How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation

Cultivating mindfulness is the key to overcoming suffering and recognizing natural wisdom: both our own and others'. How do we go about it?

In the Buddhist tradition and in Contemplative Psychotherapy training, we nurture mindfulness through the practice of sitting meditation. There are many different kinds of meditation. For example, some are designed to help us relax; others are meant to produce altered states of consciousness.

Mindfulness meditation techniques are unique in that it is not directed toward getting us to be different from how we already are. Instead, it helps us become aware of what is already true moment by moment. We could say that it teaches us how to be unconditionally present; that is, it helps us be present with whatever is happening, no matter what it is.

You may wonder what good that is. After all, don't we want to suffer less? Aren't we interested in tuning in to this natural wisdom, this brilliant sanity, that we've heard about? Aren't those changes from how we already are?

Well, yes and no. On the one hand, suffering less and being more aware of our inherent wakefulness would be changes from how we experience ourselves right now, or at least most of the time. On the other hand, though, the way to uncover brilliant sanity and to alleviate suffering is by going more deeply into the present moment and into ourselves as we already are, not by trying to change what is already going on.

The sitting practice of mindfulness meditation gives us exactly this opportunity to become more present with ourselves just as we are. This, in turn, shows us glimpses of our inherent wisdom and teaches us how to stop perpetuating the unnecessary suffering that results from trying to escape the discomfort, and even pain, we inevitably experience as a consequence of simply being alive.

As we've seen in earlier blog postings, the man called the Buddha taught that the source of suffering is our attempt to escape from our direct experience. First, we cause ourselves suffering by trying to get away from pain and attempting to hang on to pleasure. Unfortunately, instead of quelling our suffering or perpetuating our happiness, this strategy has the opposite effect. Instead of making us happier, it causes us to suffer. Second, we cause suffering when we try to prop up a false identity usually known as ego. This, too, doesn't work and leads instead to suffering. (See earlier blog entries for more on these ideas.)

Mindfulness, paying precise, nonjudgmental attention to the details of our experience as it arises and subsides, doesn't reject anything. Instead of struggling to get away from experiences we find difficult, we practice being able to be with them. Equally, we bring mindfulness to pleasant experiences as well. Perhaps surprisingly, many times we have a hard time staying simply present with happiness. We turn it into something more familiar, like worrying that it won't last or trying to keep it from fading away.

When we are mindful, we show up for our lives; we don't miss them in being distracted or in wishing for things to be different. Instead, if something needs to be changed we are present enough to understand what needs to be done. Being mindful is not a substitute for actually participating in our lives and taking care of our own and others' needs. In fact, the more mindful we are, the more skillful we can be in compassionate action.

So, how do we actually practice mindfulness meditation? Once again, there are many different basic techniques. If you are interested in pursuing mindfulness within a particular tradition, one of the Buddhist ones or another, you might at some point wish to connect with a meditation instructor or take a class at a meditation center. Still, I can provide one form of basic instructions here so that you can begin.

There are three basic aspects worked with in this meditation technique: body, breath and thoughts. First, we relate with the body. This includes how we set up the environment. Since we use meditation in preparing ourselves to work with others, we use an eyes-open practice. That makes what we have in front of us a factor in our practice. Very few people can dedicate a whole room to their meditation practice, so they choose a corner of a room or a spot in their home where they can set up a quiet space.

If you like, you can make a small altar of some kind and decorate it with pictures or photos and sacred objects from your own tradition. You might want to light candles and incense as reminders of impermanence, but you can also have a plain wall in front of you. As long as you are not sitting in front of something distracting, like the TV or the desk where your computer lives, it doesn't matter too much what is in front of you.

Once you've picked your spot, you need to choose your seat. It's fine to sit either on a cushion on the floor or on a chair. If you choose a cushion you can use one designed for meditation practice like a zafu or gomden or you can use a folded up blanket or some other kind of cushion or low bench. The point is to have a seat that is stable and not wiggling around.

If you choose to sit on a chair, pick one that has a flat seat that doesn't tilt too much toward the back. If you are short, like me, you will want to put something on the floor for your feet to rest on, taking a little bit of weight. You don't want your legs dangling uncomfortably. If you are very tall, with long legs, make sure that your hips are higher than your knees-either on a chair or on a cushion. If you don't do that your back will start to hurt pretty quickly.

{Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-courage-be-present/201001/how-practice-mindfulness-meditation}

HOT TUB WATER MEDITATION TECHNIQUES

A hot tub is a perfect place for meditation, if you can get it all to yourself that is! I’m fortunate to have one evening per week when I’m alone with my tub, and take the time to practice short mindful meditations.

Emphasis on the word ‘practice’, because meditation techniques is something that gets better each time you do it, and becomes easier – the more you practice.

If you’ve never tried to meditate, or have given it only a few sporadic efforts, you are missing out on one of the best ways to relieve stress, pain and fatigue. There are too many benefits to list; trust me – meditation is good stuff!

Meditate in your own spa or hot tub!

SET THE MOOD

Turn down the lights, turn down the heat, and turn off the pumps and air blower. You can light a scented candle, or add aromatherapy salts to your hot tub. Put the heat at whatever temperature you like, I tend to prefer 100°, but it depends on the outside air temperature. 104° is really too hot for quiet meditation, but something between 90-100 degrees (32-38° C) seems to work for most people.

You don’t necessarily need to be alone to meditate, but it helps if others also remain still and quiet, preferably meditating as well. If you like,  you can add some soft music, without lyrics. Yoga music or meditation music works well. I prefer the still sounds of the night, but then my neighborhood is fairly quiet. If you have more urban sounds, or cacophony of crickets, meditation music can be helpful – to set the mood.

FOCUS ON THE BODY

The first step to hot tub meditation is to focus briefly on the body for a quick minute. Find a comfortable kneeling or seated position, cross legged or not, and sit up straight. Now begin to slowly check the sensations in each body area, and allow yourself to relax, bit by bit. Start at the toes, and move up the body to the top of your head. Focus your attention on your bones, muscles and joints, and allow the buoyancy of the water to take over. Pause along the each section of the spine, and you move up the body. Allow your arms to float freely in the water, limp at the wrist. Finally, relax any tension in the neck, face and scalp, and allow your body to become buoyant.

FOCUS ON THE BREATH

The Yogi Complete Breath, from the book Science of Breath, written by a Yogi over 100 years ago, is a long and slow breath, combining low breathing, mid breathing and high breathing techniques. It takes time to master fully, but most people lock onto it after a dozen or so attempts. Once you have a comfortable seating position, sit up straight and start by ‘belly-breathing’, pushing out your stomach, as you breath deep into your stomach for a count of 2. On count 3 and 4, allow your side ribs to open up, and fill up your lower diaphragm. On count 5 and 6 fill up the upper diaphragm as your upper sternum rises toward your chin. Hold for a two count, and then slowly exhale for a 6 count, in the reverse order of inhalation. Chest down, ribs inward, stomach deflates. After much practice you can increase the time, until a complete breath takes a full minute!  Advanced breathing can add-in elements of Pranayama, by breathing-in through one nostril and exhaling through the other.

Breathing is the ladder to the next step in meditation, it is used to quiet the mind as you focus on the simple mechanics of inhaling and exhaling. Counting the breaths in your mind, with a 1-1 thousand, 2-1 thousand (or Mississippi if you prefer) can also help to drown out other thoughts and help you to remain focused on the breath.

FOCUS ON THE MIND

When we breathe deeply, the increased oxygen wakes up many dormant cells, and the mind can wander easily. Try to stay in the present moment, and don’t allow your mind to play tapes of the past or predictions of the future, just be here, now, in the present.

When thoughts come into my mind, this sounds silly but, I like to imagine them coming in near my ears, and a broom in the middle of my head sweeps them out the other side. The key is to catch yourself drifting into a thought, and let it go, sweep the thought away, or just let it go, and return to focus on the breathing.

Don’t chastise yourself, or wince at catching yourself thinking again, just make the neutral observation, let it go, and return your focus to the breath and body. What I do is – I relax my body and breathe deeply, and bring my attention to a spot behind my forehead, which some call the third eye, or the 6th chakra, and my thoughts diminish.

{Source: http://www.hottubworks.com/blog/hot-tub-water-meditation-techniques/}

Mindfulness meditation helps fight insomnia, improves sleep

If you’ve ever crawled under the covers worrying about a problem or a long to-do list, you know those racing thoughts may rob you of a good night’s sleep. Sleep disturbances, like having a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep, affect millions of Americans.

The daytime sleepiness that follows can leave you feeling lousy and sap your productivity, and it may even harm your health. Now, a small study suggests that mindfulness meditation techniques  — a mind-calming practice that focuses on breathing and awareness of the present moment — can help.

The study, which appears in this week’s JAMA Internal Medicine, included 49 middle-aged and older adults who had trouble sleeping. Half completed a mindfulness awareness program that taught them meditation and other exercises designed to help them focus on “moment-by-moment experiences, thoughts, and emotions.” The other half completed a sleep education class that taught them ways to improve their sleep habits.

Both groups met six times, once a week for two hours. Compared with the people in the sleep education group, those in the mindfulness group had less insomnia, fatigue, and depression at the end of the six sessions.

The findings come as no surprise to Dr. Herbert Benson, director emeritus of the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine. “Mindfulness meditation is just one of a smorgasbord of techniques that evoke the relaxation response,” says Dr. Benson.

The relaxation response, a term he coined in the 1970s, is a deep physiological shift in the body that’s the opposite of the stress response. The relaxation response can help ease many stress-related ailments, including depression, pain, and high blood pressure. For many people, sleep disorders are closely tied to stress, says Dr. Benson.

Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on your breathing and then bringing your mind’s attention to the present without drifting into concerns about the past or future. It helps you break the train of your everyday thoughts to evoke the relaxation response, using whatever technique feels right to you.

Dr. Benson recommends practicing mindfulness during the day, ideally for 20 minutes, the same amount suggested in the new study. “The idea is to create a reflex to more easily bring forth a sense of relaxation,” he says. That way, it’s easier to evoke the relaxation response at night when you can’t sleep. In fact, the relaxation response is so, well, relaxing that your daytime practice should be done sitting up or moving (as in yoga or tai chi) so as to avoid nodding off.

To elicit the relaxation response, try these two simple steps:

Step 1: Choose a calming focus. Good examples are your breath, a sound (“Om”), a short prayer, a positive word (such as “relax” or “peace”), or a phrase (“breathing in calm, breathing out tension”; “I am relaxed”). If you choose a sound, repeat it aloud or silently as you inhale or exhale.

Step 2: Let go and relax. Don’t worry about how you’re doing. When you notice your mind has wandered, simply take a deep breath or say to yourself “thinking, thinking” and gently return your attention to your chosen focus.

To learn more about mindfulness meditation, try one of the free guided recordings by Dr. Ronald Siegel, an assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and faculty editor of the Positive Psychology Special Health Report.

{Source: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-helps-fight-insomnia-improves-sleep-201502187726}

7 Ways to Meditate While you Move

The most wonderful thing about meditation — besides its effectiveness in improving mental and physical health — is that it's endlessly flexible. While sitting meditations are probably the most common way to practice quieting your mind, there are several styles of meditation, from transcendental, spiritual, guided, mindfulness, focused — including movement-based.

Yes, you can meditate while moving.

Usually, it involves doing something repetitive and simple — so that while you're moving, you can also kind of lose yourself and find stillness inside. Anything that helps you focus on your breath (or at least won't interfere with focusing on it) is a positive too.

Walking: If you've ever enjoyed walking in a labyrinth and found yourself in a calm, mindful state, you've done a walking meditation. (In fact, labyrinths were originally created for meditation.) You don't need a labyrinth to accomplish this though, and while a familiar path is best, you can can do it almost anywhere it's safe to let your guard down and stroll. It's fairly easy to begin a walking meditation; check out these guidelines and give it a try.

Drawing: Drawing can certainly get you into a flow state, which is similar to meditation, but if you don't already draw, you might want to try Zentangle, in which you build images through repetitive patterns. As Maria Popova writes on BrainPickings: "Each pattern is built one line at a time, organically combining simple patterns into complex zentangles in unplanned, unexpected ways that grow, change and unfold on the page as you enter an immersive state of flow."

Coloring: Coloring books have gained popularity over the last few years, and one of the reasons why is their meditative benefits. When I asked friends about why they enjoyed coloring, several mentioned Meditation Techniques, which surprised me. MNN's Robin Shreeves wrote: "When I'm doing [coloring books], I don't think about anything but colors." Unlike drawing or painting, coloring doesn't require any previous knowledge or ability to get started, which could be a stumbling block for some.

Yoga: People often associate yoga as something you do before or after meditation, but if you're familiar with some basic poses, it can become a meditation in itself. A slower pace, and holding poses for extended periods of time can facilitate a more meditative experience.

Swimming: Personally, this is one of my favorite active ways to meditate. I've even said that "swimming is my yoga" when I show up to hang out with friends with wet hair from the pool.

[Source: http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/blogs/7-ways-meditate-you-move]

How Meditation Helped This Blogger Retire Early To Write Full Time

Four years after launching his self-improvement site, Raptitude, writer David Cain quit his job as a land surveyor and became a full-time blogger. Two and a half years later, he hasn’t looked back.

“I feel more like me than I’ve ever felt,” Cain, a native of Manitoba, Canada, told The Huffington Post.

In January, Cain will lead some 300 readers through a month long online course on mindfulness called “Camp Calm.” The class will include short meditation exercises and daily lessons derived from two eBooks Cain wrote on mindfulness, the sales of which provide the bulk of his salary these days.

But the 35-year-old’s story begins more than 10 years before he took that leap into self-employment. He was 20 years old, and for the first time in his life he was flunking school. Faced with the harsh reality of failure, Cain had to re-evaluate his notions about success and happiness.

“I always thought being happy or content was a matter of your circumstances,” Cain said. “But I learned the locus of control is how you interact with your moment-to-moment experiences.”

He embarked on a journey of self-improvement, starting with a Google search for “what do you do about stress.” Not surprisingly, mindfulness and meditation were among the top hits.

“One night I sat down on my bathroom mat to meditation techniques, and by the end of it I felt different,” Cain said.

Cain continued developing his meditation practice, perusing books by experts like Jon Kabat-Zinn and Stephen Batchelor. Roughly eight years later he decided to share the wisdom he'd gained with a wider audience. He brainstormed names for a website about mindfulness and self-improvement and came up with Raptitude -- a combination of rapt, which Cain describes as an “experience of awe with life,” and aptitude, for skill or talent.

Readers can find articles on topics ranging from mindfulness to self-esteem to cultivating inner peace. The tagline for the site is apt: “Getting better at being human.”

“Because I write about human life, it’s something I’m experiencing in every moment,” Cain said. “I might ask my best friend or my mom what’s on their mind, and there’s always something interesting there. There’s never a shortage of ideas.”

A “congregation” of loyal readers has developed around Raptitude in the last six years, Cain said, with 25,000 subscribers to the site’s newsletter and nearly 20,000 followers on Facebook.

“That’s been the most rewarding part. …There are people who commented on my first post ever and are still part of the community,” Cain said.

He limited the registration for Camp Calm to 300 participants in order to maintain that community feel. “I need to be able to answer all campers’ questions in a timely manner,” Cain wrote on the blog. And there will likely be ample questions, as Cain said the course is designed for true beginners -- those interested in meditation but daunted by the work it might entail.

[Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/raptitude-david-cain_us_5682eae3e4b014efe0d96c72?section=india]