Do you struggle to quiet your mind? Does meditation seem like work? Are you ready to enjoy the benefits of meditation without feeling like you’re doing it wrong? At the heart of many spiritual practices lies the recommendation that we engage in meditative practice as a means of attaining higher levels of awareness and consciousness. Meditation is very important as it gives our physical, mental, and spiritual selves the time and space to integrate in a healthful way.
However often times individuals are inhibited from engaging in meditative practice due to discouragement over feeling like they are ineffective meditators. This is a common concern. The truth is meditation can be easy. In fact it is a simple as remembering whatever you place your attention on is what you are meditating on. What we meditate on we create more of. A quick meditation hack is to focus on the feeling of unconditional love and when your mind wanders bring it back to that feeling. Below are three more powerful ways to make meditation enjoyable while receiving the multitude of benefits it brings to our lives.
- Persistence
According to Rumi, “thinking you can’t meditate is the first step to meditation.” Often individuals feel frustrated when they are unable to clear their minds to completely relax. For beginning meditators this is natural and in fact is expected. Meditation is used to eliminate mind-chatter. The first part of this process is actually confronting the mind-chatter by closing your eyes and turning inward. People often halt at this step thinking that their meditation practice is ineffectual or that they aren’t meditating correctly. In fact becoming aware of the mind’s chatter is the first step towards developing a meditation practice and is an early indicator of success. Unfortunately people don’t understand meditation in this way and are likely to feel discouraged after experiencing this. For this reason we recommend to remain persistence in your meditation practice. Only through consistency will one be able to push through this early stage of meditation and achieve deeper states of relaxation.
- Visualization Exercises
Many western people think of meditation as an exercise of clearing the mind, a successful meditative state being one in which thoughts cease from happening. It is important to consider that this is only one form of meditation. Another form of meditation is referred to as visualization, a practice involving mentally picturing different colors, symbols, environments, or memories which hold significance for the individual. These visual images can be tied to breathing or be constant images. For example a common meditative visualization is to image white light entering through the nose and filling the body as you inhale, and imaging smoke exiting the nostrils on the exhaling breath. Visualization is simply another meditative technique which appeals to many westerners who are visually oriented. If you’ve never tried it before, this may be a technique that makes meditation easier for you!
- Flow States
People often think of meditation as something that happens when you are completely still with your eyes closed. In reality this only represents a still meditation. It is possible to enter active meditation states, called flow states, in a number of different ways. If you’ve ever become absorbed in an activity to such a degree that time seems to be flying by, you’ve experienced a flow state. These states are highly enjoyable and often occur when we are doing something we like doing. For instance flow states are likely to manifest for athletes when they are playing their sport. If you have difficulty meditating, try getting yourself engrossed in an activity you love. Make sure it’s something that is challenging but not overwhelming. Cooking, journaling, or singing are just a few examples of ways to get into a flow state and enjoy the benefits of meditation!
Just remember, the key to successful meditation is perseverance and consistency! Here are a few of this week’s trending products which perfectly compliment our intention of achieving a meditative state by helping you more easily integrate a meditation routine into your daily lives!
- The Meditation Bible is the definitive guide to meditations for every purpose from relaxation to reinvigoration, the 140 meditations in this guide are designed to teach you how to integrate meditation into your life for a variety of intentions.
- The Mandala Meditation Coloring Book is the perfect tool if you find it difficult to meditate while remaining physically idle. Studies have shown that drawing or coloring within narrow lines causes us to reach a state of concentration and focus, making this coloring book ideal for those who are naturally nervous or fidgety.
- Need some help coming out of your meditation and returning to reality? Our unique “Om Mani Padme Hum” Tibetan tingshas, when struck, produce a sound whose resonance is strikingly arousing. Simply ring 3 times to awaken your physical body back to ordinary reality.
We at The Om Shoppe & Spa wish you peaceful meditating!