Learning meditation – what is it good for?
When it comes to meditation, many people always ask me: What is it good for? Meditate? If you regularly take time for meditation, it has many advantages:
You can become much more relaxed with regular meditation. Even in situations that may have stressed you in the past. You will be able to relax easier and faster.
Your attention and concentration will improve. Through regular meditation your attention will be trained. This can be very useful in your private and professional life!
Your thinking becomes clearer! You no longer have so much chaos in your head, but your thoughts will become clearer. And if you have meditated for a while, then you can even simply observe your thoughts. This is very relaxing because you no longer have to react to everything that is in your head. You can still, of course, but you don’t have to anymore!
If you can learn meditation, then you will get to know yourself better and better. It can be one of the most exciting inward journeys you have ever made! This has the unbelievably big advantage that you can accept yourself better and better with time.
Your self-confidence and self-esteem will grow.
As you get along with yourself better and better, your contact with other people will also improve. You will be able to have a deep relationship with your partner. You will be able to better understand and respond to people.
If you can learn meditation, you will also get a deeper understanding of why you are here. You will have a feeling for your life – and life in general.
Meditation can also give you an insight into what is possible when you are swinging higher and higher in your life. It can give you an insight into your spiritual nature.
But isn’t meditation just for esos and crackpots?
Meditation is something for everyone! Almost all great athletes have their times of meditation. Their time when they go inside simply because they know that this is where the root for your success lies. Successful people in business regularly take time for meditation, for an introspection (because nothing else is meditation).
People who have a particularly loving partner relationship also take time to go inside. Because they know that if they cannot love themselves, then they cannot really love anyone else.
So meditation is not only something for gurus, people with long beards and saris, but really something for everyone.
And if you don’t like the term meditation, just replace it with “silent time” or “introspection”, because it’s not about words, but about the experience of peace and quiet that you can make.
What tools do I need to meditate?
Actually none at all! You can simply meditate at any place at any time if you want. There is no need for incense, no music, nothing at all. Of course you can use these things if you want, but they are not necessary.
All you need is a chair to sit on – or a cushion to sit on. Then loosen some of your clothes so that you are comfortable and not distracted by pinching trousers, and off you go.
Learn meditation in 7 steps
Maybe you think now, all well and good – but how can you meditate now? That’s exactly what I’m telling you now – and it’s much easier than you might think.
Look for a quiet and comfortable place. Take a chair or a seat cushion and sit on it. Turn off your phone before you go – or make it silent so you won’t be disturbed. Take an alarm clock (maybe your mobile phone?) with you to your place of meditation.
Set this alarm clock to 10 minutes. That is completely sufficient for the beginning!
Then see that you are sitting reasonably straight. Straighten your spine. You can also imagine something like an invisible string being attached to the tip of your head that can gently pull you upwards. Loosen all clothing that sits uncomfortably. You can simply put your hands in your lap – or put them on your knees – just as you like. Close your eyes. (That’s easier in the beginning!)
Inhale 5 times deep and exhale again to relax a little deeper.
Now just observe your breath as it gently flows in and out at the tip of your nose. Just observe your breath. Otherwise you don’t have to do anything. Just observe your breath. If your thoughts drift off, then simply return again and again gently to your breath.
Always return to your breath and just observe it. In the beginning your thoughts will probably drift away frequently – or you will become bored. That’s totally okay. Be gentle with yourself. Just keep returning to your breath. For 10 minutes. Keep your eyes closed and stay there until the alarm clock rings. No matter what goes through your head. Even if you think: “Such a waste of time, in that time I could make now…”. Just stick with it. These thoughts are normal.
Just gently return again and again to your breath. Just consider your thoughts as a radio station that runs while you do something else. The radio is on, but you don’t let it distract you. You stay with the thing you do, you stay with your breath. 10 minutes long.
That’s all! Honestly. Meditation is not complicated. On the contrary. It is very simple. The only challenge is to really sit down and take the time!
7 tips to make the most of your meditation:
- Meditate regularly. Best every day.
- Meditate whenever possible in the same place and at the same time. So your mind can get used to this time of rest.
- Be patient and gentle with yourself. Meditation is always gentle. Never pull the reins. Always guide your mind gently back.
- Let go of all ideas about what can or should happen. Just do it – and what happens happens. Don’t get stuck on any “spiritual experiences” – if they happen, beautiful – if not, that’s okay too. Just let go of all ideas and focus only on your breath.
- Hold on for 10 minutes – even if it’s difficult for you at the beginning. Let’s be honest – you can do 10 minutes, can’t you?
- Take care of peace and quiet. Turn your phone off or off silently. Withdraw for 10 minutes.
- Try to transfer the peace from meditation more and more to your life. Maybe this even happens automatically? Or you can remember in more and more moments that you don’t have to react to your thoughts. You can decide which thoughts you want to react to – and which not.
Meditation – now it starts!
Now that you know all these things – what do you do with them? Do you really sit down to learn meditation? Or does it come into the “knowledge chamber” according to the motto: “Fold, punch, file”?
Meditation will only bring you something if you really do it. Thinking about meditation doesn’t get you any further.
So take your time – how about starting now? Right now? You’ve now read this meditation guide, which means you have a little time, right? Maybe even 10 minutes? Hm?
I wish you all love on your meditation voyage of discovery!