Stress and Meditation

So what is meditation?  I expect you are like me when I first came across meditation, I thought that it was something to do with someone sitting cross-legged, chanting to themselves but meditation is nothing like that, it is just a term for putting your mind into a deep state of relaxation.  For this reason that is why stress and meditation go together.  There are many ways to meditate and each one is correct, it really boils down to what suits you.  There are many names given to the meditation because it is also a recognised component in religion.   

Meditation is an act of focussing on a single point, be it a sound, the breathe, an object or visualization to promote a deep relaxation feeling within yourself. Meditation can be a useful tool for many problems.  Stress is one problem that springs to mind when the word meditation is mentioned but it can also be used to lose weight, feel better about yourself, sleep better, lift depression and many other problems.

Stress and meditation - how to overcome stress 

Meditation can be guided, ie by listening to someone instructing you through the whole process with usually music playing in the background or you can perform it by yourself.  To start with I think it is easier to be guided, so that you know how to do it without getting confused.

You can meditate anywhere, I use to know someone who used to meditate whilst travelling into work on a busy train, for most people they meditate whilst either sitting in a chair upright or cross legged on a cushion, with their eyes closed or eyes open fixing on an external object.  Meditation is fairly easy to do, the simplest form is to concentrate on your breathe. This means that you concentrate on the inhalation and exhalation of your breathe, leaving a short period in between them, where you hold your breathe or wait before you inhale again.  On the out breaths feel your body relax, the body lets go of its stress.

Whilst meditating you will find that your mind will become clear and uncluttered, that mind chatter that we all experience will be quietened for a short while.  If a thought pops up, which it inevitably will, then the best idea is to push it away and quieten the mind again.

Meditation is best done daily but you can do it for a short or long a time as you want, it can be just a few minutes or an hour, once or twice a day, it all depends on how you feel.  If you are really short of time try meditating just before you go to sleep, if you can find time to meditate you will in time reap many benefits.