Meditation is the most effective tool to combat stress and tension. It brings our mind under our own control. People who find it difficult to focus are advised to practice meditation exercise. Meditation helps a person to achieve a calm state of mind without having to resort to intoxicants or other kinds of relaxation methods. But, it’s no easy! It is very difficult to attain a calm state of mind in a few minutes. It is essential that one keep on practicing meditation until they have conditioned their mind to instantaneously achieve the state.
Steps for a beginner
Here a few steps for a beginner to start with meditation to combat stress and tension.
Step 1 : Find a Quiet Place
Any kind of distraction is a hindrance to the beginners. When one closes their eyes, their sensation of hearing increases. With this, one can hear almost all the sounds in their surroundings. This will make it even more difficult for them to concentrate.
For beginners, they should move to a quiet place where noise is minimal. If possible, close the doors and windows and tell others to minimize their noise.
Step 2 : Position
To begin, one should sit in Padma asana (Lotus position) or on a chair. Ensure that the back is straight and the hands are relaxed on the armrest or on lap. One should avoid lying down while performing meditation exercise. There is a high chance that one may fall asleep once their mind reaches a relaxed state.
Step 3 : Breathing
A good way to start meditation is to do the proper breathing exercise. Inhale through nose and exhale through mouth. This way, one can come up with a rhythm that they can easily focus on. Also, the amount of oxygen in their body will be enough to keep them relaxed. One should keep practicing breathing exercises until they can do it easily without having to think about it.
Step 4 : Focus
During breathing exercise, the mind will start throwing random images at you, like events of the day, future plans, problems and worries, fears and so on. It will be hard to ignore these thoughts and one shouldn’t ignore them. They should focus on these thoughts without paying any attention to it. Clearly seeing those images doesn’t imply concentrating on them.
There will come a time that these random thoughts will stop and one will notice that they are floating in a blank space in their mind. The goal of meditation is to reach this state. It is in this state, one can focus on their problems till they can find a solution for it.
I hope that by following these 4 simple steps of meditation exercise, you will be able to master the basics of meditation and it use it in stress management. With just a week more to go for Yoga Day, we would like to request you to include meditation in your daily schedule.