What, exactly is meditation? The dictionary definition:
Meditation | medəˈtāSH(ə)n
noun: the action or practice of meditating
It is derived from the Latin root word meditatum which means to ponder.
When the monkey in your mind is swinging from the trees and having a party at your expense ... it's time to meditate.
You may be thinking ... how do I do this? Or you may be thinking ... I've tried and it's really hard. Yeah, I agree, it is hard. I will explain a very easy technique that will set you up for success! No special training or equipment needed. See my corresponding IGTV video on April 9, 2020 at www.instagram.com/janetmeredith.
While most people have, at least, heard the word "meditation", it is often associated with India or yoga or religion or men with long beards wearing orange robes. Indeed, meditation can be those things but it can also be for you ... yep, you {with or without an orange robe}.
Let's take a look at its roots. Depictions of people in meditative poses date back to 5000 BCE in India. The earliest writings can be found in the Hindu Vedas around 1500 BCE. If my calculations are correct, the art of meditation is reallllllly old.
Please know that there are a myriad of techniques and some truly amazing teachers, teachers much more qualified than I. This is not to discount any of them ... this is simply to offer you an easy technique to get started of your journey.
#1 Grab your phone {I know, right?! lol} and begin in a seated position. If it's comfortable for you, sit on the floor on a cushion / pillow. Or in a chair / sofa / edge of bed with your feet flat on the floor and knees hip width apart. Bring your attention to your pelvis and find the neutral spot where you can feel equal weight on each sitting bone - not too far forward and not too far backward - in the center. Lengthen the front and back of your spine as well as the sides of your waist. Relax your shoulders and face and allow the head to float at the top of your spine.
# 2 Turn your phone on silent and set the timer for 3 minutes. Close your eyes. Breathe in and out of your nose. On the inhalation, mentally say to yourself "inhale" and on the exhalation, mentally say to yourself "exhale". Allow each breath to become deeper and fuller. That's it. When your mind wanders, and it will, quietly bring your attention back to the inhales and exhales.
#3 With practice, this may get easier and you may want to increase the time. 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, an hour. Be mindful to set yourself up for success in the beginning, if this is new for you or you find it extremely difficult {like I do}, steer away from setting your timer for an hour, you may end up more frustrated.
Be sure to watch the IGTV video at www.instagram.com/janetmeredith and comment below to let me now how this works for you. Feel free to post your progress and your questions.
Namaste.'
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