The best three types of meditation

Meditation is a type of conscious sleep which is deeper than the deepest sleep you ever had till date, yet keeping the mind extremely alert, which is not so while somebody is unconsciously asleep. It induces mind relaxation so that a person is made aware of his own thoughts and therefore is able to focus on something which is necessary and ignore what is not. This helps an individual grow a level of maturity and compassion. It also helps him control his anger. By practicing meditation on regular basis a person is able to concentrate on his work much better without unnecessarily getting stressed out. This is the reason why meditation is getting public attention and hype these days and is very popular in the Western culture.

One must not misinterpret meditation as some kind of religious practice because training your mind with deep breathing and inducing relaxation within is a scientific approach of self-consciousness and does not involve certain sets of beliefs that may or may not be true. Although meditation is practiced among the Buddhists monks and some Hindus who are into curiosity regarding the universe but this does not mean that others who follow such techniques are somehow indirectly getting converted or insulting their own religion. Anyone residing at any place can practice meditation without leaving their own religious rituals or practice they currently follow. A simple 10 to 15 minutes of breathing technique a day is enough to get through your day in a peaceful and calmer manner. It is a common belief that no one actually gets time but the reality is you will be able to focus better and therefore you are going to find more time while doing certain tasks the whole day, no matter it’s personal or professional.

Our mind literally controls us and we cannot help but let the numerous thoughts overflow within. As far as we meet our desires and goals we get happy such as a new car, or a new house, spouse, children, etc. By constantly receiving our desires we often forget that anything we have right now at this very moment does not last long with us. The moment we do not get what we want for a particular time frame the sorrow takes over. It clearly means that we get too much attached to materialistic possessions that are certainly temporary. Too much attachment is painful and needs healing. Being happy or sad is a state of mind and it has nothing to do with our desires. An individual’s desires are endless. Once a person reaches his aim he is going to chase a new dream, that’s for sure. Suppose you bought a new bike. What’s next? You want a car, and a house, and a playstation, and a loving wife, and an iPhone. Everyone thinks that they are about to get this or that and will be happy forever the moment they receive whatever they wish. This never ends and you keep hoping for that one day when you will enjoy and get relaxed.

Meditation changes our perspective about the world, its people and overall scenario that occurs around us. After just a few days of practice one gets happier day by day. Also all the negative thoughts fade away with time and a person becomes more forgiving than before. An individual has to lead the life and it is entirely based on him how he chooses it to live. So, what’s better? Leading a stressful life full of grudges or a compassionate life that leads towards happiness? The choice is yours! Below I discuss the best three meditation techniques that you should follow for better self.

1. Concentration meditation: It is the most important meditation technique of all because this helps a person train his mind to focus upon certain things and does not let the mind get diverted by external environment. It involves focusing on one object.

Choose a natural and calm environment with no distractions. Sit in whichever position you feel most comfortable. Pick an object in the surroundings and observe it with the intention of not letting any other thoughts pop-up. Initially this will definitely happen that your mind will wander here and there but later it will become more aware. Day by day a person becomes aware of his thoughts and is able to concentrate upon things better. Overall experience, as a result, would be your better performance at every task you accomplish.

2. Mindfulness meditation: It is also known as vipassana. This includes being aware of the surroundings. While you sit keeping your eyes closed you have to focus on whatever senses you receive like birds chirping, wind flowing, dogs barking, etc. This helps us attaining peace. It also helps to feel contented.

3. Heart-centered meditation: It is also known as heart chakra meditation. It helps us release all kinds of sadness and fears that we keep within deep inside of us. It removes all kinds of negative energy. One will need to choose a silent place, sit on the right posture and concentrate on the heart area with the help of inhaling and exhaling. While doing so, you may also think of a teacher or any other person who you feel is more connected to nature and is compassionate, or anybody you feel emotionally connected with.

You may choose any one of the three at a time and continue that for a few days. Then comes the next two meditation techniques one by one. Practicing all the three in just a single sitting would be too much and you may lose interest soon. May be in the later stage you do not require the concentration technique because while reaching that point your mind will already get trained to concentrate upon only specific thoughts.The best timings for meditating is either morning time of 5 or 6 am or before falling asleep in the night.

Most individuals do not understand what the meaning of OM is. You keep reading articles about this that are flooded with numerous information but without actually experiencing it no one is ever going to get it. When we speak the term “OM” at a specific sound, pitch, method, etc. it creates the same frequency that every object residing in this universe, both living and non-living beings, creates. This is the oneness among all, a feeling that no entity is different, that you are the part of this universe. OM chanting therefore helps to concentrate while meditating but this is not mandatory. Follow whatever method suits you best. With the days, weeks, months and years of practice you will be able to fight against all kinds of negative thoughts, stress, anxiety and depression. All the very best!