It’s time to be kind to your mind
I started meditating when I was in my teenage years. However, at that time, I didn’t know the right techniques and realized that it didn’t really help me in my mental health because I started off with the wrong techniques. I didn’t know what to focus on when I meditate so I give up back then.
Later, I went to Bali in 2019 and attended a 3D2N yoga retreat. That was when I realised how I’m able to use meditation to reduce stress and help me with my life.
What is Mediation About?
Meditation is really about a habitual process of redirecting your thoughts and also training your mind to focus. Many people use it as a way to reduce stress and anxiety in their life.
How to Start
All you need is:
- A space to sit/lie down
- Yoga Mat (if sitting)
- Yoga Block (Optional)
I will get a yoga mat and have a yoga block with me.
When I start to meditate, I’ll find a comfortable spot and it’s usually in my room. I want as much natural light as possible, so I switch off all the artificial light and I would get my yoga mat and my yoga block ready. A yoga block is able to improve your sitting posture. When you are meditating, you tend to sit for 20 or 30 minutes and it can be quite long and straining to your back. A yoga block helps to improve your sitting posture.
I simply sit down in a comfortable spot and take a few deep deep breaths. I have a soft-focus in my line of sight. After I take a few deep breaths and getting more familiar with my surroundings, I would close my eyes and continue with my breathing.
As I start to breathe, I start to acknowledge my body, my sitting posture, and the sounds around me and I connect with the environment around me as well.
Counting
Some people count on their breathings. So, when you breathe in, you count one, and when you breathe out, you count two.
Inhale, count 1
Exhale, count 2
Inhale, count 3
Exhale, count 4
There are and there will have many thoughts that will come to your mind when you meditate and it is ok.
What to Think About
Think of your mind as a clear blue sky and all the thoughts that come through your mind are just like passing clouds. We want to be as clear as possible and it is perfectly normal and perfectly fine if there are thoughts that come through your mind. This is part of the process of meditation. What we really want to do is to train our mind to identify when the thoughts come to our mind and when to acknowledge them and let them go and continue with our breathing.
I recommend that when you meditate, think of a place of peace and scenery. For myself, I usually think of this beautiful river I saw in New Zealand. I imagine the sounds and the river flowing. The water is fluid and while all the imagination is going through my mind, I use it to direct my focus on my breathing.
Noting
When we meditate, we have many thoughts that come to our mind, such as thinking about a certain meeting that is going to come up at 4:00 p.m. later or an event that has happened in the past. This event can evoke some emotions in you and these emotions can be sadness or anxiety. You have to differentiate between the two thoughts. One of them is thinking and one of them is feeling. When you meditate, it is good to acknowledge whether this thought is thinking or feeling. When we acknowledge it, we gently let it go. Over time, as you train to note more and more, you are able to control your thoughts.
Be Present in the Moment
The art of meditation is really about being present in the moment and not thinking about the future or the past because we want to be self-aware. We want to be aware of ourselves in our bodies. It is perfectly normal for thoughts to come out to your mind and when we catch ourselves having thoughts and drift away from our meditation, we try not to be too harsh on ourselves. Be gentle with yourself. When thoughts come up to your mind and you noted it, simply imagine it as a feather (your mind) touching an orb (your thoughts). Once the feather has touched the orb, we let it go gently.
Meditation App: Headspace
Headspace is an app that I use during my meditation. I highly recommend it to people who are starting to meditate as it guides and helps you to stay focus during your meditation. There will be a voiceover that brings you back to breathing and also give you some tips about how you can handle your emotions better and there are different categories for different parts of meditation. For example, you can choose different sections to start your day or different sections to handle sadness or anxiety, and sections to handle work. There’s also a section on meditation for you to use before you sleep. So, there’s a wide variety of sections for you to choose from in the app.
There’s a free trial for 14 days. I signed up for the membership though as I find it helpful for my mental health. (This is not sponsored at all and I am not paid to promote the app)
I hope this article helps you in getting started to meditation. Share this with someone who might be keen in trying and have a blessed day ahead!
