Learning to Meditate: Start the Adventure

Learning to meditate is an adventure of self-discovery, enlightenment and personal fulfillment. Of course, not everyone follows the path of insight meditation, subscribing to the whole spiritualism behind the practice. Some people use meditation and relaxation simply to get a handle on their strong emotions and daily stresses. Some people take classes as a time for quiet reflection. Whatever your reason for getting started, you will notice a different feeling stirring in you.

The first step in learning to meditate is understanding the concept. The Western notion of meditation is “to focus one’s thoughts or ponder over.” However, the Eastern idea of spiritual meditation is “the all and the everything,” says writer George Gurdjieff. Instead, meditation becomes the absence of thought, judgment and distraction — but rather, the absorption of a sense of serenity and love. Some Westerners hesitate to get involved with meditation because these concepts seem too lofty, but once the mental and physical benefits of meditating are realized, it’s hard to resist.

When students are learning how to meditate, position is emphasized because sitting upright allows energy to flow straight down the spine and back up again. Participants are able to take deeper breaths and remain mentally alert, even as the body moves into a deeper state of relaxation. There are two cushions the meditation group may use: the zafu and the zabuton. The zafu is a thick, pillbox-shaped cushion that is usually round. A zabuton is flatter, more like a dinner table seat cushion. There are also gomdens (taller square cushions), kneeling benches and yoga mats used in meditative practices.

Meditation classes sometimes teach a concept called “sweeping the house.” When learning to meditate, it sometimes helps to use simple movements to keep you grounded. Place both hands behind your head, resting your hands at the base of your skull. Sweep your hands over the top of your head and imagine gathering up all your thoughts. When you get to your forehead, flick your hands away from your face and imagine all those thoughts being sent off into space. Repeat this process up to thirty times until you feel your consciousness leave your mind and migrate to your “hara” point in your belly.

More and more Americans are learning to meditate, now that the benefits of meditation have been scientifically studied. There is much left to learn, yet brain scans are showing researchers that just 40 minutes of meditation each day can actually change the composition of the brain. Participants in the 2009 Massachusetts General Hospital study increased the thickness in cortical regions of the brain related to visual, auditory, sensory and internal perception. This is also the hemisphere of the brain associated with focus, concentration and awareness. Additionally, meditation was found to slow age-related thinning of the frontal cortex.

In today’s stress filled society, meditation might be just what you need to manage your life more effectively. Learning some easy meditation techniques can calm and focus your mind, and help you gain awareness of yourself and your surroundings.

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