All About Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is a type of meditation that allows you to become completely aware of the present moment and to focus your attention on the moment. Discover in this article how mindfulness meditation and its benefits.
What is mindfulness meditation?
First of all it is important to know the definition of the word "meditation". Meditation is a practice that is open to everyone and all ages.
Very simply, it is an exercise that can be done at any time of the day, whether it is in the morning or in the evening before going to bed. Meditation allows an individual to refocus on himself and to anchor himself by listening to his mind. Very often, we associate the practice of meditation with people who are under stress or anxiety on a daily basis. However, far beyond emotionally relieving a person, meditation is a transcendental exercise especially when you wish to evolve spiritually. Moreover, meditation is also a very stereotypical practice; often we imagine a person lying down, with eyes closed and very quiet.
However, there are many ways to meditate today since the main objective of this practice is to clear one's head and clear one's state of mind. We will share with you in the next part what are the two main methods that allow you to meditate correctly and you will probably be surprised by the second one.
How to meditate?
The first way to enter into meditation is simply to lie down in a quiet place away from surrounding noise. From that moment on you simply relax all the muscles of your body, close your eyes and concentrate on yourself. This way you will be able to listen to your body as well as your mind and inner self. Through this method you can also find alternatives such as reading music to help you get into meditation. Some people are able to meditate without using a particular sound or melody and others find it to their advantage.
The other way of meditating will probably make you smile, but it is very simple. All you have to do is find a task that you enjoy doing every day and that requires your full concentration. That is to say that from the moment you are going to invest yourself in this task, none of our thoughts will be able to touch your mind. For example, this can be sewing, photo retouching, writing, sports or even housework. The most important thing is the idea of focusing 100% on something to clear your mind.
If we had to compare our brain, it would be very similar to a computer. Our brain stores a lot of information and data on a daily basis that it has to process as quickly as possible. However, we are still human beings and can sometimes become saturated. It is exactly the same with a computer, when it is subjected to high pressure and power it must be cleaned and defragmented. Defragmentation is to the computer what meditation is to the human brain.
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
In this meditation-related section, we will share the main benefits of these practices. If you are already in the head of meditation then perhaps you are already in the head of meditation. If not, then perhaps we will succeed in getting your attention.
A more creative mind
Many studies have looked at the question: how does meditation help to enhance a person's creativity? They found that those who practiced meditation were much more successful on a specific task when they were tasked with coming up with new ideas. Meditation allows you to find as many solutions to a given problem as possible; it is also a form of creativity.
Decreased anxiety
Meditation reduces the level of anxiety in those who practice it regularly. When we meditate, we begin to loosen the connections of certain neural pathways. In general, the neural pathways of fear and bodily sensations are strong. Therefore, when you are in a frightening situation, it will trigger a very strong reaction in that part of your brain, making you anxious and disturbed. When you meditate, you will weaken this connection, allowing you to react differently to the same situations.
Sleep Improvement
Meditation has been shown to be beneficial in its ability to promote a better quantity and quality of sleep. While establishing a good bedtime routine, the addition of meditation can help you get a better quality of sleep and combat the symptoms associated with insomnia such as fatigue and depression.
A better memory
Those who practice meditation are better able to filter out distractions and increase productivity. This ability to ignore background distractions helps people remember quickly and use new facts.
Mindfulness Meditation
When we talk about mindfulness a majority of people will confuse it with attention. They are two completely different things and the difference itself is very subtle.
Being attentive and rather related to the idea that we are interested in something in particular. When we listen to someone speak and the subject appeals to us, we then pay attention to what that person is saying because it reveals our curiosity. Mindfulness is like having the lights on while we think. We always have the same thoughts, but with a continuous awareness of them, we don't fully belong to them because we can see them for what they are. We have more distance. They come, they go. They are only thoughts.
When these lights are out, it is very easy to be led to believe that our thoughts represent the truth. We make a mistake and think, for example, "I'm a bad person," and that has a corresponding emotional and psychological impact. But with the lights on, we see the thought, and although we may notice that when we make a mistake we think, "I'm a bad person," that thought does not make it the truth.
Through this little metaphor, you then understand the importance of mindfulness meditation. Much more than a relaxation exercise, mindfulness meditation helps to rebalance your inner self. In this way, you break the pact between you and your limiting thoughts while taking a step back and observing your thoughts in order to analyze and work on them.
Meditation in mindfulness
Mindfulness is a form of meditation that encourages practitioners to remain aware and present in the moment. Rather than dwelling on the past or fearing the future, mindfulness encourages awareness of a person's existing environment. A lack of judgment is crucial to this. Thus, rather than reflecting on the boredom of a long wait, a practitioner will simply note the wait without judgment.
Mindfulness meditation is something that people can do almost anywhere. By standing in line at the bakery, for example, a person can quietly notice their surroundings, including the images, sounds and smells they feel. A form of mindfulness is involved in most types of meditation. Awareness of breath encourages practitioners to be aware of their breathing, while progressive relaxation draws attention to areas of tension in the body.
Thus, mindfulness is the human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing, and not to be overly reactive or overwhelmed by what is happening around us.
How to practice mindfulness meditation?
At the beginning, it is useful to define the length of time you will meditate. Otherwise, you may become obsessed with the decision to stop. For people who are not used to meditating, this may seem a little difficult at first. This is why it is important to set up a precise timing that is entirely dedicated to this meditation exercise.
If you are just beginning, it may be helpful to choose a short time, such as five or ten minutes. Use a kitchen timer or the timer on your phone. Many people do a morning and evening session, or one or the other. If you have a busy life and little time, do it on a rhythm of one meditation a day. When you get a little space and time, you can do a little more. Find a good place in your home, ideally where there is not too much clutter and where you can find some quiet. Leave the lights on or sit in natural light. You can even sit outside if you wish, but choose a place with few distractions.
By the way, we have briefly mentioned it a little more beautiful, but mindfulness meditation is more beautiful than practicing it at any time and in any place. Sometimes even the most insignificant moments of our daily life are inclined to a little mindfulness meditation.
What are these harmless moments?
Have you ever noticed that no one tries to get your attention when you're doing the dishes? Well this is the perfect time to start a mindfulness meditation session! You can enjoy the sensation of hot water on your hands, the appearance of bubbles, the sound of pots and pans clattering at the bottom of the sink...
But that's not all, you can't go a day without brushing your teeth (normally), so this task is the perfect daily opportunity to practice mindfulness. Feel your feet on the floor, the brush in your hand and your arm moving up and down!
Finally, this also applies in the car. It is simple to meditate while you drive, thinking about what you forgot to do at work or thinking about your life in general. Use your powers of mindfulness to keep your attention anchored inside your car. Turn off the radio or put on something soothing and imagine your spine growing. Find the point halfway between relaxing your hands and squeezing the steering wheel too tightly, and whenever you notice your mind wanders, bring your attention back to where you and your car are in space.
Conclusion on mindfulness meditation
Keep in mind that mindfulness meditation remains an open exercise that can be practiced in any environment. In this way you will develop your ability to anchor yourself in the present moment by controlling your emotions and your becoming. While waiting for the next article, do not hesitate to comment on it and share it if you liked it and possibly share your experience if you already practice mindfulness meditation. This will undoubtedly be able to guide beginners or confirmed people to improve have brought value to this simple and so beneficial practice.
