Thread: Meditation

Meditation - A simple technique

Meditation can be a very useful skill and practice for anyone involved in any activity or role which needs focus and clarity. It can significantly reduce 'excess' stress.

There are four basic components necessary to successful meditation:

• A quiet environment

• A mental device, usually a sound, word or phrase repeated silently to help break the train of distracting thoughts

• A passive attitude. Adopt a 'let it happen' attitude. Distracting thoughts will happen but do not worry about them. Also don't worry about how well you are performing the technique. A passive attitude is probably the most important element in successful meditation.

• A comfortable position, (not lying down - sleep is not meditation) with a straight back that encourages good breathing

The most straightforward meditation / relaxation technique (of many) is as follows:

• Sit quietly in a comfortable position

• Close your eyes

• Deeply relax all your muscles, beginning at your feet and progressing to your face. Keep them relaxed

• Breathe through your nose. Become aware of your breathing. As you breathe out say the word 'one' silently to yourself. For example, breathe in ...out, 'one'; in....out, 'one' etc. Breathe easily and naturally.

• Continue for 10 to 20 minutes. You may open your eyes to check the time , but do not use an alarm.

• When you finish sit quietly for several moments, at first with your eyes closed and later with your eyes opened. Do not stand up for a few moments

BE COMFORTABLE WHATEVER STATE OF RELAXATION YOU DO OR DO NOT ACHIEVE, with practice relaxation will come easily. It is recommended that you practice once or twice a day, but not within 2-hours of any meal as the digestive processes seem to interfere with meditation

Slightly adapted from an approach by Peter Honey in his book Increase your people skills

Anyone anything to add?

What are the major similarities and differences between meditation and hypnosis?

The difference between meditation and hypnosis

Great question,

There are many types of meditation and many types of hypnosis and trance and I could suggest that meditation is a form of hypnosis and hypnosis is a form of meditation - but that doesn't really answer your question!

My own description is that both are a change of focus of attention. In meditation while you may focus on a word, or your breathing, you are aware of and accept what ever comes from your internal and external environment.

In hypnosis you tend to dissociate from your current internal and external environment and be drawn into an altered safe state.

Both can be incredibly useful,

A great resource for meditation is Shinzen Young The Science of Meditation in Action

Interested in others views,

Thanks for this post, if more people took time to practise your technique, even once a week, we would have a much healthier and less stressed nation

You're right!

I'll add the comment that when started I found it quite a challenge. Rather than feeling more relaxed, I actually noticed all the curious thoughts going through my head and feelings that I had been unaware of. Which in it's own way "appeared" a bit stressful. And I started only doing couple of minutes a time.

I suspect everyone has different experiences, but if you've just started don't be put off if it's initially different to what you expect.

HI,

Mediation, in a broad sense, consists of a cognitive process of reconciling mutually interdependent, opposed terms as what one could loosely call "an interpretation" or "an understanding of". The German philosopher Hegel uses the term 'dialectical unity' to designate such thought-processes.


Thank you....



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