One of the most difficult concepts of meditation that the majority of people struggle with is getting to grips with practice. Scientifically, meditation is the exercise of the mind and, like any muscle, you can only build strength over time and with regular practice. With that in mind, many people practising meditation, especially for the first time, may find it difficult.
When you’re listening to a guided meditation, and you hear ‘clear your mind’, it’s not uncommon for people to become frustrated. This can eventually lead to feeling more stressed than before the practice and is one of the main reasons people stop. However, there’s a very simple method that you can try to improve your technique, allowing you a greater understanding of the practice. This practice can be performed anytime and anywhere and is extremely basic but essential for getting a grip on the basics.
If you start your meditation practices using this technique, you’re much more likely to stick and the process. Once you start improving, you’ll quickly find your mind becomes a lot calmer alongside the other benefits that meditation brings.
By focusing on one word, commonly referred to as a ‘Mantra’, you can slow down your brain. This draws your focus to this one word and, in time, the other distractions in your mind will fade away. It’s highly recommended that you practise this technique at least twice a day. However, there’s no pressure to, and you can simply do what you can. If you can make time to practice, instead of browsing social media, for example, you will feel the benefits tenfold. By practising each day, your mind will begin to feel more and more at ease with a lot less stress.
This reduction in stress will not only affect you; it’ll affect your work, your social groups and your family circles. More positive energy in yourself and you can change your life.
The Technique
This very simple technique is really easy to master, and it’s a great step in the right direction. Simply think of a word. This word will be your mantra. It can be anything you want, but it’s got to be something you can easily repeat in your head.
If you are stuck for ideas, try using one of these; Release, Relax, I Am Calm or Peace.
While meditating, it’s inevitable that random thoughts and feelings will pop into your head. By remembering this easy-to-remember word, you can subtly repeat it over and over again in your head, drawing your focus back to your practice. Over time and with regular practice, you can slowly stop those irritating thoughts entering your mind. This will allow you to better concentrate when completing guided meditations.
This technique is that simple. You can practice for as long or little as you like, but it’s recommended you try and achieve an hour a day. This is easy to achieve if you break that up into four 15-minute sessions. This could be when you wake up, twice during the day and once before you go to bed. Once you’ve completed the session, you’ll feel so much more awake, alert, productive and ready to take on the world! Even if you work in an office, once you have finished a task, complete a ten-minute session. This takes no time at all, and you can simply regather your energy to tackle the next task!
Just remember to keep your eyes closed and focus as strong as it can be. Over time, even over the course of a week, you’ll begin to notice the difference.
If you have any questions or would like more advice on this technique, leave a comment in the comment section below. If you have more advice for people just starting out, or technique that works for you, let us know!