Meditation: How to start
How do you start with a good meditation? In a way that you can do it regularly? While we might want to try meditation, it can be hard to find the time to sit still and keep our minds from racing from one topic to the next.
What is meditation?
First off, meditation is about reducing stress, becoming one with your mind and learning more about yourself. There are no rules concerning the duration of meditating. Meditation is an approach to train the mind, the same as what sports can do for the body. In the Buddhist tradition, the word ‘meditation’ is similar to a word like sports in the Western world. It is a family of activities, not just one thing.
How to get started with meditation
There are different types of meditations. So depending on what you want to learn, you can choose different techniques. For example; if your goal is to become more patient and to be able to concentrate better, ‘Concentration meditation’ is best. If your goal is to become more connected to yourself and your emotions, ‘Mindfulness meditation’ is the way to go. Here we highlight some of the different types of mediating:
Concentration meditation – Is focusing on a single point. You can follow your breath, repeat a single word or mantra, staring into a candle flame, counting beads or listening to a gong repeatedly. The purpose of this meditation is to challenge the mind to focus and become aware of when your mind is wandering. Rather than pursuing random thoughts, you simply let them go and hereby develop a better way to concentrate during the day.
Mindfulness meditation – Is being fully present with your thoughts. To be mindful is to be aware of where you are and what you’re doing, and not minding what is going on around us. This type of meditation can be done anywhere. You can sit in a quiet place, close your eyes and focus on your breath. You can easily start doing this while you’re commuting to work. The most important aspect when doing mindful meditation is to observe your thoughts and emotions and to allow them to pass over you without judging.
Movement/Yoga meditation – If you find it hard to sit still, a movement meditation is probably a good starting point. Movement meditation is good for people who find peace in action and prefer their minds to wonder. Everyone thinks meditation is about sitting still, but this type of meditation can be done walking through the woods, gardening or doing yoga movements.
These are just some examples of different types of meditation. There are of course even more types that you can explore. The importance is to know what you want to achieve with meditating. Whether you are looking to reduce the amount of stress you’re feeling, finding spiritual enlightenment, finding peace through movement, trying to get your mind to wander less, there is always a mediation practice for you. Don’t be afraid to try different techniques; not everything will suit everybody. And don’t forget: the easiest way to start meditating is to just focus on your breathing.
Why we believe in the power of meditation
We, at One Chiropractic Care, believe that mediation can help you to become more healthy in your mind and also your body. In our society we are becoming less and less connected to each other, but also to ourselves. We believe the world needs more connection to ourselves and to others. Meditation is a great way to get more connected to your mind and your body.
We at One Chiropractic Care have chiropractors in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Arnhem, Rotterdam, Haarlem & The Hague that are here to help you and your family reach your optimal potential. Make an appointment to for an initial consult here. Read more about what we do on your first consult here.
References
Banks RH, Boone WR, Schmidt S, Dobson M. Network Care: A retrospective outcomes assessment. 1996
Dobson M, Boone WR, Blanks RH. Women and alternative health care: A retrospective study of recipients of Network Care. 1996.
