Meditation for the new generation

 

 

 

I'm a little flustered when I think about just how IMPORTANT meditation is in this day and age of fast paced EVERYTHING, yet how many people just dont take the time out to do it. Too woo woo, too spiritual, too ancient & images of holy men sitting in awkward positions chanting I'm sure has turned a lot of people off. However - meditation is for EVERYBODY, especially our new young generation where we are experiencing a world very different from 100 years ago (note stress and anxiety is at its worst). & there is a practice out there for any type of person you are. I recently completed my studies in meditation teaching & holistic counselling via the International Institute of Complimentary Therapies. If you are new to meditation, I wanted to share with you some info and tips to help you along in your meditation journey.

First, you might want to know why the heck you’d even want to start a practice of taking 10 or more minutes out of your day to just sit there, focusing on blank space in your mind. Surely you could just have a nap, zone out watching TV or attend to the one of the gazillion and one other things that you just HAVE to do! Let's lay it on the table, there is nothing that can happen in 10 minutes that is going to cause the world to stop with you not being there. Second - napping, watching TV or choosing any other relaxation method will not bring you the benefits that meditation does. Meditation is a  unique tool of its own that brings your mind from focussing externally to internally - & it’s in the internal arena where all the magic happens, before you see it in the external world. Your mind can be a tricky little monkey and tell you a lot of reasons NOT to do something, when you know very well deep down somewhere that it’s going to be really beneficial for you.

WIIFM (What’s in it for me??)

Consistent meditation practice causes the following:

·        Counteracts the effects of that super bad boy stress. Stress if extended over a long period of time can cause fast forward ageing of the body, weight gain, lead to mental disorders like depression and anxiety, lead to illness including heart problems, cognitive dysfunction… and the list goes on and on… proactive management of stress is essential today, and 10 minutes of meditation is the perfect antidote for it. Meditation counteracts stress by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy clinically uses basic meditation CDs and mindfulness practice to reverse a whole range of disorders related to stress, that’s how powerful it is.

 

·        Meditation practice might seem like NOTHING IS HAPPENING, but that’s kind of the point. & it takes a lot of effort to FOCUS ON NOTHING. Our brains are super whirring all day, every day - the average person has 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts in a day! We’re so used to THINKING that even when we rest our brains are still going! Sometimes obsessively! Meditation helps you to control the level of thinking throughout the day. In turn this makes you more FOCUSSED AND PRESENT. Being focussed and present leads us to greater happiness in our lives.

·        You’ll get in touch with your true self. When you start to get more and more into your meditation practice, eventually you’ll find quiet and stillness and in this space you will start having epiphanies and a sense of your true self. I don’t know what you believe, but I believe that we all do have a soul that is of divine intelligence. We don’t always access it because our minds are always chatting away, but in this stillness, we find it, embrace it and it starts to guide us.

IN MY OPINION THERE IS NOTHING MEDITATION CAN’T DO FOR YOUR HAPPINESS LEVELS AND GETTING YOURSELF OUT OF A RUT. IN MY OPINION MEDITATION IS AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR COPING IN THE HECTIC WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE TODAY.

As a meditation newbie, there are some usual frustrations you may find. But keep the goal in mind of how beneficial meditation is and you will soon get over it. The main problem we have is finding the sweet spot, because our brains are still learning to be QUIET. The streams of thoughts do come, and they may appear in thoughts such as:

“Am I doing it right”

“Is this really for me”

“What’s next”

“I’m bored”

Notice how they are all trying to get you right back into your thinking habit? This tends to happen if you have issues with control. Not thinking for a lot of people means you somehow don’t have control over yourself. Funny thing is – it’s the complete opposite! You will have MORE control over yourself if you can exercise LETTING GO of all your thoughts & know that it’s completely ok.

Top tips for when thoughts like these come:

1.      Don’t judge them, be the neutral observer

2.      Remember to see them just as thoughts and nothing but thoughts, this includes words, images, feelings etc.

3.      Acknowledge them and let them dissipate naturally, don’t try to fight them away

4.     When thoughts start to run havoc - focus deeply on every aspect of your breath in the very present moment. The way it feels, the way it makes your rib cage expand, how your belly rises etc. Be mindful, be present.

 

 

Meditation for the first time is kinda like riding a bike, we’re all a bit wobbly at first but soon enough we’re smooth sailing. If you’re not experiencing these things and you’ve slipped right into the meditation sweet spot – congratulations! Keep going and you’ll probably want to expand your practice as you go – 20 minutes twice a day is the ideal. If you’re not quite there yet, remember the above and keep going, we’re talking about self mastery and happiness here.

There are many meditations you can try, including - guided, visualisation, walking meditations, zen meditations, mantra etc …it’s about finding what suits you. As a newbie I’d recommend guided meditations and mindfulness exercises. There is a huge library on YouTube of meditations you can do. Anything from Deepak Chopra and Eckart Tolle is good! Here are a couple of links you might like to initially try:

 

FINAL RECAP AND TOP TIPS

1. Don’t judge yourself

2. Practice first thing in the morning when you wake up – it allows for smooth sailing and focus for the rest of the day

3. Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight up – this ensures the relaxation messages from your brain are travelling throughout your body properly

4. Bring yourself back to your breath whenever you feel off whack – not just during meditation but anywhere & anytime throughout the day when you need to re-centre and focus

5. Be patient

6. Remember that this is a special practice just for yourself, as part of making you the best you - right here, right now

 

 

 

Get your meditation on people, NOW

Have you tried meditation before? If so what are the biggest challenges you’ve found in your practice? Leave a comment in the box below.