12 meditation exercises (practical guide and benefits)
We live in a stressful and competitive world that requires us to be constantly active and prepared to adapt to new developments and changes in the environment.
The lifestyle we lead , both in work and private life, can become frantic and cause stress, tension and a sense of not reaching everything. We need to disconnect from time to time and focus on what is important, which is very helpful to perform meditation and relaxation techniques.
In order to contribute to personal well-being in this article I selected a dozen very useful meditation exercises , in addition to indicating some of the benefits of these practices.
- Related article: "The 8 types of meditation and their characteristics"
Meditation: concept and benefits
The term meditation refers to the focus of attention on a specific element , be it internal as one's own thought or external, in a state of deep concentration and reflection. It is popularly said that meditation aims to achieve the liberation of the mind from its usual concerns and the emphasis of the present. It is generally based on focusing completely on the now focusing on aspects such as breathing, thinking or consciousness itself.
Meditation serves to serve help the individual connect with himself , self-understanding and capturing one's own potential. It also allows us to observe reality in a more objective manner, as well as the values and objectives that govern us.
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The origins of this practice
The practice of meditation is native to India and typical of Buddhist and Hindu beliefs, having popularized in the West relatively recently. These practices can serve many purposes. Originally with religious or mystical orientation, nowadays meditation has even become part of the repertoire of techniques used in psychological therapy, especially in the form of Mindfulness.
Mindfulness as a technique is based on focusing on the present moment and what happens without trying to interpret it , accepting both the positive and the negative, the renunciation of the attempt to control and the choice of objectives and values in which to work.
The benefits of meditation are many: different studies show that it improves the ability to concentrate and memory, allows physical and mental relaxation as well as better stress management and even has a beneficial effect at the medical level by stimulating the immune system.
It has also been shown that helps improve mood , fighting mild depression and anxiety, as well as reducing blood pressure and the possibility of suffering cardiovascular disorders. Finally, it has also proved useful in improving the quantity and quality of sleep.
A dozen meditation exercises
There is a wide variety of meditation exercises that can be carried out. Some of them are performed in a static manner (this being the most well-known and traditional type of meditation) while others require movement.
Of the same, some focus more on living the moment while others emphasize the idea of Self-stimulating sensations through elements such as visualization . Then we leave you with 12 exercises that you can perform comfortably in different situations and that will allow you to meditate focusing attention on various aspects.
1. Empty the mind
It is a meditation centered only on breathing. With the eyes parted the subject focuses on your own breathing without trying to control it , focusing on the sensation of air entering and exiting. The individual will try to focus only on it. Different types of thinking may arise, but you should not try to block them but simply not follow them.
Over time the individual will get it to concentrate on breathing and obviate the rest of thoughts, so that it will get get feelings of calm, tranquility and placidity .
2. Countdown
While this technique may seem very simple, it is very useful to improve concentration. With eyes closed and in a relaxed position you proceed to count down slowly, from high numbers (fifty or even a hundred) to zero. It is about concentrating your mind on a specific element so that the rest of the stimuli vanish.
3. Body Scan
This technique is based on the detailed review of the different regions of the body, taking into account the sensations perceived in each one of them. It is recommended to find a comfortable position that allows body relaxation, sitting on the floor with the back straight and legs bent with each foot on the thigh of the other leg (in what is known as the lotus position). Once in this position you should close your eyes and leave your mind blank.
In this state, you will proceed little by little to go through the mind with the different muscle groups paying attention to the sensations that come from them. Is about Concentrate on what your body tells us , at the same time that we connect better with him and we self-observe accepting the information that comes from him without judging them. Generally it proceeds to go climbing from the toes to the head.
4. The Mindful Pause
A quick exercise proposed by Dr. Ryan Niemiec , which can be done anywhere. This exercise is based on concentration in the breath for between fifteen and thirty seconds, concentrating our attention solely on this process. It must be inhaled and exhaled deeply.
Once concentrated the attention directed towards the breathing will be directed to consider which one of the own strong points can be applied to the situation that is living. In this way we can help us make decisions and deal with stress situations .
5. Observation in dynamic meditation
This exercise is based on the observation and contemplation of what we are able to observe. First we find a comfortable position in which to relax, to close our eyes for a few minutes, focused on breathing. Once this is done, the eyes open and a brief look is made of what is happening and is around us.
He closes his eyes again and it reflects on what has been seen , that different stimuli we have perceived that surround us (for example a dog, a flatmate preparing to go to work, an open window through which a tree is seen ...). Once the stimuli are listed, it remains silent for a few minutes.
This done, we proceed to reopen the eyes and make a second more detailed pass of what surrounds us. Again, the eyes are closed and a new list of the observed elements is made. Both lists are compared mentally, to reflect on the differences between what has been observed in the first place and what has been seen with a second longer observation.
6. Meditation in movement
Although meditation has traditionally been seen as something to be done in a static way, it is possible to meditate in movement (although it can be more complicated to concentrate).
It is recommended that it be in contact with nature , as in a field or on the beach. It is about taking walks while the person focuses on the sensations that he is feeling at that moment, like the heat of the sun, the breeze, the touch of the water if it rains or is close to the sea, the salinity of the water or the friction of the plants, the movement of the muscles themselves or the emotions they awaken.
7. Visualization
This exercise is based on the visualization of objectives and their evaluation through meditation. The subject can perform it sitting, lying or even standing. With the closed and with the attention on the breath, the definition of a goal or goal to be pursued.
Then the subject will go little by little raising if you really consider the goal desirable , to then assess whether reaching it would produce welfare, if the benefits to be achieved outweigh the costs and difficulties and if we have the means to achieve it, to finally rethink again if the objective is still desirable.
If the result is positive, the will and effort will be strengthened to achieve it, while the person feels his objective as valid, while in the opposite case the effort towards the achievement of new goals can be reoriented .
8. Meditation with fire
Fire has been used as a symbolic element and as a focal point in different meditation techniques. One of the techniques is based on the focus of attention on the candle of a flame, in a comfortable position while controlling the breathing and sensations are noted as heat and luminosity that contribute.
You can also make a list of positive things to achieve or maintain and negative ones to get rid of, concentrating on the negatives and the sensations they provoke and delivering them to the fire to observe how they ignite and carbonize and then focus on the positive ones (which are not burned) under the protection of heat and light.
9. Meditation in the water
This technique is based on the use of water and can be done during bathing in a bathtub or pool. The focus is on the relationship of one's body with water while focusing on breathing, noting the sensations it provokes and the limits between the submerged part of the body and the one that is on the outside.
You can try visualize how water takes away tension and bad feelings . You can also work with the surface of the water, seeing how our movements leave their mark in the form of waves and focusing on the perception of the environment beyond the body.
10. Static meditation: The mind as a canvas
The exercise begins by closing the eyes and focusing on the breath, trying to imagine the mind as a blank canvas. Once this is done, the person must choose one of the spontaneous thoughts or images that arise and must mentally launch it into said canvas.
From there, we will proceed to try to reflect on why that thought has appeared, its origin and its usefulness and what sensations it causes. Once this is done, the person can try to give life to the image, incorporating it mentally and even projecting himself into it to analyze it.
Although it has been proposed as something to do mentally, given that art is an important element that can be used for reflection, it can be useful that instead of doing it mentally, the subject goes on to make a graphic representation on a real canvas. They also serve other forms of art and expression , like writing, sculpture or music.
11. Yoga and tai chi
While both are disciplines by themselves with their differential characteristics, both yoga and tai chi can be used as a form of meditation through the realization of various movements. The visualization is also important.
For example, you can imagine the projection of an orb of energy towards the outside of our body, giving it a sensation of heat and weight and performing different manipulation exercises with it, such as rotating it, passing it over the head and around the torso and sliding it. by the arms and legs. This orb is going to be the element in which we focus our attention , and can represent our physical energy or a quality of our own or desired by us.
12. Meditation metha bhavana
This type of meditation focuses on cultivating love and positive emotions .
First, the user should sit down and pay attention to the body, relaxing each muscle as best as possible. Once this is done, the emotional sensations should be focused, focusing the attention towards the heart and trying to discern the emotions that are felt at that moment. It is necessary to accept them be positive or negative. It is recommended to try to smile while doing face to observe possible changes in the emotions felt.
After that, we try to attract positive emotions . For this we can use mantras or phrases that bring us feelings of peace, love or positivity, or imagination.
This exercise is carried out thinking in the first place in oneself, then in a friend, then in a person that does not value neither good nor bad, then in someone with whom we have conflicts and finally in the set of living beings. Is about identify the sensations and try to propitiate the good , even accepting and not judging or limiting the bad. After that, little by little he turns to the outside world.
