Tips on How to Meditate

How To Meditate ,

Meditation is a mental exercise by which one attempts to go beyond the conditioned ‘thinking’ mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness. One can meditate in a number of ways.

The basis of meditation is to focus and quiet one’s mind. With time you will find that you can meditate anywhere anytime, reaching the inner peace no matter what is going around you. But first you need to calm your mind.

• Make time to meditate: keep aside enough time in your daily routine for your meditation. Meditation shows results if you do it regularly and consistently rather than sporadically.

• Find or create a soothing quiet environment: It’s essential when you are staring out to avoid any obstacles for attention. Turn off your television sets, radios, phones or any other noisy appliances. If you want to play music, make sure it is calm, repetitive and gentle, so it does not break your attention. Meditating outside maybe conducive but you have to be careful that it is not near the roads or near a source of loud noise.

• Sit on level ground: Sit on a cushion if the ground is uncomfortable. There is absolutely no need to twist your legs in the lotus position or any other unusual postures. The only thing that you need to pay attention is that you need to keep you back straight as this will help in breathing later on.

• You can also sit on a chair and meditate but make sure your back is straight. Your feet need to rest solidly on the ground.

• Any position is permissible as long as your back is straight. You can meditate lying down also, but be careful that you are not so relaxed that you fall asleep. In warm weather try watching the clouds.

• Keep your eyes half closed , if it is too distracting then close your eyes or you can concentrate on an object such as a candle flame.

• Breathe slowly and deeply from you abdomen rather than your chest.

You should feel your stomach rise and fall and your chest should relatively be still. Healthy stress relieving breathing may be done by inhaling to the count of three, exhaling to the count of six. Repeat this over 15 to 20 minutes. This expels the used air and more completely oxygenates and purifies your blood, this helps in lowering the heart rate and blood pressure. Many blood pressure patients have dropped their blood pressure as much as 50 points, allowing them to decrease or do away with the need for medication. This breathing exercise should be done on a regular exercise.

Calm your mind: Once you have trained your mind to focus on one thing at a time the next step is to focus on nothing at all, essentially clearing your mind. This requires tremendous discipline but is the pinnacle of meditation. After focusing on a single thing, you can either cast it away or look at it impartially letting it come and go, without labeling it as good or bad. Do the same thing to any thought that comes to your mind until silence perseveres.

Here’s an excellent way to start enjoying the benefits of meditation today. The Deep Zen audio program is easy for anyone wanting to learn how to meditate – offering a free demo, and helps advanced meditators achieve deeper levels of meditation too. Try another free demo here: Totally Tranquil

Buddhist Jewelry as Reminders to Buddhist Insight : buddhist meditation

Buddhist Meditation , , , ,
Buddhist Jewelry as Reminders to Buddhist Insight : buddhist meditation

One of the secrets to a content and happy life is, according to Buddhism, perfect balance—the point wherein one becomes awakened or enlightened to the truths of the universe and the interconnectedness of the world. This balance is said to come from having a peaceful and calm mind and soul, both of which can be achieved through a moral life, prayer, meditation and detachment. It is these ideals that Buddhist jewelry seek to remind believer and followers everyday.

The Buddha and The Middle Way

The Buddha realized the tenets and beliefs of Buddhism around 490BC. Born Siddhartha Gautama to royalty, Buddha lived an extravagant, young life. That is, until he chanced upon the suffering and sickness of the world outside the sheltered life he led. This prodded him to forego his riches and his extravagance to follow an ascetic life. Soon, he realized that to be free from suffering, one must pursue what is known as the Middle Way—the perfect balance between poverty and luxury and between negative and positive poles.

The Middle Way also means a lot of other things—it signifies not being perturbed or affected by extreme anger or extreme joy. It also means looking at everything from all sides and not being biased when making judgments. The Middle Way, in a sense, is also taught as being detached from worldly views and ways, such as money, material things, negative thoughts, excess and power. It does not, however, mean being detached from humanity. If anything else, Buddhism teaches everyone to love one another, the universe and nature, and to live compassionate and benevolent lives.

Buddhist Jewelry and Awakening

Because of the word “detachment” being used often in Buddhist teachings, some people might think that there is a conflict between The Middle Way and the wearing of Buddhist jewelry.

One might ask himself: “How can I be following The Buddha by wearing something with material value?”

Buddhist jewelry, it must be understood, should not be seen as just “valuable jewelry” or just a ring, a bracelet or a pendant. One should see Buddhist jewelry as staunch reminders of the teachings and ideals of Buddhism and The Middle Way. You don’t wear Buddhist jewelry just to enhance your outfit or to show off your new ring. These special pieces of jewelry should be worn to keep the teachings of harmony, balance, enlightenment and detachment close to one’s heart and soul. A lotus ring, for instance, can remind you of how the lotus flower signifies unfolding, awakening and, at the same time, being rooted to the ground.

Another fine example of Buddhist jewelry filled with meaning is the Dharma pendant, an intricately carved pendant that features the Sacred Fig Leaf and the Dharma Wheel, which symbolize the path, or The Middle Way, to awakening and freedom from suffering.

Buddhist jewelry can also come in the form of rings. In the same way wedding rings are used to remind couples of their sacred vows of loyalty and love, Buddhist jewelry rings remind wearers to be loyal to the teachings of Buddhism. The Happiness Ring, for instance, is engraved with the words “This will also change” in Hebrew. It reminds the wearer of the fleetingness of life and how the only permanent thing in the world is change.

Through following The Middle Way and the teachings of The Buddha, and with the help of Buddhist Jewelry like the Dharma pendant and Happiness Ring, we can all find our way to happiness, peace, love and perfect balance.

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