Meditation Doesn’t Have to be Boring! 10 Inspiring Tips
/
Practicing meditation on a regular basis isn’t the easiest task, especially for beginners. We live in a world where we need to think fast and are constantly moving. Practicing meditation is a huge contrast from our faced paced lives, thus making it difficult to stick with it. However, Yoga International shares 10 tips for sticking with meditation and it doesn’t have to be boring!
1. Punctuality - Practice Makes Perfect
Set aside a time in your day to meditate and be punctual. Pick a time that works best for you, either at 5am or 10pm, make sure you concentrate on yourself without any distraction. After all, practice makes perfect and soon enough you will find that you will no longer take too much time to enter your meditative state.
2. Asana - Preform Yoga Postures
The article stated that, “For centuries, many yogis and yoginis in India have turned to asana, or hatha yoga postures, to prepare themselves for meditation. This helps keep the body healthy, the muscles supple, and the back strong and steady so that one can sit in meditation for extended periods of time.” Asanas have a powerful effect on your minds as they help us clear our minds and relax our bodies to begin meditation. Yoga postures leave you calm, yet feeling alert and aware.
3. Pranayama - Breathe Control
Pranayama emphasizes the importance of breathe control. Although it may seem simple, breathe awareness is a real technique. By focusing on your breathe you will see a big difference in your meditation sessions. The article stated, ““breath is the flywheel of life,” giving us direct access to departments of our nervous system usually beyond our conscious control.”
4. Satsang - Be in the Presence of Your Spiritual Leaders
The article states, “The one universally acclaimed method of keeping our spiritual practice enlivened is satsang, which means literally “keeping the company of truth.” The easiest and most effective way to do this is to spend as much time as possible in the presence of our spiritual teachers or other saints.” You can be present with your spiritual leader by keeping pictures of them on “our alter or in our hearts” or research more about their lives and journey.
5. Kirtan - Sing to Elevate Your Spirit
The article states, “An extremely popular way of keeping the level of inspiration high in India is kirtan, singing beautiful bhajans (religious songs) which elevate the spirit.” Singing open up your heard and mind and listening to it can elevate our moods to a sacred place ready for meditation.
6. Karma Yoga - Yoga in Action
Practicing meditation doesn’t have to be separate from your daily responsibilities and life. Karma yoga emphasizes that we apply the sense of calmness and serenity into our daily lives and work, using our clarity in practical situations. Yoga International recommends that, “Meditation is not something “other” than life, but something that should be carried over into life, helping us maintain a comparatively stress-free state through all the normally stressful events of the day.”
7. Bodhicitta - Express Love and Kindness
According to the article, “An aspect of meditation practice strongly emphasized in Buddhist forms of yoga is the cultivation of bodhicitta, loving-kindness, and Hindus, too, often conclude their meditations with chants such as Loka samastha sukhino bhavantu (“May all beings in all worlds be well”). When we meditate, we create a space to clear our minds and we are helping to purify the world we live in. For people who find it difficult to meditate on a regular basis, remind yourselves that you are not only benefiting yourself but also serving the word by offering peace.
8. Bahkti - Feel the Presence of a Beloved Deity
The article stated, “In the early 1970s an influx of influential yogis from India inspired an entire generation to explore yoga. Most of these yogis took great pains to emphasize the scientific nature of yoga, teaching that one did not need to adopt the deities of Hinduism in order to practice meditation.”. Thus, a devotional path was deemphasized. However, developing a relationship with a deity you worship allows for a quick entrance to a meditative state, as you feel their presence around you.
9. Puja - Create a Ritual
By creating a ritual, such as chanting a mantra or making an offering to a sacred alter, you will find your breathe regulate and your mind focused on meditating. A less elaborate way to create a ritual is to create a “powerful meditative atmosphere” by placing a photo or statue of a deity you love or your teachers in your meditation journey. Offer flowers, food or incense to your deity. Then, begin meditating and focus on your breathe and mind.
10. Fall in Love with Your Practice
Meditation shouldn’t be a chore. When you are about to start meditating, you should feel excited to be present and thankful to your deity. If you don’t fall in love with mediation, then you can not fully reap is benefits of awareness. As the article state,d “by persevering in our meditation practice with determination, devotion, and enthusiasm, we unlock the door to the highest and best part of ourselves, and consciously enter the living depths of our immortal being.”
Are you ready to begin your meditation journey? Join us at The Well for our stress reduction for men class or set time to meditate with our holistic life coach, Tereza Iniguez and discover your inner essence. Visit our health and wellness tab for more of our holistic health services.
Enjoy these 10 tips recommended by Yoga International and visit Community Well for all your mediation and holistic health needs! Also check out Jen Reviews 18 Amazing Benefits of Yoga, According to Science!