Has your mind been busy with racing and never-ending thoughts? A mind “full” of thoughts could be filled with a jibber-jabber of worries, stress, negative feelings, and an endless to-do list that keeps reminding you of your duties.
Mindful meditation or focused concentration is a stepping stone to achieving a state of sustained concentration or “Dhyana”. In this practice, the attention is fixed on a singular object of focus. Research has shown the efficacy of such mindful meditation in reducing stress, anxiety, blood pressure, and improved memory and focus.
Here’s how you can get started
- Set a specific time for meditation: Although meditation can be practiced anytime, incorporating it as a part of the morning routine helps to stay balanced and increase productivity throughout the day. Practicing meditation at bedtime works as a good relaxation technique and promotes sound sleep.
- Find a peaceful location: Choose a space that is comfortable for you. It does not necessarily have to be a soundproof room, but a place where you can sit without being interrupted is good enough.
- Sit in a comfortable position: Breathing is more efficient when a good posture is maintained. Beginners can sit in a chair that supports the back or sit on a bolster with legs crossed and the back resting against a wall.
- Set up a realistic goal: An initial enthusiasm in setting up longer durations for meditation, may not work over a long time. Start off with a 5-min meditation and slowly increase the duration as you get comfortable with the practice.
- Acknowledge your wandering mind: It is natural for the mind to get distracted by thoughts. Without restricting your thoughts, redirect the attention back to your meditation practice.
Check out the guided meditations on Yogalates with Rashmi on Youtube and as an added bonus, here are some basic 5 minute mindful meditation techniques to help you declutter the mind:
Breath Meditation
In this technique, we use our breath to establish a mind-body connection. Bringing awareness to the breath activates the parasympathetic nervous system and reverses the physical and mental blocks, ultimately bringing both – the mind and body, to a relaxed harmonious state.
- Focus on your breath through the nose. Observe the temperature difference at the tip of your nostrils as you inhale cool air and exhale warm air. Count to 10 slow deep breaths.
- Slowly shift the attention to the chest. With every breath in, the chest expands and contracts with every breath out.
- After 10 deep breaths, guide your breath down to your abdomen and feel the rising and falling of the abdomen with each breath.
When the mind starts to drift away into thoughts, simply say to yourself that it’s okay and redirect the attention back to the breath.
5 -Sense Mindfulness Meditation
This practice draws in all the 5 senses and establishes a sense of grounding. It also allows the mind to slow down, become aware of the present moment, and embrace experiences without any judgment.
- 5 things you see: Sitting comfortably, start by looking around and notice 5 things that you see. Notice the colour, shape, texture, and other finer details of the objects that you observe.
- 4 things you feel: Gently close your eyes, and bring your attention to the sense of touch. You might feel a cool breeze against your skin, or sensation of your legs in contact with the mat, or that of the clothes on your body.
- 3 things you hear: Notice the sounds you hear from the loudest to the subtlest of the sounds. It could be the sound of a car on the street, people talking, sounds of nature, or even the sound of your breath.
- 2 things you smell: Bring your attention to the sense of smell, as you sense any fragrance or scents around.
- 1 thing you taste: Shift your focus to any taste that you sense in your mouth. It could be a lingering taste of something that you have eaten or even the sensation of the saliva in your mouth.
Body Scan Check-in
Bringing awareness to different parts of the body with a non-judgemental attitude has a positive impact on mental well-being, increases self-awareness and slows down the thought process. Research shows that body scan meditation can help one fall asleep faster and improves the quality of sleep.
Start by either sitting or lying down in a comfortable place. Mentally start to scan the body from the top of the head, focusing on sensations that you feel there. These sensations may be a slight tension, pain, heaviness, discomfort, or any other physical sensation. These sensations could also stir up certain emotions. Accept them all with an open mind without any reflection. Let the sensations and feelings drift off like the clouds in the sky.
- Allow this interoceptive awareness to build gradually, as you slowly shift your attention to the neck, the shoulders, the arms, back, the chest, the abdomen, legs, feet, all the way down to the tips of your toes.
- If you notice your attention being diverted from the point of focus, take a deep breath and bring your awareness back to your body part.
- Upon completion of the body scan, observe your entire body and notice how it feels. What strong feeling does your body radiate? Do you feel lighter?Heavier?…Calmer? Guide your breath through your whole body. Begin to notice the sounds around you and take your time to slowly open your eyes.
Last but not the least, congratulate yourself for taking the much-needed time out that you deserve to become one with yourself. Meditation can initially be challenging, but with regular practice, you will unbox the magical gifts of self-healing, pure joy and contentment.