Meditation in Modern Days

What is meditation?

Meditation in Modern Days, actually, is a technique accessible to everybody and can incorporate it in a variety of ways in their routine. It develops skills such as concentration, tranquility, and focus on the present. It is an ancestral practice, rooted in Eastern society. When we think of meditation, images of great Buddhist masters, or people with great emotional discipline, come to mind. But in fact, it is very far from that. It is simple and easy to follow.

When we meditate, we end up “quieting” the mind. It also will create internal tools to deal with the stress of the world, where our senses are often negatively influenced. In addition to temporarily relieving harmful feelings such as stress and anxiety, meditation transforms the way we interact with the world, bringing out the best in our personality. In a nutshell, meditation helps to relax, decrease stress, and increase concentration. It will make us discover who we are and our true purposes

Guided meditation: does it work?

This method is a process in which the participant meditates from the guidance provided by a practitioner or specialized teacher. Thus, guided meditation is usually conducted in person or through an app.  The app will give/provide verbal instructions/sounds for meditation to occur.

Guided meditation for beginners

For those who want to start meditation and have a modern fast-paced days, apps can be a good way out. However, in order to have a comprehensive understanding of the practice, attending a face-to-face course is highly recommended.

The instructor will be able to perfect the technique, clarify doubts, and offer support for the person to meditate at home properly. Each week in a studio can generate new experiences that enrich the meditation experience.

After increasing knowledge about the technique, help through an app can be an excellent alternative.
This affordable option is perfect for people who prefer to be alone during meditation. There are many apps for guided meditation you can download and use right away.

How to meditate

Experts have devised steps by step guide for those who want to start the technique. So here is a meditation guide for beginners.

1. Start calmly: A first step may be to introduce short meditation minutes throughout the day. You will only need a watch. The tip is to set up your watch to wake up after 5 minutes, for example.

2. Position yourself comfortably: The position can be seated on a pillow with legs crossed and back straight, lying down or even standing. The important thing is that you can be comfortable and focused.

3. Follow a routine: The recommendation is to try to meditate at the same time every day so that it starts to become an easy habit to incorporate into daily life. A good suggestion is starting slowly, with five minutes a day and gradually increasing.

4. Focus as much as possible: During that time, your task is to focus all your attention on your breathing and nothing else. Repair the air entering and leaving.

5. Do not deviate: If you lose touch with your breath and immerse yourself in thoughts during that time, simply notice the distraction and gently bring your attention back to your breath. Repeat as many times as you need.

Meditation for beginners

Check out some details that can make a difference when starting meditation.

Practicing correctly

Before starting meditation, it is important to remember that it is not a practice to “turn off the mind”. A common mistake among beginners is to believe that they should stop all thoughts, be they good or bad. It’s far from the truth.

Experts explain,”What we must do is redefine the way we deal with our reflections”. We need to have a healthy relationship with our thoughts, not clinging to the first thing that comes to mind. When meditating, the most important thing is to be focused on the present, letting ideas come and go.

Preparing the environment

There is no ideal setting for meditating. The important thing is that the practice takes place in a comfortable place and away from distractions. Worry more about your clothes and make sure that they will not disturb you while you are focused.

However, if you like to make the environment “thematic”, it is possible to bring some objects that guarantee your comfort during meditation and enhance the experience on an aesthetic level.

Using pads
The “Zafu” or “Fon” pillows are one of the interesting items to meditate on. Because they are round and firm, they allow you to remain in the same position for the duration of the practice, without feeling discomfort.

Adhering to aromas
Lighting incense or using an ambient spray, such as one with Bach flowers, can make the experience even more pleasant. “I love using essential oils,” says one expert.

Meditation Music
In addition to objects, you can put on music to play while meditating. This will make you feel a serene atmosphere. Lighting a few candles can also be an added attraction.

An expert clarifies that it is important to remember that these recommendations are just that – recommendations. It does not need to be part of the practice.

Time to meditate
Finding time for meditation in modern days is very tricky. Some like to meditate in the morning and listen to mantras or solfeggio frequencies before going to sleep. However, this is not a rule. Each one needs to find his/her best moment to calm his/her mind. Sometimes, during the day, people just by taking a deep breath, they ’empty’ bad feelings.

Meditation Techniques

Transcendental meditation
It does not require concentration or contemplation. Transcendental meditation is based on the repetition of a particular sound known only to the initiate.

The technique is secular, not involving mantras. This meditation is usually done in 20 minutes, twice a day.

With the help of a professional, a procedure is adopted right at the beginning of the practice, causing the brain, in a natural way, to have its activity reduced. It is possible to find studios focused on transcendental meditation to learn more.

Shinsokan Meditation
Shinsokan meditation is contemplative, being a style that takes the spiritual side into account for those who have beliefs.

The technique has Japanese roots.  It focuses on making the practitioner transcend the material world, and can access high thoughts and the true human essence.

Mindfulness Meditation
Meditation mindfulness (or mindfulness meditation) is a secular meditation technique. It is independent of any religious beliefs. This practice can be adopted by anyone and its main objective is to train the mind to be focused on the present.

There is no need to recite mantras. Just take a few minutes to take a break and take care of yourself. When we perform the technique, we learn to “self-manage”, being aware of our emotions and avoiding reacting to stressful situations with impulsivity.

Here’s how to start practicing mindfulness at home from simple exercises.

Zazen (Zen-Buddhist): Zazen is a form of Buddhist meditation that is practiced with the person sitting. “Za” means to sit and “zen” refers to a state of deep concentration.

Vipassana Meditation: Vipassana meditation arose from Buddhism and its intention is to offer the individual a realistic view of everything around us: relationships, objects, and feelings. Through concentration, those who practice should try to reach a balanced mental state, free from frustrations.

Hoponopono Meditation: Hoponopono (or Ho Oponopono) meditation is a Hawaiian technique whose participants believe they have healing power. The name means “to put in order or to clean up what does not serve”, which justifies the purpose of this style of meditation, responsibility, and forgiveness so that there are gratitude and joy.

Mantras are used that present, in different moments, four sequential phrases: “I’m sorry”, “forgive me”, “I love you”, “I am grateful”. The order of the sentences aims at the gradual process of self-knowledge so that the participant absorbs the situation that bothers him/her (“I’m sorry”), demonstrates the desire to purify it (“forgive me”), recognizes the inner light that exists in yourself and the other (“I love you”) and forgives yourself and purify yourself (“I am grateful”).

The idea of healing is associated with the cleaning of memories of pain, traumas, conditioning, and limiting beliefs. It will make participants be able to reflect on their attitudes, forgive themselves, and notice that they are responsible for the reality they are inserted in.

Yoga
For many, yoga is a form of meditation in modern days. This is because it encompasses a set of meditative philosophies, theories, and practices.

Within the technique, there are ramifications that develop emotional qualities within us, such as calm, self-knowledge, self-realization, and material detachment.

In addition, yoga also enhances our physical conditioning, improving posture, strength, and flexibility. All of these elements work together to find a balance between our internal and external worlds.

Read more: We have an article “An Introduction to Yoga” devoted to Yoga. Please check it out.

Sudarshan Kriya Meditation
The Sudarshan Kriya is a type of meditation that takes into account specific natural rhythms of breath, seeking to harmonize the body and emotions. The focus is on reducing stress, fatigue, and harmful feelings, such as frustration and depression.

When we are experiencing some negative emotions, our breathing changes. Anger, for example, makes it short and quick. When we are sad, the breathing cycle becomes long and deep. Therefore, the practice aims to rescue the “original” rhythm of the body through breathing, bringing us to balance, and consequently, greater well-being.

Qigong Meditation
The focus of Qigong meditation is to increase our vitality through a series of physical and mental exercises. In addition, the technique integrates Traditional Chinese Medicine, along with acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, diet therapy, and tui-ná (equivalent to orthopedics and physiotherapy).

The practice promotes a state of relaxation and attention, always seeking to promote the maintenance of our energy.

Acem Meditation
Acem meditation focuses on the repetition of sounds, without meaning. The goal is for us to be able to deal with our thoughts, unleashing our inner power.

Concentration meditation
Mantras (sounds), geometric shapes, or colors are the points of attention. It is common in Hindu and Buddhist practices. Practitioners focus on one of these aspects and focus thoughts and emotions on those elements.

Dynamic meditation
Created especially for Westerners, the technique of dynamic meditation mixes elements from different cultures, such as music, dance, and movements that aim to connect us with the present.

How to choose the ideal type of meditation

All forms of meditation have advantages and it is important to analyze the situation in which you find yourself in life to understand which technique best suits your needs.

However, it is worth remembering that, regardless of the meditative aspect you choose, all will work with benefits, such as increased concentration, reduced stress, and greater body and emotional awareness.

Benefits of Meditation

Practicing meditation in very busy modern days can yield many benefits. According to psychologists, meditation brings a series of emotional benefits, such as:

• Tranquility
• Greater attention
• Concentration
• Decreased anxiety
• Reduction of depression
• Increased creativity
• Improved sleep quality

In addition, meditation enhances a number of characteristics of our personality:

1. Promotes well-being
By being more attentive to the present moment, we avoid meaningless internal dialogues. “When we do that, we diminish negative fantasies and ‘thoughts’ about others”, explains Adriana. With that, we have an increase in well-being.

Psychologists say that lack of concentration makes it easier for us to be “kidnapped” by self-destructive thoughts, which invalidate ourselves and steal our routine time. Meditation offers the opposite way.

2. Raises self-awareness
With the mind more focused on “now”, it is possible to have more clarity to perceive one’s own feelings and intuition. This guides us to make decisions that contemplate our identity, increasing our levels of assertiveness.

3. Free from limiting beliefs
When we learn to deal with our feelings in a healthy way, we can have a broader view of the world. This makes us focus on issues of the present, instead of looking back over past events.

This frees us from limiting beliefs that no longer fit into our lives. We fail to define ourselves by our mistakes.

Sleeping meditation
All forms of meditation are combined to fight insomnia. As the body and mind are more relaxed, it is easier to get a good night’s sleep.

The mindfulness meditation style practicing focus and mindfulness can be ideal for sleeping. After all, it helps us to concentrate more to sleep, since it reduces stress and anxiety, factors that are harmful to sleep.

Anxiety Meditation
Experts say meditation reduces the symptoms of anxiety, but it is advisable to have a specialist monitor in more serious cases.

Guided meditation, because it contains sounds that bring tranquility and positive messages, can help calm us down in spikes and crises, as well as being a good alternative as a complementary therapy to psychotherapy and medications.

Meditation to fight depression
Meditation in modern days is practiced for various benefits but it’s certain that it does not cure emotional disorders, but serves as a complementary treatment. To overcome diseases such as anxiety and depression, it is necessary to join efforts in several areas, ranging from the help of a psychologist to the support of those we love.

Meditating routinely
Though it’s very hard to find a specific time for meditation in modern days,  we should find the time. For those who spend most of the day away from home, there is the possibility of attending meditation studios, or else, incorporating the technique in small moments of the routine, either at work or in some daily activity.