How much time do you spend alone with yourself? Do you know how to disconnect from external stimuli and redirect your attention to internal processes, deepening and immersing yourself in them?
Some people effortlessly cut themselves off from the outside and under any conditions can hear themselves, make out the voice of their own self through the rustles and noises, and focus on what is really important and necessary right now. But many of us find it hard not to work, watch videos or play at https://amazonia-slot.com/ for an hour or at least several minutes because we have long ago lost the line between what is extraneous, imposed, and what is truly valuable for development and finding peace.
Meditation techniques help to turn off the incessant noise in the head, separate the grains from the chaff, stop the fuss, and find an optimal mode of life in which there is time to recover and merge with inner stillness.
Preparing for Meditation
On the one hand, meditation doesn’t require certain conditions. It’s enough that one is comfortable, that’s all.
But what do we mean by comfortable? First, it’s about not letting one’s attention slip away during the practice – not thinking that the room is cold and not wishing that one could get out of meditation as soon as possible because one’s knees are stiff.
So, what will help keep the pose for the right amount of time and allow the meditation technique to change one’s inner state.
The temperature of the air should be optimal for the individual. If one stays motionless in any position for a long time, metabolic processes will slow down, and the body will cool down. So we don’t allow a situation where limbs freeze, the nose becomes icy, and all thoughts are only about when you can already get up and put on a sweater. Or vice versa – it may be too hot, palms sweat, clothes stick to the skin. It should be moderately warm and at the same time fresh, so it’s recommended to air the room before training.
The body doesn’t accumulate overstrain. Here it’s individual: one can sit for hours with crossed legs (Sukhasana), and the other one can sit comfortably on heels (Vajrasana). If there is a feeling of “something wrong” from the first seconds, it’s better to change the pose right away – there’s no point in going through resistance and pain. The attention will anyway return to thoughts of discomfort, and the process of meditation itself will cause only negative thoughts.
External stimuli. We are talking about outside sounds and noises. It will be most likely hard for a beginner to concentrate under the roar of a drill or loud obtrusive music. Therefore, we recommend choosing a quiet, secluded place where you won’t be distracted by household members or a news program on TV.
The advanced practitioner may come to a meditative state without any special conditions – sometimes from outside it looks “usual”, but inside there are transformational processes taking place. At the initial stage, following the rules described above will help to form the habit of meditation. To produce the desired results, meditation must become a habit. Only then can it be learned:
- Not to identify with emotions and thoughts.
- To be an attentive observer who notices everything, but knows how not to connect, not to energize that which doesn’t concern his true self.
How to Practice Meditation: Possible Mistakes
First, let’s briefly outline the mistakes most often encountered by newcomers:
- Exaggerated expectations. Many people take months or years to get into a meditative state. If the first or tenth time it doesn’t work – this is an excuse to try again and again. To learn to meditate, one must meditate. It’s only with time that the influence of external circumstances fades, giving way to internal processes.
- Difficult body positions. There is no need to curl up into a lotus right away – at the stage when one learns about meditation. One should not lose contact with the body and listen only to the Ego, which wants everything at once.
- Loss of control. We may notice that the body changes its initial position: the lower back arches, the shoulders curl forward or are pulled up, the chest is compressed. It’s important to pay attention not only to the point of concentration but also to the position of the body in space.
Everyone experiences this experience differently, and for one person this “training” is easy, involving and determined. For another, it’s difficult to even begin. And all of this is normal.
The Best Postures for Meditation
We have understood why it’s important to take the position in which you feel comfortable, and we know what shortcomings may prevent the practice with the maximum effect. Lets study the positions in which meditative techniques are most often performed.
Key control points for all sitting positions:
- Chin slightly pushed inward, extending the back of the neck.
- Lower ribs and navel are pulled up toward the spine, aligning the back. This is a subtle movement that is not accompanied by tension in the muscles.
- Create an upward extension – from the coccyx to the top of the head.
- Hands resting freely on the knees or hips, palms open toward the ceiling.
Let’s also mention the contraindications, so that meditation will not lead to the aggravation of existing diseases. Positions where the legs are bent and the knees are at an acute angle – Sukhasana, Padmasana, Ardha Padmasana, Siddhasana – aren’t suitable for people who have injuries or diseases of the knee joints. Positions that affect blood circulation in the ankle area, such as Vajrasana and Virasana, shouldn’t be performed if you have varicose veins.
Sukhasana
In Sanskrit, this pose is called a comfortable position. Some people are really comfortable sitting cross-legged, while others find their knees, shins and lower back sagging after a couple of minutes. If the position is truly comfortable, this should not be the case. Ideally one doesn’t feel overstrained: the muscles of the hips are relaxed, the shoulders are open and seem to flow down, the skin of the face is smooth, there is no tension in the area between the eyebrows, the jaw isn’t clenched. The back remains straight during the entire meditation, the head remains in a straight position, it isn’t thrown back and doesn’t fall down. Palms are open to the ceiling and are motionless on the knees or hips.
For comfort, the teacher suggests putting a rolled up plaid under the knees (if there is discomfort in the knees) or sitting on blocks (if there is stiffness in the hip joints). If a person initially realizes that in a couple of minutes his back will start to “fall off”, it’s better to sit against the wall. Support will help to concentrate on the process, and not to think that the body is about to break.
Siddhasana
Named after the sage who said, “Among the Niyam, the most important thing is not to hurt anyone, among the Yamas is a moderate diet, and among the asanas is Siddhasana.”
This asana is considered a preparatory posture to Padmasana and is the main meditation posture – it’s easy to maintain concentration and move towards attaining Siddha. To perform it, open the hip joints and knees wide apart and place the lift of one leg on top of the calf of the other leg. The sole of the “upper” leg is opened upward. Next, remember the adjustments we wrote about above: align the body, relax all the muscles and immerse yourself in contemplation.
Padmasana
The lotus pose, which is most often associated with meditation. Indeed, it’s believed that all asana practice is aimed at preparing the body to hold Padmasana for long periods of time for meditation.
The catch is that many practitioners “skip” the stage of careful preparation, trying their best to curl up in a lotus, and thereby risk significant injury – primarily to the knee joints. Even if a person can “bind” oneself for a short time, it doesn’t mean that the position is comfortable to stay in for more than a minute.
Therefore, Padmasana is a difficult pose for beginners and shouldnt be used for meditation if the body is not yet prepared. It’s important to be comfortable from the very beginning.
Padmasana is performed with good mobility of the hip joints – only in this case, the knees won’t take the impact. In the lotus pose, the heels touch the crotch area and the toes cling to the outer surfaces of the hips. The pelvis remains on the floor, and the practitioner feels both sciatic bones pressed against its surface. As in any other sitting position, keep an eye on your back – the spine is straight, there is no bend in the lower back. Shoulders should be slightly back and down. If you manage to set up the asana correctly and keep it without overstrain for a long time in any part of the asana, then this may be your pose in meditation.
Vajrasana
Vajrasana is Sanskrit for “diamond” or “lightning pose,” and it’s often the most appropriate meditative pose because it is easy to observe the position of the back and to relax the hips and arms. In Vajrasana, the knees and inner thighs touch and the pelvis descends on the heels. With your big toes against each other – don’t spread your feet wide apart. To make it easier, you can use a pillow: put it between the soles and the buttocks.
Virasana
The pose of the hero is not suitable for everyone, as it requires good mobility of the hip joints (inner rotation) and “strong” knees.
In this position, the knees carry the main load, and it isn’t acceptable to tolerate pain.
Shavasana
Most meditations are done sitting down – in this position, it’s easier to maintain concentration and not to fall asleep. Indeed, when we lie down, the body gets a signal to relax: we don’t need to make sure that our back remains straight and the top of the spine is pulled up. But if we are talking, for example, about a body scanning technique or a relaxing meditation for sound sleep, we can lie down in Shavasana, a corpse pose. However, we don’t let our guard down and fall asleep. Still strive for total concentration and observation of what is happening in the moment.
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