Scented candles arranged and lit. The Feng Shui sofa is rearranged to the north, the money tree to the south. The lotus pose after half an hour of torment and a ton of tears from pain in the joints and muscles is accepted. Everything is ready for meditation. However, the first serious problem appears - and how to meditate in general? What do we have to do? What is the meaning of all these candles, postures and how to remove the benefits from them? Learn more about the rules of successful meditation in this article.
Learn to pick time
If you delve into the theory of yoga, it will tell you that the best hours to practice are sunset or dawn. But according to Qigong, meditative practice is conducted at midnight or at noon. Where is the truth?
The answer is simple: you can meditate at any time. There is a recommendation - if the first training was held at 14:00, then the next training is repeated in the same period.
However, the modern pace of life is too chaotic. Moms on maternity leave, some workers find it difficult to establish a clear meditation schedule. The child will not stop crying, and the boss will not postpone the meeting if you just say about the need to “go to nirvana”. Therefore, a few tips on when you can cut out an extra ten minutes for relaxation:
- get up a little earlier - thanks to the practice drowsiness quickly disappear;
- go into yourself when traveling in public transport;
- practice at any free moment;
- replace the shower with a bath and relax while lying in warm water;
- reduce leisure time at the computer, gadgets, unnecessary conversations;
- review your daily routine, analyze whether something can be removed from it, or at least reduced.
But meditations before bedtime are not suitable for everyone. After them, cheerfulness appears - it can interfere with good sleep. For the first practice is allowed to use the timer on the phone. It is better to pick up the melody right away so that the signal about the end of the count will gently bring out the calm state and not scare the nervous tic.
Wisely choose poses
The lotus pose is considered traditional, its second name is padmasana. Obviously, newcomers will not be able to take it from the first time. However, this is not a reason to abandon leisure activities of interest. Fit normal body position, comfortable for the person. Some additional tips:
- the back remains flat, without tension;
- posture stable, balanced;
- you can sit on your heels, on your buttocks, stretching your legs, “in Turkish” or standing on your feet;
- eyes closed completely or slightly open;
- it is not recommended to lie down or exercise on soft sofas, beds;
- if necessary, it is allowed to put pillows or rollers.
At first, even five minutes in one position are accompanied by discomfort. He passes with practice, but it is not necessary to endure. Especially if there are health problems. It is enough to slowly and slowly transfer, with his eyes slightly open. With a long stay without movement, the blood flow slows down - it becomes cold. It will be appropriate to immediately dress a little warmer or in advance put a blanket next.
Follow hands
The positions of the fingers and hands during the sessions are called mudras. They are often forgotten - and in vain. The monks believe that each of them is called to be responsible for some sphere of human existence. Examples:
- strength - big, middle and ring fingers are connected so that between them the circle turns out. The index finger along with the little finger slightly stretched forward. Who knows - reminds gesture of a spiderman;
- a life - connect big, nameless and little finger. Index and nameless rush forward;
- knowledge - palms look up, big and index create a ring, the others lie freely;
- calm - palms - one on one, thumbs in contact, hands are near the abdomen.
If you do not like these mudras, you can simply put the brushes on your knees with your palms up, open them and relax.
Sharpen concentration
To do this, it is better to abandon music or conversations during class, to eliminate any irritants in advance. Only listening to mantras is allowed. The essence of the sessions is calm and impartiality, that is, lack of evaluation. To achieve this state, you will have to work on your concentration. There is one effective exercise aimed just at this goal:
- take a pose for meditation;
- concentrate sensations on the crown and coccyx;
- imagine a big pea inside the head - perfectly round and burning;
- inhale and imagine that this figure slowly rolls down along the spine as it inhales;
- on the exhale, draw a picture in your head, as the ball returns to the top;
- repeat steps 4 and 5 until it becomes easier to keep the focus on the pea.
You can safely begin training with this exercise, each time reducing the duration of its implementation. When attention will be honed to a high level, it is possible and even desirable to refuse this technique. In the future, it will only distract.
Control thoughts
A common problem that almost everyone who deepens in meditation initially meets is obsessive thoughts. They do not get more, just in the usual time they are suppressed by work, communication, emotions. In meditations, all this is excluded, which means “thoughts come out”.
“I don’t give up the project by Friday - they will fire me. I will stay without money, my wife will be sawing. ”
“They do not take Vanka into the kindergarten, they demand money for funds, and where can I get this money?”.
“I do not understand, he likes me or not? Oh, and I turned off the gas in the kitchen or forgot? ”.
So that such thoughts do not interfere with getting a positive effect from the sessions, you can use two methods, and they are opposite. The first is to try to throw away thoughts as soon as they come to mind. However, at first it will seem like a daunting task. Then there remains the second - to comprehend ideas to the end, and then let them go.
Properly use mantra
Do I have to memorize them? If the mantra is short or even consists of one word, then you can strain the memory. but what to do with big sentences in an incomprehensible language?
You can find audio recordings of these phrases or, in extreme cases, record them yourself. Before meditation, it is advisable to run through the text several times. Then the recording is turned on, the meditative posture is adopted, the eyes are closed. Further, it is enough to listen to the sounds and try to repeat them or speak them in unison in sequence. It is allowed to voice everything both out loud and to himself. Great emphasis is placed on breathing.
Improve skills
This is an iron rule for those who want to get good returns on sessions. What is meant by meditative development:
- increase the duration and frequency of classes;
- experiment with different techniques;
- to train the body for asanas (yoga poses - the same “lotus”);
- to learn to meditate in any places and at different times;
- to study the theory, to expand knowledge about the topic;
- accelerate and increase concentration;
- to strive for harmony - not only with his inner world, but also with those around him.
This development allows to cope with current problems, to calm emotions “here and now”. Moreover, it acts as a reliable preventive measure against future uncertainties and experiences.
Knowing how to meditate correctly, you can secure yourself safe and enjoyable activities. They will help to relax, clear the mind, establish harmony inside. Such training not only increases resistance to stress, but also improves immunity, sleep quality, strengthens the cardiovascular system. And vice versa - incorrectly performed exercises aggravate well-being. Therefore, knowing the principles of meditation is so important.
