I started eating better and got rid of a lot of bad habits and began to devote time to physical activity.

Also, with the help of the main component of the meditation process - proper breathing - I learned to react correctly to extreme life situations. After all, simply by changing my breathing, I can change my feelings and attitude towards the present moment.

Try it yourself. Look at the picture below and synchronize your inhalation and exhalation:

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Breathe in this rhythm for several minutes. How do you feel? Have your muscles relaxed? Did you manage to escape from routine worries?

When I first tried to breathe according to this picture, I almost suffocated from such rhythms - they were very unusual. But as soon as I got the hang of it - and this literally took two or three minutes - I began to understand the full power of breathing. If you like the effect, you can search the Internet and books for other breathing techniques that will help you relax better or, conversely, concentrate.

What is this for?

Surely you have heard that there is huge amount research that proves. This practice helps you relax, live more consciously, calm down quickly, find original solutions to problems and simply take a breath.

For example, just recently, researchers from the University of Oregon asked students to maintain a state of “calm concentration,” that is, to avoid thoughts that could take over a person’s consciousness and distract him. The experiments continued for thirty minutes a day for a month. The entire course lasted eleven hours. At the end of the program, students underwent another MRI brain scan.

Scientists have found that meditation improved the condition of the so-called white matter, which connects the anterior cingulate cortex to other parts of the brain. As a result, students have an increased ability to control their thoughts, behavior and emotions and respond better to stressful situations.

A couple of years ago, I made it a rule to conduct tests on myself, which I advise you to do as well. Moreover, for the first step you need practically nothing...

First steps in meditation

My meditation experience is directly related to my project. A few years ago I made a list of 100 things I've never tried in my life and called it "Lifelist". One of the items on this list is to learn to meditate.

That’s when I came across Andy Paddicom’s video from the TED conference and learned about the existence of the Headspace service. This is a smartphone application that teaches users how to properly relax, breathe and meditate. Then for the first time I thought that meditation is not some kind of Buddhist practice, but a completely working tool that is worth devoting a little time to every day.

I downloaded the app, put on my headphones and tried to relax. Naturally, nothing came of this, although I sort of managed to make friends with breathing. Thoughts constantly flew into my head, and my inner voice reminded me of unfulfilled tasks.

The next day the story repeated itself, as on the third day. But after the fourth time, I finally managed to relax and move away a little from obsessive thoughts. It was a small victory for awareness!

Personal experience

Almost three years have passed since my first steps into meditation. During this time, I managed to listen to more than half of the Headspace lessons, read several dozen books on the topic of mindfulness, and spend hundreds of hours alone with myself. And I like it.

As I already said, the practice of meditation has helped me cope with stress, and also taught me how to breathe correctly and live more consciously.

I can't say that I practice meditation every day - sometimes the breaks last for weeks. However, I still return to this practice and continue to enjoy meditation and its consequences.

I currently have a 15-minute task on my calendar every day called “Do Nothing.” Immediately after lunch, I close my laptop and meditate. This is 15 minutes of peace and quiet, during which I can sit on the couch, lie with eyes closed or just take a slow walk down the street. This time belongs only to me and the present moment.

Your first meditation

Try taking a few minutes immediately after waking up or during your workday. To get started, literally 5-7 minutes will be enough. Sit on a chair, straighten up and close your eyes. Concentrate on the movement of inhaled and exhaled air - listen to the sensations that arise with each inhalation and exhalation.

Perhaps after a while you will notice that you are distracted. When you discover this, don't beat yourself up and try to focus on your breathing again. Eventually, your mind may calm down and become smooth as the mirror surface of a lake, but it may not. Even if you manage to capture a feeling of absolute calm, it may be fleeting. Whatever happens, just accept it as a given.

After a minute, open your eyes and look around. You have just completed your first meditation session.

More theory

When the first step is taken, you want to reinforce your skills with theoretical and practical knowledge. Almost every business book contains a note about the importance of taking time to meditate. Unfortunately, that's where it all ends. However, there are books that completely cover the topic of mindfulness and meditation and go into detail about the techniques.

I liked two books the most. It is noteworthy that one was written by a scientist, and the other - Buddhist monk, and both of them are confident in the benefits of meditation.

Mindfulness (Mark Williams) is an eight-week meditation course. The author offers many meditation techniques, talks about the advantages of each of them and answers many questions that certainly arise in those who begin to meditate.

“Silence” (Thich Nhat Hanh) - the author shows how to maintain equanimity despite the constant noise around. How to be calm even in the most turbulent places. It also contains breathing exercises and mindfulness techniques.

In addition, some books talk about the practice of meditation one way or another without going into detail. For example, The Book of the Lazy Guru suggests meditating in bed:

This is also a great way to take your mind off the hustle and bustle and get into the right frame of mind.

Note

1. In order to meditate, you don’t need to cut your hair bald, become a monk and sit in the lotus position for days.
2. Take some time, 5-7 minutes will be enough to get started. During this time, try to find a quiet place and meditate.
3. The most important thing is to take the correct breathing rhythm. Try synchronizing your inhalation and exhalation with the animated picture.
4. Don't worry if thoughts keep creeping into your head. Keep your attention on your breathing.
5. After meditation, do not rush to return to routine activities. Take 2-3 minutes to listen to your feelings: how do you feel? Did you like the break or not? Are you ready to return to routine affairs with a “clean head”?
6. Schedule a meditation break for the next day.