How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is a technique some 2,500 years old, taught by Buddha himself. Practitioners seek to attain and then maintain a calm sense of self-awareness, allowing for an objective view of their thoughts, emotions and self. It is still practiced by many millions today as a means of combating stress and fostering personal spiritual growth.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A quiet place to meditate
• Computer with an Internet connection

Achieve Self-Awareness Through Mindfulness Meditation

1. Choose a quiet place. Block out as much light as possible.
2. Seat yourself using correct posture. Sit on the floor, fold the legs so your knees touch the floor, fold your hands just below your navel and keep your back straight to maximize energy flow through your body.
3. Direct your gaze downwards. Don't stare: just let your eyes keep a soft focus. Concentrate on the space a few inches in front of your nose.
4. Breathe in and out, in and out. Standardize a rhythm. Practice paying attention to the way the air feels when it fills your lungs, and the way it feels as it exits your body. Repeat until you achieve a state of wakeful calm.
5. Try not to think. If thoughts pop into your head, just let them fizzle out. Particularly avoid thinking about stress-inducing topics or things that you have strong emotions about.
6. Concentrate on your breathing. The goal of mindfulness meditation is simply to become aware of the self through non-awareness of everything but the self. Its primary technique is simply to focus on nothing but your breathing: in and out, in and out.
7. Keep your sessions short, especially at first. Start with 10 to 20 minutes at a time is recommended.
8. Practice as frequently as possible. Meditate as many times per day as you possibly can, keeping your sessions between 10 and 20 minutes.
9. Locate like-minded people in your town or city. Check to see if there is a society or association specifically for mindfulness meditation near you. Meditation is most effective when it becomes a lifestyle, not just an idle practice used in isolation.
10. Learn more about mindfulness meditation at the Shambhala Sun Web site (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Mindfulness meditation involves no cost, unless you want professional instruction. Lessons are generally moderate in price, depending on the instructor and the center.
• Meditation can be calm and relaxing, and it can reduce stress and promote mental health, but it should not be used as a substitute for medical care. If you have depression, thoughts of suicide, anxiety or panic attacks, talk to a mental health professional.

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