Have you heard a lot about the benefits of meditation, its positive effects on both mindfulness and health, and would you like to start meditating?

But you have little idea how to do it correctly and how much time a day to devote to this activity?

From the article you will learn:

• what is meditation for,
• how to learn meditation,
• how much time a day should I devote to it?
• 3 meditation exercises that even a child can handle
• where to “put” the mind during meditation,
• Super concentration technique from Sri Chinmoy.

What does meditation give?

The Buddha also realized that ignorance of the true nature of man is the cause of suffering, and this ignorance stems from the tendency of the mind to be constantly distracted.

Meditation helps you stop being distracted by mental chatter and suffering.

It connects our divine nature with earthly reality.

Therefore, through meditation, you can bring heaven to earth, and live your life happily, in accordance with your true nature, without suffering, unnecessary worry and fuss.

How much time per day to meditate?

Meditation master Sogyal Rinpoche states that it does not matter how long you meditate.

The main thing is that this practice brings you to a certain state of awareness and presence, when you become more open and attuned to your own heart.

5 minutes spent in an attentive state is much more valuable than 20 minutes spent dozing.

Later, you will be able to remain clear and aware for hours. But this will require training, time, patience and

And if meditation time is not so important, you can choose the number of minutes that is comfortable for you.

If you are a very busy person, find just 5 minutes a day to meditate and dedicate them to yourself - and your life will change for the better.

Self-love and respect always bring wonderful results, and meditation also helps you get to know yourself better: integrate previously unconscious parts of yourself, not to mention the value of synchronization with the world.

How to learn meditation. 3 simple techniques for beginners

There are countless meditations in the world.

I offer 3 simple and effective techniques that even a person who has never meditated before can successfully use.

1. Observation of breathing

This is a very ancient method of meditation that is used by all schools of Buddhism.

You just need to sit comfortably and focus on your breathing: how cool air enters your body, bringing with it relaxation, lightness and energy of life; and then comes out heated from the body, taking away all the negativity, low vibrations and fatigue.

While breathing, try just watch how you breathe. If distracting thoughts appear in your head at this time, do not pay attention to them - let them leave the same way they came - easily and freely.

This practice will teach you to “turn off” your constantly chattering brain and improve your attention management skills.

2. Directing attention to the area of ​​the spiritual heart

Sri Chinmoy's book Silent Training states that “the spiritual heart is the center of infinite and universal love.”

In the human body, the spiritual heart is located in the area of ​​the physical heart, at the level of the heart chakra - in the center of the chest.

The whole method is to direct attention to the area of ​​the spiritual heart - after all, it is through this place of our body that we can connect with your “Higher Self”.

By fully focusing on the heart, we “dive” deep into ourselves and gradually comprehend ever deeper levels of bliss, peace and love.

One can also imagine a flower blooming in the spiritual heart, and as it blooms, the flow of love, peace and bliss will expand and flow more and more from the heart.

I will describe another variation of transferring attention to the area of ​​the spiritual heart.

At the beginning of meditation, imagine the endless sky. Look at this sky or feel it as if from the outside, as an observer, and then become this sky yourself, identify with it.

When this has been achieved, bring your attention to your heart - feel or see the sky in your spiritual heart.

Feel how your heart expands and expands, it becomes bigger than you and you yourself become the Heart of the Universe!

And inside you - this huge heart - feel the sky with which you identified earlier. Since the Heart of the Universe is much larger than the sky, you can easily place the sky inside yourself.

3. Chanting or reciting mantras

The word “mantra” is translated from Sanskrit as “that which protects the mind.”

Traditionally, chanting or simply repeating mantras is believed to banish negativity from the mind.

In the East, they believe that mantras embody truth in sound form, and while working with mantras, the mind and subtle bodies are charged with the energy of this truth.

This practice is especially useful for people who are often distracted by the chatter of a restless mind.

Sri Chinmoy states that the most powerful mantra of all is “Aum”.

It is believed that this sound conveys the vibration of God, and with its help, the Almighty set into motion the first vibration he created, and every moment he creates himself anew within “Aum”.

The sound “m” should be at least three times longer than the sound “ay”.

By pronouncing the sound “Aum” loudly, you feel the omnipotence of God, in a whisper - his delight, and silently - his peace.

In special books or on the Internet you can find mantras that will be closest to you.

If you are looking for a simpler practice, instead of traditional mantras, you can chant or pronounce just one word in your native language, the meaning of which is clear to you, and what it means is most desirable or necessary at the moment.

For example, you can work with words like “Love”, “Freedom”, “Kindness”, “Beauty”, “Humour”.

How to calm your mind during meditation?

Those who have tried to meditate know that it is not so easy to calm the mind - it chatters every now and then, thoughts jump around and distract from the meditation itself.

What to do? How to tame the mind and make it silent?

And this is not necessary.

Thoughts will still appear - after all, they stem from the mind itself.

They are like waves that sometimes rage and then calm down in the ocean of the mind.

What to do with thoughts during meditation?

Accept them, allow them to be, but do not get involved in endless thoughts, and then the mind will become clearer and thoughts will calm down.

Sogyal Rinpoche compares the mind during meditation to a jar of muddy water.

The water in the jar will become cleaner and more transparent if you stop stirring, stirring and shaking the water. Then the dirt particles will settle to the bottom, and the mind will become clear like water.

Concentration during meditation

Sri Chinmoy offers a wonderful concentration technique that helps you stay in meditation or in the present moment and forget about distractions.

The whole secret is that concentration should not come from the intellectual mind, but from the light of the soul that enters the mind!

Then it becomes very easy to concentrate on anything, because doubts and fears disappear.

As you concentrate, feel and visualize how

1. the light of the soul fills your heart;
2. the light of the soul moves to and through the third eye;
3. you merge with this light and scatter the light around you;
4. identify with the space and time around you;
5. set the intention to discover the hidden, original truth in the object of concentration;
6. watch how your perception changes.

This exercise really helps me write texts when I can’t concentrate.

After visualizing the proposed points, I find myself in a flow, and, according to my intuitive feelings, I begin to better imagine what my work should look like in the end.

By practicing meditation, over time you will notice that you are changing for the better, as if you are clearing yourself of other people’s beliefs, opinions and prejudices.

You will become more of you: clear, bright and true. You will learn new things, your horizons will expand, the heart will open.

Gradually you will notice more and more beauty in yourself, in the world around you, in people.

And, most importantly, you will understand who you are: who or what you love most, WHAT you came to give to the world in this earthly life, what value, contribution you first want to create, and then give to those to whom your work will benefit the most.

And the world, of course, will not remain in debt. He will more than reward you for your selflessness and pure heart - he will make you very happy!

Meditation, which is fashionable today, is actually a great way to restore the body’s energy, control over your life and find a solution to any problem.

From a practical point of view, meditation can relieve pain, relieve insomnia, depression, and loss of strength.

To master the technique of contemplation perfectly, adepts practice meditation for years.

But for us, ordinary people, a few minutes a day are enough.

The main thing is to know how to meditate correctly.

How to meditate correctly: basic principles

If you do not delve into the jungle of philosophy and the depth of Eastern teachings about Zen or Chan, you can quickly master the basic principles of meditation. Anyone who needs a deeper understanding of the essence of what is happening will go further: find a teacher, study literature.

Practical meditation can be understood by a beginner. The main principle is a state of mental balance, comfort, tranquility. During self-immersion, nothing should distract or cause discomfort. There are other, no less important principles:

Comfortable clothes, loose and “not hot”, which should neither restrict movement, nor rub, nor press;

Constant practice. You cannot meditate from time to time; you need at least daily immersion-contemplation once, or better yet, twice: in the morning and in the evening. Ideally, you should practice meditation several times a day;

The right attitude and preparation of the place for meditation.

To learn how to meditate correctly, you need to purposefully and persistently train the ability to enter a state of internal contemplation. It may take several months to get the first positive practical results, that is, to feel that same inner insight akin to ecstasy. When a person plunges into a meditative trance, endorphins begin to be produced - hormones of happiness. Hence the special state of weightlessness, joy, and pleasure that practitioners experience.

How to meditate correctly: position of the body and hands

There are many different techniques and techniques for entering trance. You can do this lying down, sitting, or taking special poses. The simplest and most common is the lotus position. Sitting position, back straight, legs bent at the knees, crossed, right foot resting on the left thigh, left leg lying on the floor, its foot pressed against the right thigh.

A simpler option is the half-lotus pose, in which you do not need to achieve the ideal position of the foot on the thigh. There should be no pain or discomfort in your legs, knees, or ankles.

The crown of the head should seem to be stretched upward, while the chin is slightly lowered.

It is difficult for a beginner to keep his back straight for a long time. Therefore, you can lean against a flat vertical surface. Otherwise, the spinal column will be in constant tension, it will not be possible to achieve comfort, and meditation will not work.

It is not necessary to artificially maintain a straight posture: keep your shoulders turned, ideally stretch upward. The back can even be slightly slouched, making it rounded.

The body position during meditation is called asana. At the same time, in order to meditate correctly, you need to perform mudra, that is, fold your hands and fingers in a special way. The point is that on the fingertips there are points responsible for the energy of individual parts of the body. The special position of the fingers and hands activates these areas.

Interestingly, each finger also corresponds to some characteristics of a person:

Thumb – will, character;

Index – wisdom, confidence, thinking;

Medium – control over emotions, harmonious attitude, patience, peace of mind;

Nameless - health, vitality;

Little finger – creative abilities, desire for self-improvement.

Mudras are a great way to force the body’s energy to recover and become more active. You can do them even without meditation, on your own, but in combination with asanas and pranayama (a special breathing technique), they give a person longevity and excellent health.

Beginners only need to master the four basic mudras to understand how to meditate correctly.

1. Mudra of knowledge: The hands are turned palm up and rest on the knees. The thumb and index fingers are closed in a ring, the remaining fingers are in a natural, slightly rounded position. This position improves memory, stimulates thought processes, relieves depression, relieves worry and anxiety, and increases the brain’s receptivity to learning new knowledge.

2. Mudra of calm: one hand rests on the other, thumbs touching tips, arms crossed under the stomach, palms facing up. Surprisingly, often people who are completely unaware of the existence of mudras find just this position for their palms, and it becomes familiar.

3. Mudra of life: The hands, palms turned upward, rest on the knees, three fingers are closed: the thumb, the little finger and the ring finger. The two remaining fingers are extended horizontally, but without tension. Mudra enhances vitality, restores energy, makes a person cheerful, resilient, efficient, and improves vision.

4. Mudra of strength: the position of the palms turned upward on the knees, the ring is formed by the thumb, middle and ring fingers. The little finger and index finger are extended, but without tension. This position relieves pain and cleanses the body of toxins.

How to meditate correctly: control breathing and thoughts

Beginners do not need to try to master any special breathing techniques. By the way, this can be very dangerous, for example, it will end in seizures. How to meditate correctly to keep your breathing under control? Breathe calmly, naturally, without tension. There is no need to make any artificial acceleration or slowdown of the respiratory rate or pauses.

As you deepen into yourself, your breathing itself will become slower, more measured, and deeper. It is often called the lower, or diaphragmatic - this is how small children breathe, the “tummy”.

The technique of proper meditation can be presented in a few steps:

Take the desired position, fold your fingers into mudra (facial and abdominal muscles are completely relaxed);

Concentrate on breathing, mentally track your inhalation and exhalation, gradually get rid of extraneous thoughts, dive into yourself;

Achieve the effect of contemplation, when there are no thoughts, but the feeling of oneself is very clear, clear;

Exit from meditation with the help of special exercises.

Each stage requires explanations, but they are not difficult and quite achievable. By learning to achieve a state of contemplation, you can get a daily breath of health, happiness and harmony with the world. How can this be achieved?

The main question that beginners may have is how to meditate and deepen concentration correctly. You can focus on the tip of your nose. You can imagine any object and concentrate on it. However, there is a simple and visually understandable method of meditation called "fire path". Here's what to do:

Feel two opposite points in your body: the crown and the tailbone;

Imagine a small ball of fire;

As you inhale, imagine how the ball runs down, from the crown to the tailbone;

As you exhale, mentally make the way back with the ball, from bottom to top;

You can gradually abandon the idea of ​​a fireball, continuing to mentally observe the movement from bottom to top during inhalation and exhalation.

The next important point is thought control. It is difficult to understand what it is and how to get rid of interfering thoughts. In fact, you don't have to get rid of anything. If some thought stubbornly refuses to leave your consciousness and interferes with concentration, you don’t need to fight it – nothing will come of it anyway. Accept it and think it through to the end, logically complete it, make some decision. The worked out thought will dissolve imperceptibly and completely naturally.

If a “girlfriend” appears, do the same with her: think it over and see her off. Gradually, the company of wandering thoughts will disappear, and the fiery path technique requires complete attention to yourself: there will simply be no time left for extraneous thoughts.

The main meaning of proper meditation is to achieve a state of contemplation. It is quite difficult to describe it, but it is very easy to realize it at the moment of achievement. This is a special feeling of absolute peace, comfort, balance. It seems that a person is sleeping, he is so absorbed in himself, his breathing is so slow. However, at this moment you continue to be aware of yourself, to control the situation.

When the time comes to return to the real world, you need to complete simple but mandatory exercises. Experienced followers of meditation techniques recommend the following:

Shake your hands, relaxing them;

Perform rotational movements with the eyes in a closed and then in an open state according to the scheme: 10 times in one direction and the same amount in the other direction

Perform a “dry wash” by rubbing your face with your palms;

Comb your hair with your fingers from forehead to neck.

All this will allow you to come to your senses after a deep dive. Regular exercise will very soon turn into a pleasant habit and become a natural need of soul and body.

By the way, a few more words about the body. You can accompany your meditation with pleasant relaxing music. There are ready-made collections of meditative music, often combining melody and natural sounds (the sound of the sea, birdsong, the murmur of a stream, etc.).

To sit comfortably, you need to use a special mat, blanket, or towel for meditation. A fairly soft, comfortable surface will allow you to quickly relax and not experience any unpleasant sensations.

If possible, it is best to conduct sessions outdoors, under the pleasant rays of the sun or in the patterned shade of trees. The ideal time for this is the morning after waking up and the evening, shortly before going to bed. You need to start with a short five-minute meditative immersion, which can then be extended by 15 or even thirty minutes.

A prerequisite is an empty stomach. After eating, at least two, and preferably four, hours should pass. This is why morning sessions on an empty stomach make sense. You can eat about 15 minutes after leaving the meditative trance.

Meditation. This word is one of the most mysterious and controversial in our world. Many Western scientists called this action nothing more than self-hypnosis and violence against the mind, while Eastern monks, who have been practicing meditation for thousands of years, described it as the only and reliable path to complete self-knowledge and improvement of one’s mind and spirit. What is meditation? How can one join this ancient art, connecting oneself with the cosmos and gaining complete calm and the ability to think soberly in any situation? How to meditate correctly? Houses? Pose of a meditating person? Now, we'll find out. First of all, it is worth noting that this is a truly unique phenomenon that requires from you only a comfortable place, and the desire to follow the path of knowing yourself and the world around you.

What exactly is meditation based on? And it is based on one of the most ancient human principles, which, one way or another, affects every person on the planet. And this principle is constant reflection on everything that happens around us, as well as outside our field of vision. Reflection is concentration and concentration, but first of all it is dialogue. It doesn’t matter whether this dialogue is a conversation with another person, or a communication between your inner yin and yang, two opposing, but eternally equal sides, each of which has a piece of the other. It is not surprising that such an action takes a lot of spiritual and mental energy from people, so meditation is designed to minimize the expenditure of this energy so that your thoughts become several thousand times more productive and meaningful.

How to meditate correctly for a beginner? To begin with, you need to learn to drown out these conversations taking place in your mind, since a disorganized mind, incapable of proper concentration, is not able to properly conduct and be aware of them, which leads to destructive consequences. To master meditation, you first have to become familiar with concentration. To develop this skill, you need to learn to focus on one object, turning off all your feelings and emotions, experiences and thoughts. How to meditate correctly with maximum results? The best objects for developing concentration are stars, a candle flame, and slow running water. Only when you learn to turn off all your 4 senses, touch, smell, taste and hearing, and partially use your vision, will you be ready for real meditation. Remember that before you start meditating, you must prepare the proper conditions at home. Create a separate corner that will always be clean and full of light, in which you will feel comfortable both psychologically and physically.

Meditation classes should be carried out alone, since, first of all, this is a discussion with oneself, and strangers can destroy the fragile balance of calm. Train yourself to meditate at the same time and period of the day, since the cosmos does not like sudden and drastic changes in the current flow of affairs. Now let's move on to the position in which you need to be for meditation. As you know, the most correct one is because as you achieve it, your physical body will acquire a form identical to the spiritual one. If it is difficult for you to sit in the lotus position, any other comfortable position will do that will not cause you discomfort from being immobile for a long time. Once you have decided on the pose, you need to choose what kind of meditation to practice, because, unlike the purposes for which a person turns to this art, there are different methods of meditation. The most common one nowadays is breathing meditation, which is essentially concentrating on the rhythm of your breathing, which will allow you to calm down and weed out unnecessary thoughts and find solutions to important matters. I hope our article answered your main question: how to meditate correctly? Good luck.

In order for all aspects of life to be in order, and achieving results to bring success, it is necessary to constantly monitor your peace of mind from the inside. An excellent way to do this is meditation. You can learn more about how to properly meditate at home for beginners and why it is necessary from this material.

Learning to meditate profitably

Many believe that this process is a kind of magical state, filled with a feeling of calm that comes on its own. In reality, everything is not like that: to achieve this bliss, you need to carefully prepare your body and mind and tune in.

To understand the essence of this action, let’s first answer the question: what is meditation? From a Hindu perspective, this is a state of complete contemplation and relaxation. On the other hand, it is a process of deep reflection on something. Today, most people prefer to meditate in order to put their thoughts in order, balance their temperament, and relax after a working day.

In order to meditate correctly and with understanding, it is important to know the purpose of this process - it is the acquisition of healthy thoughts, spirit, body, calmness, balance. At its core, this process is a set of certain body positions and concentrating thoughts on relaxation. Keeping your attention on one thing or situation is already the ability to meditate correctly, but in this form you will not achieve relaxation of all parts of the body.

Of course, each person has his own goal in this process, but most people begin to meditate in order to:

1. Get rid of depression.
2. Find inner peace.
3. Improve your health.
4. Find yourself in creativity.
5. Develop intuitive abilities.
6. Clear your thoughts.
7. Find bliss and delight.

Those who were nevertheless able to comprehend this sacrament speak of the ability to meditate correctly as a process of deep immersion into the unknown paths of the mind of the Universe. It is impossible to convey in words what a person feels when he begins to enter a state of relaxation; he must understand it himself.

Anyone can study the practice, but it is necessary to approach the matter responsibly. There is nothing magical or supernatural about this; first you just need to carry out the technique regularly. Gradually, the body and mind will begin to independently demand repeated sessions, realizing that the procedure is a necessary part of finding peace.

In addition to the goals that people pursue when they come to this practice, there are a number of positive aspects that a person receives when using the acquired procedure skills on a daily basis. Before you learn meditation, it is worth understanding what it gives:

• restoration of brain cells.
• brain rejuvenation.
• reducing the risk of heart disease.
• strengthening the immune system.
• decreased anxiety.
• compensation for lack of sleep.
• increased tactile sensations.
• improved breathing
• relief from stress.
• establishing connections with the inner world.

You can practice the technique at any age, both children and the elderly. The sooner you begin to comprehend the ability to meditate correctly, the faster you will feel an improvement in your body’s condition.

Advice: You can meditate both at home and in nature - this is where the environment is most conducive to calm.

Preparation stages

When practicing this technique, you may feel that this is a complex process. Over time, when thoughts begin to plunge into a meditative state, there will be no difficulties. Before you learn to meditate, you need to prepare properly. It includes the following stages:

1. Decision-making. This stage was partially realized when the person realized that he would practice meditation. The next thing to do is to understand why this is needed. Of course, you can meditate without a goal, it will still be correct, practice will give positive results, but it will be better if it makes sense. Human psychology is designed in such a way that the best reward for him is the achievement of the task. Think about it in your mind: What do I get when I meditate? This is what will motivate you to perform the procedure every day.
2. Choosing a place and time. Most yogis who have achieved the ability to meditate correctly claim that the most suitable option is a quiet and peaceful place. Therefore, many people choose to exercise at home. But home is not always a place where you can relax. If possible, you can carry out the technique in nature, or in the courtyard of a private house. The best option would be a separate room. The time at which the session will take place must be the same. For example, early in the morning and before bed. If a person is constantly at home, you can practice at any convenient time.
3. Determining the frequency of classes. The rules say that it is best to meditate twice a day for 10-20 minutes. Compliance with this statement is optional. Each person determines the frequency of classes himself, based on how much he needs meditation at the moment. If now it is important to focus on something, then why not take up meditation: you can learn how to meditate correctly in the next section.
4. Final preparation. For initial lessons, it is recommended to use a timer to help track time. Often, on the first dives, time flies slowly, but on subsequent dives, time flies too quickly. Slow, pleasant music should help you relax and get into the right frame of mind. Don't forget to ventilate the room if classes are taking place at home.

When returning home from work, while on public transport, you can also do the practice. To do this, you only need a leisurely melody or traditional tunes in headphones. Sitting in the lotus position, as widely shown in the illustrations, is not at all necessary. It is enough to take a comfortable body position when all muscles are as relaxed as possible.

Important: Having a quiet, cozy place to practice the ability to meditate correctly is not necessary. The practice can be effective even if done in the middle of a noisy crowd.

Mastering the methodology: main principles

The main question that interests everyone who is on the path to studying meditation is how to meditate correctly? The first thing you need to learn to do is focus your attention on the subject. To make it more comfortable, we suggest focusing your attention on the tip of your nose. If this option does not suit you, just imagine any object and think about it.

A method that helps to master concentration faster is called the “fire path” and is performed as follows:

1. Focus on the crown and tailbone.
2. Imagine a small burning ball in your head.
3. Inhale and imagine this ball rolling down your spine.
4. As you exhale, imagine it rolling back up.
5. This must be done until your thoughts come into order.

Over time, this idea can be abandoned, because such meditation involves concentrating thoughts on an object.

The next stage of meditation, which is important to master, is learning to control your thoughts. It happens that an obsessive problem, task or just an idea constantly creeps into your head. There is no need to try to overcome it - anyway, it will not go away from your mind so easily. You can do the right thing only by thinking it through to the end.

An equally important stage is the stability of breathing in the process of learning the ability to meditate correctly. At first, it is unlikely that you will be able to develop a rhythm of breathing cycles, but over time it will get into the right direction. The practice has made many people calm through proper breathing. It is based on the following principles:

• Evenness;
• Cyclicality;
• The passage of energy along with breathing throughout the body.

In addition, the stages of meditation imply lightness of the body, retention and implementation of the topic, as well as awareness and aftereffects. The lightness of the body is associated with the correct positioning of the back, crown and chin during the process. If all the organs are in the proper position, then it will be easier to achieve results.

Maintaining a topic is concentrating attention on one subject or thought. During practice, one cannot deviate from this postulate. The implementation of the topic refers to the experience that a person receives from the technique.

Awareness is the state of a person after leaving meditation. It is correct to ensure that the thoughts and body remain in the same state of mind as they were when the person meditated. Aftereffects involve a person’s feelings and actions after emerging from a state of immersion. People who have attended sessions and gone through all their stages cease to be self-centered.

Important: During the process of meditation, a person experiences 3 states: bliss, clarity and thoughtlessness.

Before you start meditating at home, you must go through all the preparation steps described above. When the body is relaxed and thoughts are concentrated, then you can move on to practice. To begin with, it is important to choose a comfortable position. This can be either the lotus position or the body position, sitting on a chair, lying down or any comfortable position. The main criteria for correct body position are as follows: Lotus pose with emphasis on the hand

• The top of the head stretches upward;
• The chin is slightly lowered;
• Your back is straight; if you can’t do it yourself, you can sit near the wall;
• Before you start meditating, roll your shoulders.

Masters who have learned to meditate correctly advise beginners to pay attention to the placement of their hands and fingers, which is called mudra. There are several options that are responsible for a certain aspect of life:

1. Knowledge. When positioned with the palm up, the thumb and index fingers form a ring, while the others are positioned freely.
2. Force. The ring is formed from the thumb, middle and ring finger. The little finger and index finger are slightly extended forward.
3. Calm. The palms are directed upward and are on the stomach, with one hand resting on the other and the ends of the thumbs touching.
4. Life. The ring is formed from three fingers: the thumb, ring and little finger. The index and middle fingers are extended in a horizontal position.

Before you start meditating, you can experiment and choose the option that suits you. If none of them look good, simply place your hands on your knees, palms up.

Many people are interested in how to meditate on any condition. For example, a person complains that he suffers from insomnia and wants to try to learn how to meditate on sleep correctly. The procedure is performed in the evening, before going to bed:

1. Take a comfortable position, you can do this on the bed. Switch off from extraneous noise - for this you can listen to pleasant slow music.
2. Imagine a cozy place where you want to relax: sea, mountains, forest. To improve the effect, turn on the sounds of birdsong or the sound of the sea.
3. Close your eyes.
4. Breathe deeply and rhythmically.
5. Avoid emerging thoughts and do not focus your mind’s attention on them.
6. 10 minutes after the dive, smoothly exit the session.

After the session, complete relaxation sets in and healthy sleep sets in; in the morning the person feels cheerful and full of energy.

Beginners are wondering: how to learn to meditate effectively in order to get positive, stable results from it. The answer will be: it is necessary to carry out the practices regularly. Don’t quit classes, even if nothing works out at first, try to relax as much as possible and after the first week you can feel the effect.

If you have the skill of meditation, you can quickly and easily relax, and also receive tips from higher powers. However, developing this skill is not easy. In this article you will find information about what meditation is for beginners and how to learn how to meditate correctly at home.

What it is?

Meditation is a mental exercise aimed at immersing a person in a special state of consciousness.

How deep this “special state” will be, and how much it will differ from the usual one, depends on the skills of the meditator. Therefore, in modern realities, meditation is usually understood simply as a state of deep relaxation.

However, even such ordinary relaxation turns out to be very useful not only for resting the mind and body, but also for receiving important information from the world.

Preparation

Choose and equip a cozy place

It would be great if it was a separate room. But if this is not possible, it is enough to select a corner in any part of the apartment. The main thing is that it is quiet there.

It’s great if you put a coffee table in the corner intended for meditation, and place a candle and a small bouquet of flowers on it. Place a small pillow in front of the table on which you can sit so that the burning candle and flowers are in front of your eyes.

Now forget everything you read before!

Now forget everything you read before! Yes, setting up a meditation corner is important. But beginners can easily do without all these bells and whistles. It is possible and even necessary, since the lack of round cushions for sitting and vases of flowers on the coffee table often become obstacles to starting to learn meditation. Meanwhile, all these things are useful, but not fundamentally important for learning meditative practices.

Therefore, if you don’t have a coffee table and a zafu, just use any quiet corner in the apartment. Sit on a rug, on any cushion, in an armchair or on a stool. Just don’t lie down, because in this position you will most likely fall asleep.

Select time

If you seriously decide to master the practice of meditation, you must set aside some specific time for it, which will be available to you every day.

For beginners, a good time is before going to bed or early in the morning.

Prepare yourself physically

• Try to take a shower. If this is not possible, then at least wash your face.
• Wear loose, lightweight clothing. Never try to meditate in tight jeans.
• Take off your shoes.
• Have a light snack if you're hungry.
• Visit the toilet.

Choose a mantra

Many instructions on how to properly meditate at home for beginners advise beginners to choose a mantra - a combination of sounds, the utterance of which distracts from immediate thoughts.

The mantra can be any word of the native language. But words from other languages ​​work more effectively, the meaning of which, although known, is still far from instant understanding.

The combination of sounds “sow ham”, which means “I am” in Sanskrit, works well.

Find soothing music

You can meditate in complete silence. However, quiet, calm music works well for beginners.

For example, this one.

Or the sounds of nature.

How long to do the exercise?

But not all experts who teach beginners agree with this. Many people think that 5 minutes is too long. That's why they suggest starting with 2 minutes. But strictly every day at the same time.

The first week you meditate for 2 minutes. On the second, add another 2. And so on for 5 weeks until you reach a time of 10 minutes.

10 minutes of meditation is enough for many modern people. However, nothing prevents you from gradually increasing the duration of the exercises further up to an hour and a half.

How to monitor your breathing?

Any collection of tips on how to learn to meditate for beginners at home says that you need to breathe slowly, focusing on your breathing.

This is where most beginners make basic mistakes. They get upset and never return to exercise.

Therefore, it is important to know the following.

• Yes, you should only think about your breathing and relax. But you can't do it too violently. There is no need to monitor your breathing medically, that is, listen to yourself anxiously and suspiciously and think that you are breathing somehow wrong.
• You can’t force your breathing, gradually causing hyperventilation, a state that is in no way suitable for meditation or relaxation.

Most beginners struggle with just thinking about breathing all the time. Their thoughts float and float and return to everyday events, unpleasant experiences, etc. It's frustrating. A person begins to get angry with himself and get irritated.

It is precisely these emotions that kill all the desire to meditate and the very opportunity to do it.

Therefore, if you realize that you are no longer monitoring your breathing, but are thinking about the fact that you forgot to buy bread, you don’t need to start scolding yourself. Take it for granted. Yes, neither the first nor the second time you will be able to fall into deep meditation. This is fine. Try to refocus on your breathing. But don't do it with anger and resentment towards yourself.

Where to put your arms and legs?

We all know well the images of meditating people who sit either in a real Lotus position, or cross-legged, with their fingers folded into mudras.

For some people, such poses are comfortable. But many don't.

So if you are a beginner, don’t bother yourself with the fact that you have to sit in a certain “correct” way and hold your hands in a certain “correct” way.

Sit in a way that is comfortable for you. Hold your hands the way you want. Don't focus too much attention on this. Over time, you will find the most comfortable position for yourself. And it will not necessarily turn out to be a pose for meditating yogis.

Should I stop the flow of thoughts?

No need for beginners.

To completely stop the flow of thoughts you need to be a meditation guru. Therefore, do not strive for this, do not set yourself impossible goals that will only demotivate.

An approximate exercise diagram for a beginner

1. Sit in a comfortable position in a quiet place you have chosen. Make sure there are no distractions.
2. Play music suitable for meditation (optional).
3. Close your eyes and breathe slowly. Only through the nose.
4. Keep track of all your inhalations and exhalations. Just think about your breathing.
5. You can recite the mantra. You must say it either silently or out loud, but very quietly, barely moving your lips. If you have chosen the mantra “sow ham,” then pronounce “sow” as you inhale and “ham” as you exhale.
6. Think about breathing and, if desired, say a mantra during the time you allotted for your first meditations (2 or 5 minutes).
7. Then let go of your thoughts about breathing and sit quietly with your eyes closed for another 1-2 minutes. Just at this time, you can understand something that you have been thinking about for a long time, make a decision that has not been given to you for a long time, and receive some important intuitive information.
8. Repeat the procedure every day at the same time, gradually increasing its duration.

What can't you do?

In order for beginners to learn how to meditate correctly at home, they need to know not only what to do, but also what not to do. Namely:

• lying down during meditation, as well as sitting in an uncomfortable position, experiencing back pain;
• practice after an overly heavy lunch;
• Trying to meditate in a noisy, annoying environment or in a state of tension because you are about to be disturbed;
• set unrealistic goals, for example, to fall into deep meditation the first time, to completely stop the flow of thoughts, to meditate for an hour or more;
• scold yourself for not being able to do anything and being distracted all the time.

The main thing that any beginner who wants to learn how to meditate properly should remember is that the learning process is long. It requires a lot of time and effort. And if you are not ready to spend it, then there is no point in starting training.