Points to keep in mind during Meditation

Points to keep in mind during Meditation

Meditation is a process that enables focusing and quietening your mind in order to help you reach a higher level of inner calm and awareness. It is possible to meditate anytime and anywhere, enabling yourself to achieve peace and tranquility irrespective of the surroundings. However it helps to follow the simple instructions given below-

Choosing the location – The environment should be so chosen that it is calm and peaceful, to enable focusing the mind without distraction of the outside stimuli. It is always better to be somewhere where there would be no interruptions during the meditation.

Avoid external distractions – TV sets, phones and other appliances should be turned off .Avoid music, though if it is meditative music, choose gentle tunes, so that your concentration does not break.

Wear comfortable clothes – You must feel physically comfortable during the process of meditation. Therefore avoid wearing restrictive or tight clothing. Wear loose clothing. If it is cold, you must wear a sweater to avoid catching the chill.

Decide upon the duration for meditatation before you begin- a few minutes for beginners to about 20-30 minutes for regular practitioners are fine.

Time and Place – It is preferable to meditate same time and place every day – preferably it should be in the early hours of morning as a part of the daily routine.

Warm up and Stretch out – Since meditation involves being in one position for a long time, it is better to do a bit of warm and light stretching. It would help to loosen up and prepare the body as well as mind for meditation.

Adopt a comfortable posture – Since meditation involves lying still for some time, it is better to choose a posture that can be maintained with ease. Therefore the half-lotus position or even lying position is always preferred. One could also sit on a cushion or a chair. The important thing to keep in mind is to keep your spine straight.

Eyes preferably closed – Although meditation can be done with open eyes, a beginner should first try meditating with eyes closed. This ensures blocking out the external stimuli and prevents being distracted.

Following a healthy lifestyle – A healthy lifestyle makes meditation more effective so it is important that we eat healthily food, exercise regularly and get sufficient sleep. It also helps if one can avoid watching television over prolonged periods, or smoking or drinking before meditation. It is not good to meditate immediately after eating as it may interfere with concentration or make you drowsy.

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