Meditation has been practiced by eastern cultures for thousands of years and is believed to offer many benefits including those that can help you become stronger and healthier. Each day more people from western cultures are embracing the practices of meditation and are realizing their potentially large benefits in multiple areas of your life. There are many meditative practices out there and it can get confusing to decide where to start.
The simplest forms of meditation can often be the best way to get started. Breathing exercises are great and can be done almost anywhere. Simply take a deep breath in and then slowly exhale out. The key is to only think about your breathing and not let external thoughts enter your mind. This can be tough at first as it is easy to get distracted but if you do find other thoughts entering your mind then simply return your mental focus on your breathing. The idea is to quiet the mind and reach that peaceful state of a silent mind that offers many benefits including stress reduction.
There are many types of meditation practices you can choose from and it can get quite complex. Chakra mediation is a popular meditative practice. This form of meditation involves concentrating on the various energies in your body and directing them appropriately for certain desired benefits.
There are seven chakras you will need to learn when doing this kind of meditation. They are the ‘root chakra’ which is located at the bottom of the spine and is believed to help bladder and reproductive problems, the ‘feeling chakra’ which is at the center of the stomach and focusing on this can help to prevent allergies, leukemia and lower back problems, the ‘personality chakra’ which can be found above the navel and is focused on to relieve arthritis and obesity problems.
Other chakras include the ‘heart chakra’ which is at the center of the chest and is associated with heart problems, lung cancer and respiratory issues, the ‘throat chakra’ which is at the center of the throat and is focused on to help relieve neck and shoulder problems, the ‘knowledge chakra’ is located at the middle of the forehead and is associated to help with eye problems and brain tumors and finally the ‘crown chakra’ which is located at the top of the head and is focused on the help with baldness and migraines.
When doing chakra meditation you want to be ideally seated with the spine straight and you can have music playing in the background without any lyrics. Simply focus on each chakra taking a slow deep breath working your way through the seven chakras and spending roughly 2 to 3 minutes per chakra. This is a simplified explanation however consider getting a good book on the topic as it can explain in much greater detail how to do this meditation fully. Other useful forms of meditation include zen meditation and guided meditation. People that suffer from stress can benefit greatly from meditation as it can be very effective at reducing stress as well as helping you to develop greater mental clarity and focus. Consider meditation as a daily part of your life to help you live healthier and longer.