3 Meditation Techniques You Must Try for a Calmer Mind

Introduction

Meditation is a great way to reduce stress, calm our nerves, clear our minds, and feel good. The most common questions that come to mind regarding meditation are: How do we meditate? How long should we meditate? When can we meditate? Do we need any tools to meditate? Is it tough to learn meditation? The answer to all these questions is: Meditation is simple, easy to learn, and understand.

The most important equipment required for meditation is YOU.

Meditation is an ancient technique that has been around for ages. It is very effective in relaxing our mind and body. It helps us relax and recharge our batteries. It lowers our heart rate and blood pressure, reduces stress, and balances the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in our blood. It improves our immunity and raises energy levels. It inculcates a feeling of peace and calm that makes our thought processes clearer. It teaches us to control our thoughts and feelings.

Let us see three of the best meditation techniques that can be practised, to begin the journey of meditation. You can begin with and develop these to reach the upper-level techniques of meditation.

(1) Psychological: Breathing meditation is psychological in nature.

Breathing meditation: This is the basic meditation where we need to focus our attention on our breathing. Research shows that focus on breathing meditation, attention and brain health is all interlinked (Trinity College Dublin 2018).

How to practice breathing meditation:

Sit in a comfortable position in a quiet place – on the Yoga mat/ bed /chair.
Close your eyes.
Take slow deep breaths and focus your attention on your breaths
Be aware of the sounds around you – the whirring of the fan, the chirping birds outside, the distant sound of car horns, voices talking in the garden below,
Be aware of the ingoing and outgoing breath, be aware of your stomach expanding with each incoming breath and contracting with each outgoing breath
Be attentive to the thoughts and feelings going on in your mind, acknowledge them and gently move your focus back to your breathing.
Sit as still as you can and allow your mind to go inwards
Become aware of the sounds around you, become aware of your feelings and gently open your eyes.

Pranayama is the art of breathing and there are numerous breathing techniques that can be used in meditation like the 4-7-8 breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, alternate nostril breathing etc.

(2) Physical: Mindful walking meditation is physical and mindful in nature.

Mindful walking meditation: This is a type of meditation which requires you to walk and meditate! This form of meditation originated from Zen Buddhism. It is ideal for those who cannot sit still in one place to meditate. This helps to cultivate mindfulness.

How to practice mindful walking meditation

Go for a walk on the street, in the park, in your house, on the terrace- anywhere.
Walk in silence and soak up the atmosphere.
Be mindful of your surroundings – become aware of the gravity, the sound of your feet on the floor, the movement of your arms, the cool breeze, and the smell of the flowers, take in the surroundings with your senses
Be attentive to how your body moves, the effect on your muscles, and the effect on your feet.
If you find your mind wandering, then make the effort to bring it back to the present moment.

(3) Spiritual: Mantra meditation is spiritual.

Mantra meditation: This type of meditation is an ancient Yogic practice that increases your focus and trains your mind. Mantra is defined as “manas” which means mind and “tra” which means tool thereby Mantra. Chanting mantras is an age-old Buddhist way of life.

How to practice mantra meditation

Sit in a comfortable position in a quiet place – on the Yoga mat/ bed /chair.
Chant a mantra like “Om” or “Aham Prema” or any chant of your faith.
Chanting should be done 108 times.
Count on your fingertips or a prayer bead (mala).
The duration of this Mantra Meditation is a 40-day cycle.
Focus on the mantra and nothing else, while you chant.

Meditation makes people react differently. Some feel sleepy, some feel energized, some feel calm, some feel happy, and some feel emotional. Reactions vary from person to person, so there is no comparison that “How is your meditation better than my meditation”. We are not talking about washing powder here! There are a plethora of online audio and videos that teach you how to practice meditation.

You can begin by meditating for 5 minutes each day and gradually increase the duration. You can also try the meditation technique that you are most comfortable with. Meditation is the way we can be in tune with the present moment. You can meditate any time you want – after your exercise / Yoga session to relax your body and mind or at night for improved quality of sleep. If you are too stressed / nervous, do a five-minute meditation, to calm your nerves.

The most important thing is that meditation is effortless. If we make too much of an effort, it becomes difficult. Just let the feelings and thoughts wash over you, do not oppose them. Accept them. It is humanely not possible to banish all thoughts from our minds. Meditation teaches us to look inward and be with ourselves. The ultimate level is to be one with our mind and body and the Universe/Almighty.

Time and patience with loads of practice are required for any form of meditation.