There are many meditation techniques that will help you to have a better life. They will help you to have better emotions, better relationships, better health and better quality of life. Apart from sleeping better, you will have better ability to resist stress, anxiety, pain, depression and lots of health disorders. Based on these, this article will discuss meditation techniques that will make you achieve these goals. You will know about breathing to slow the mind and candle gazing to focus the mind. These techniques will enable you to have a better life when you put them to good use.
Breathing to Slow the Mind
When new meditators start practicing meditation techniques, it is common for the mind to think of many things that make it difficult to concentrate. This is natural and there is nothing to worry about. It shows that you are on the right track. This means that you have successfully accomplished the first step which is to notice your thoughts. You can now go on to the second step; which is trying to move your focus from the thoughts racing in your mind to your breathing.
Here’s exactly how to do that.
1. Set aside 20 to 30 minutes a day where you will focus your mind. You can incorporate this time into your daily activities so that it will be more effective. During this time you must decide to completely focus your mind on meditating.
2. You need a quiet place free of distractions to practice. Sit quietly with your eyes half closed and start breathing. Count your breaths as you breathe in and out. Once any thought enters your mind, gently take your mind away from it and focus back on your breathe.
3. The best way to count your breathes while breathing is to breath in, then count to three. Breathe out again and count to three. This procedure will gently help you to concentrate on your breathing and take your mind away from the thoughts going on in your mind.
4. Observe everything around you. If you are sitting beside the sea, be aware of the waves and natural scenes before you. Listen to the sounds of the waves and clear any other thoughts out of your mind. This will help you not only to focus your mind but make you aware of sights and sounds you might never have noticed.
When you follow these steps, you will suddenly discover that your thoughts are occupied with your surroundings and what you feel about it, instead of your initial thoughts. This is considered one of the best ways to slow down your thoughts. Breathing is not the only way to focus your mind, you can also candle gaze to focus your mind.
Candle Gazing to Focus the Mind
When your mind is not focused, you will find yourself having all kinds of thoughts. This can lead to stress, memory loss and lack of concentration. Also, if you cannot focus your mind, you cannot meditate; and if you don’t meditate, you cannot enjoy the benefits that come from meditation. Discipline and concentration are the most important skills to learn and once you master them, you will become expert in meditating. Candle gazing is an exercise that can help you learn to concentrate. This is because the eyes control the thought process and focusing on a candle flame that is steady has tremendous and powerful benefits. It will also accustom you to sitting quietly and focusing on something other than the thoughts going on in your mind. With continuous practice, you will witness an increase in your alertness, confidence level, stability in thoughts and an ability to control situations that were previously difficult.
This is how to focus your mind by candle gazing.
1. Light a candle or ghee lamp in your meditation room or wherever you are comfortable. Make sure the candle is about 12 to 24 inches from your face at eye level.
2. Sit in an upright position in a chair or on the floor cross legged or in Padmasana (Full Lotus Pose). This will ensure that you maintain an erect posture and that inner energy can flow easily through the subtle channels of the body.
3. Focus your gaze on the candle light. The light emitted from the candle flame is taken in by the eyes and generates energy. The lens of the eye concentrates the light and heat energy of the flame onto the retina and conducts the light and energy through the optical nerves to the lobes at the rear of the brain.
4. This newly acquired energy will increase the energy in your pineal gland and flow through your body. This allows the opening of the “Third Eye” and the ensuing feeling of bliss.
5. Close your eyes and hold an after-image of the bright flame. The practice steadies the wandering mind, leading you to focus with pin-point accuracy.
Meditation techniques that help us to enjoy a better life are not hard to learn at all. Techniques like breathing and candle gazing can help to focus your mind and help you concentrate while meditating. When done regularly, they will definitely assist you in enjoying a better life.