You probably have a mental picture of someone meditating and a gut feeling that meditation is either good or that it is bad. Your mental picture most likely captures an aspect of meditation, but doesnt capture the breadth of those who practice meditation, why they meditate, or what they meditate upon. To meditate simply means to focus ones mind for a period of time, either in silence or accompanied by words, music, or hand gestures that are non-distracting because of their repetitive nature. Meditation is a solitary practice. Even if a group of people meditate together, there is no interaction among them. Meditation is often used for religious or spiritual purposes, but it is also often used as a method of stress-reduction and relaxation. Religious meditation has been practiced throughout history, especially by monastics. Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism have especially strong traditions of meditation, but meditating is found in all the worlds major religions. To some people, the word meditation immediately calls up Transcendental Meditation, sometimes referred to as TM, introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1955. Although TM derives from Hindu meditation practices, it is more often labeled new age or secular, in the same way that the yoga found in your local health club has roots in Hindu yogic practices but is generally considered secular. To others, meditation invokes the image of Christian monks meditating on Gods Word. While the monastic forms of Christian meditation generally focus on quietly deepening ones understanding of Gods word, Christian Rosary meditation focuses on the repetitive movement of the beads and the repetition of familiar words. Thus, even within the Christian tradition, meditation comes in highly varied forms. Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, says of Christian Meditation, Prayer lets you speak to God; Meditation lets God speak to you. Why practice meditation? Religious or spiritual meditation connects one deeply with their God or Higher Power. All meditation has the benefit of reducing stress and increasing relaxation. For religious meditation, this is a bonus, a side benefit. For secular meditation, stress-reduction, relaxation, and generating a sense of well-being is the whole point of meditating. If successful, meditation lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and brings about a more favorable body chemistry. This effect depends upon successfully putting aside worries and angry thoughts, and may not last much beyond the end of the meditation if angry thoughts re-invade the mind. One form of meditation that focuses specifically on stress-reduction is Mindfulness Meditation. Mindfulness Meditation, popularized in the West since 1979 by Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Wherever You Go, There You Are, has its roots in Buddhist Philosophy, but is not a religious practice. Mindfulness Meditation consists of focusing the mind on the present and refraining from judgement. If the mind turns to regrets of resentments about the past, to worries about the future, or to judgements of anything or anyone, the meditator gently guides the mind back to the present and to a non-judgmental attitude. To Try Mindfulness Meditation 1. Choose a quiet place and a chair that is comfortable yet supportive. Keep your back comfortably strait. 2. Breathe deeply and slowly. Focus your entire attention on each in-breath and out-breath. 3. As stray thoughts enter your mind, thank each one. Immediately release each thought and return to a focus on your breathing. Dont judge your thoughts, just let them go.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 23:18:51 +0000
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