Luke’s $10k A Week Blog

Here’s a quick introduction to what is called Mindfulness Meditation. I use this technique for relaxation. A good introduction is available at How to do Mindfulness Meditation. A longer, more philosophical introduction to the subject is available in a free online book called Mindfulness In Plain English.

• While it is best done sitting cross-legged, this mental exercise can be done while standing or sitting, or even while laying down if sleep is your goal. In a nutshell, the basic idea is to focus on (without trying to affect) your breath, for several minutes straight. Your breathing will grow longer and deeper naturally, but it is important not to change it willfully. Along the way you will think of new things, and attend briefly to these thoughts but return to the focus on your breathing as soon as you are able.

• Other types of focus point have been used, such as a candle or a rock; statues of Buddha are used among Buddhists, and a popular perception is to think of these objects when meditation is mentioned. Sounds such as “Om” or repetitive chants called Mantras are also used for focus. However I don’t use any of these, as they are less convenient and more likely to generate religious criticisms. My goal with meditating is not religious, nor am I interested in becoming a Buddhist; I just want to be peaceful.

• Focusing on your breathing also has the benefit of relaxing you physiologically, in addition to providing a single task to focus your mind on. So in my opinion this is a better way to meditate. The best way to physically direct your focus to your breath is to imagine the rims of your nostrils, and the breath as it goes by. There will be four parts to a relaxed breath; the inward draw, the brief pause as it reverses, the outward blow, and a second brief pause as it reverses.

• Every thought in your mind has a natural starting point and ending point. Meditation which focuses you on a single point over time will attune you to these. Your mind can thus be trained to return to a peaceful state as soon as a thought is ended, instead of being forced to come up with an endless stream of chatter as it will often do. Background chatter tends to center on our fears, which creates stress, harms our health, and distracts us from what is important.

• For the beginner, 10 to 20 minutes is great. Experienced meditators will do more like 40 minutes daily. Some claims have been made that this can substitute for sleep; I have not verified this, but it is possible that reduced stress would make one’s existing sleep more effective. Your eyes may be opened or closed, and to stay awake without being distracted the best position is sitting up cross-legged with your back straight. The lotus position is ideal if you are flexible enough.

This is a very helpful mental exercise in my opinion. It is very easy to do, and with practice can totally change your outlook on life, making you more aware of your thoughts and more attuned to the present moment. And as a powerful stress reducer, it can lead ultimately to greater health, energy, and productivity.

I would not call it a substitute for critical thinking, time management, or other important skills in life. Meditating won’t make you rich, nor will it solve the world’s problems. All it can do is reduce stress and perhaps make you a bit wiser, and more prepared to deal with life’s challenges. But that is enough for me to want to try it.

Related posts:

1. Meditation Makes You Compassionate?
2. Meditate, You Big Jerk!

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 27th, 2008 at 8:00 am and is filed under personal development. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.