Basics of Meditation: Keeping track of breaths is different than keeping track of sheep.
Basics of Meditation: Keeping track of breaths is different than keeping track of sheep.
"Just close your eyes and count your breaths," according to them. I mean, come on, it's so easy! Just don't give it any more thought. Maintain your focus on breathing. This "simple" meditation is anything but easy, as any person who has attempted it can tell you.
To accomplish what appears to be an easy undertaking, there are many challenges. It is human nature for our thoughts to stray. For any duration longer than a few seconds, our minds wander to irrelevant topics. And breathing, well, it's just dull. When your mind is filled with so many fascinating ideas, how can you focus on something so uninteresting?
My usual routine consists of closing my eyes, finding a comfortable seat, and starting to count. Bring your breath in slowly, one breath in, then another, and so on. "Is what I'm doing correct? I suppose so; I'm already on, what, three. Take four deep breaths in... "Now, am I supposed to start over at one or just keep going?" Fill your lungs with air as you take a deep breath in, out, in, out. Wow, I'm starting to understand this. "Oh no." One breath in, two breaths out... Was the phone bill due? I thought I paid it. Surely I did. I'm great at paying all of my bills on time. Ditto Susan; she's consistently... Oh no, I messed up again. One breath in, two breaths out...
The bright side is that you can improve your skills with practice. Unfortunately, even for seasoned meditators, it can be challenging, particularly during times of high activity or emotional upheaval. More excellent news is on the way, thankfully. You may improve your meditation focus and decrease frustration by following a few simple steps. My goal in writing this piece is to provide you with three pieces of advice that will aid you in your profession. Here are the following: Just watch, don't micromanage, have sympathy, and have fun.
To begin, relax and let your breath to naturally occur. A great many newcomers err in this regard. A lot of people who aren't very good at meditation change their breathing patterns, either intentionally or unintentionally, so they can concentrate. The outcome is a respiratory pattern that is both abnormal and overly dramatic. In fact, this can make it harder for you to meditate.
"Watch" your breathing; that's all you need to do. There is absolutely no extra work on your part. Calm down; all you have to do is wait. At that point, you'll be able to start counting. This is something that everyone knows, yet a lot of individuals insist on forcing it nevertheless. Remind yourself gently that regulating your breaths is unnecessary and simply wait for the next breath to arrive naturally if you catch yourself doing it.
The second piece of advice is to be kind. When I say "for yourself," I mean during your meditation sessions. As we've already established, practicing mindfulness of breath isn't a picnic. Refrain from scolding yourself if you find yourself managing your breathing or letting your thoughts wander. The time you would waste berating yourself whenever you strayed from your meditation would be better spent merely meditating. If you find that you are slacking off, gently ease yourself back into your practice. Feeling like "I can't do this" is a complete waste of time. I am completely uninterested in this. You are wasting time and energy worrying about things that won't improve your practice. Show empathy. Ignore it and go back to meditating.
You might also try to see these meanderings as necessary steps on the road to self-actualization. One can learn to meditate. Practice makes perfect, as is the case with most abilities. It takes more than one at-bat for a baseball player to get the hang of things and start smashing home runs. Through trial and error, he refines his skills and eventually becomes better. By reducing errors, he may then measure his progress. He will still have more outs than he would want even after gaining expertise as a batter. However, his hits should also go up.
At first, when you sit down to meditate, you may find that your thoughts wander more. But keep going. Improving it is doable. Like the baseball player, you'll get better at recognizing and bouncing back from setbacks as time goes on. There will certainly be setbacks and slumps, but overall, you may expect more achievements.
Last but not least, make sure you enjoy your practice. Meditation every day can improve your life in many ways, despite how difficult it could be at first. Do not set goals for yourself and expect to achieve them in a specific amount of time or to a certain degree of improvement. In contrast to baseball, mediation lasts a person's entire life. Keep in mind that this is your opportunity. Make it a sanctuary, not a burden. You can find solace in your meditation practice, regardless of the circumstances. To paraphrase a Zen master, "It's just you and your breath and then it's just your breath." Relax and let your mind drift while you take a deep breath in and out. No matter how hectic your schedule is, take a few moments to focus on your breathing even if it's just for ten or fifteen minutes.
Hopefully, you will find that these suggestions improve your meditation practice. I can attest from personal experience that they have been incredibly helpful in my own work. The truth is that I still have occasional difficulties with the exact things we've talked about here. My life has been richer and happier as a result of practicing observation rather than control, showing myself compassion when I fall short, and relishing in my alone time.
Post a Comment for " Basics of Meditation: Keeping track of breaths is different than keeping track of sheep."