How To Sit When Learning Mindfulness And Meditation

One week is enough time to give the meditation methods and fundamental abilities given below a try. Consider it a one-week meditation trial run by the author.

Make a commitment to following these basic steps on a daily basis, seven days a week. This is in addition to making the commitment to a daily practice.

You can practice the art of being present at any time and from any location. There are no limitations, as previously stated. Still, there's nothing wrong with practicing staying in the moment while sitting. You can practice mindfulness in a sitting position by following the steps in this section.

It's difficult to make your brain stop thinking, therefore meditation isn't about that. Even when you're sleeping, your brain continues to generate thoughts. It's all about not nourishing the thoughts that arise during meditation. 

You'll be able to experience the calming advantages of meditation, which include relaxation, stress reduction, a more accurate perspective on your problems, greater creativity, and increased vitality, by honing your skill of "letting go" of thoughts, feelings, and ideas that arise spontaneously.

But it all starts with mastering the skill of meditation sitting.

Take a Seat

It's vital that you choose a comfortable and stable place to sit that will provide you with the necessary balance to practice without interruptions. You have the option of sitting on a park bench, a cushion, or a chair.

It makes no difference what you choose. The most important thing is to choose a position that provides a sturdy, stable seat without leaving you hanging or perching.

You can sit for about two minutes to see if the sitting position is going to strain your back. You're ready to move on to the following level if it fully supports your body without putting any strain on any portion of it.

Concentrate on your legs.

The second step is to pay attention to your legs. If you're sitting on the floor with a cushion, cross your legs in front of you in a comfortable position. If you've done any form of seated yoga previously, you should have an easier time with this.

Simply take the position you've been utilizing up to this point. It's best if the bottoms of your feet are in contact with the floor when you're sitting in a chair. Your attention will be affected throughout practice if your legs aren't in a comfortable position.

Straighten your back and shoulders.

Straighten your upper body after you're seated comfortably with your legs in a stable position. Still, you must do it in such a way that it does not stiffen. It's worth noting that your spine has a natural curve. Make sure you keep it to avoid hurting your back and being unbalanced.

Your body is built in such a way that your head and shoulders will be able to comfortably rest on top of your vertebrae. Simply place your upper body in its natural position, free of any pressure caused by poor posture.

Your upper arms should be parallel to your upper body.

It's critical that your upper arms are parallel to your upper torso in order to put yourself in a position where you can practice mindfulness. Allow your hands to fall onto the tops of your legs to achieve this. Once your upper arms are at your sides, your hands will land in the proper position.

If your hands are too far forward, they will cause you to hunch, giving you an uneasy feeling. It will harm your back if they are too far behind. It'll be tough. What you're doing is more akin to tuning your body's strings. As a result, it's critical that it's not too tight or too loose.

Drop your chin a smidgeon.

The next stage is to slowly lower your chin and allow your eyes to fall downward. Allow your eyes to droop lower than usual to get the most out of this stance. It's important to note that mindfulness doesn't require you to close your eyes.

Lowering your eyelids fully, on the other hand, may assist you to avoid distractions. Rather than closing your eyes, you might use what you're looking at as a focal point. You can stare without necessarily concentrating on the object in front of you.

Hold your breath.

Relax and focus your attention on your breathing at this stage. If you don't want to focus on your breath, you can use your bodily sensations or any other anchor that will help you be more effective, such as the sentences suggested previously. For a few seconds, stand still and maintain your balance.

Be Aware of Your Breath

Follow your breath as it enters and exits your nostrils if you've chosen it as your attention point. Exhalation is the focus of this exercise. It's just a matter of pausing before inhaling. Bring your attention to the physical sensation you're experiencing as air passes through your nose or through your mind.

Also, pay attention to how your chest and belly rise and fall. As you become immersed in this exercise, you can make a mental note of every sensation.

When your attention wanders, gently bring it back.

During the process, it's unavoidable that your attention will shift to other things. Other items compete for your attention in your daily tasks in the same way. Instead of criticizing yourself, learn from the experience and apply what you've learned to your thoughts the next time you have a similar situation.

Rather than feeling horrible about yourself, gently return your focus to the anchor. If it's your breath, do what you've been doing and watch it go in and out again.

Don't take a premature pause.

After a few minutes of practice, you could feel the need to take a break or make an adjustment. You could feel compelled to scratch a particular portion of your body. Don't lose control of your body, though. Plan when you'll take a break to make the change. This discipline will assist you in developing the ability to choose your actions.

People who respond without thinking about a situation are more prone to make poor decisions. As a result, you should take advantage of the opportunity to improve your emotional intelligence. You should be the one who dictates your body, not the other way around.

When it's necessary, observe and learn.

If your mind keeps wandering after you've brought it back to what you're doing several times, you may need to stop fighting it. Instead, you might use the experience to learn more about your cognitive process. Examine the types of things that divert your attention. Is it your bills or your relationships that are the source of your stress?

Whatever it is, it indicates that you need to improve your mental health in that aspect of your life. You should establish preparations for how to address a problem without becoming emotionally overwhelmed.

Raise Your Head Gently

Lift your gaze or open your eyes if you have closed them at the end of the practice. Take a moment to listen to any sounds in your environment. Take note of how you're feeling right now.

Also, are you paying attention to what you're thinking? Is it still possible that they're floating around? Are they unfavorable? Has the time spent practicing been worthwhile?

Examine your day's accomplishments and establish ideas for how you'll practice the next day.

MeditationLifeSkillsPodcast.com strives to present meditation concepts that connect east and west, tradition and science in a non-sectarian way, from multiple traditions, without promoting any particular technique or method.

One important principle I try to accomplish is to take complex ideas about meditation and the not-so-well understood meditation principles and help you understand how they can fit into your life.

To your success in meditation!

Don Weyant/Founder

MeditationLifeSkills.com

MeditationLifeSkillsPodcast.com

NOTE: Listen to these meditation episodes as much as you want in a comfortable position, whether sitting or lying down. For best results, we strongly suggest listening with headphones.

***This work is not meant to replace medical or counseling guidance from a qualified practitioner. Please get professional care if you suffer from a physical or mental disease.