By Faye Martins
What is the best mindfulness meditation for beginners? Some styles are modern, Buddhist, or Yogic, which cover a lot of territory regarding philosophy, practice, and belief systems. Are you ready to awaken and reconnect your body to your mind by using your breath as a primary tool? Learn how mindfulness, combined with any concept, can help you get the most out of your meditation sessions. Have you been suffering from anxiety, depression, or brain fog? Or, are you a Yoga instructor looking to help your clients move past these ailments with a combination of meditation and mindfulness? Whatever the reason for your research, we’re here to help guide you on your path to awareness through mindfulness.
What is Mindfulness?
An impactful stress reliever, the mindfulness technique involves refocusing your attention and accepting the resulting feelings and sensations you feel without judgment. You may have heard this concept referred to as being present in the moment. Mindfulness aims to foster awareness of the present and serves as an effective treatment for various psychological and physiological conditions, including anxiety, depression, pain, and stress. If you are experiencing one or more of these problems, here are two ways to implement mindfulness to get results.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Mindfulness interventions through MBSR are thought to steadily and swiftly improve outcomes for chronic pain, depression, and addiction. MBSR is a form of mindfulness meditation designed to help people cope with stress. Jon Kabat-Zinn developed the program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. It involves eight weekly sessions, each lasting two and a half hours. Participants are taught how to meditate and guided on how to apply mindfulness in their everyday lives. MBSR is effective in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
For individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, it is believed that participating in MBCT can cause a significant decrease in daily pain and stress when combined with a mindfulness approach. MBCT is designed to help people who suffer from depression. It is a form of therapy that combines cognitive therapy with mindfulness meditation. MBCT aims to help people become more aware of their thoughts and feelings to manage them better. The therapist will teach the patient to meditate and be more aware of their thoughts and feelings. The therapist will also help the patient learn how to change their thinking patterns if necessary.
Easy Mindfulness: Breath Awareness Meditation
Let’s look at a simple method. This is so easy that it only takes a paragraph to describe. Lay on your back. Inhale and think the word, “Thank.” Exhale and think of the word, You.” Keep the pace and make it natural. Don’t try to control your breathing – Just ride the waves. Who are you thanking? It doesn’t matter. You can thank God, or everyone, that you are still alive and enjoying this practice. It’s so easy that I call it the best mindfulness meditation for me. Your biggest challenge is staying awake; if you don’t, who cares? I learned this method from Paul Jerard when he taught at Aura Wellness Center in North Providence about 20 years ago.
Various Mindfulness Methods
By regulating attention, focus, and emotion, mindfulness can influence stress pathways and brain structure-activity. Consequently, those practicing mindfulness and meditation hold more positive and helpful emotions, particularly during stressful situations. In 2012, Harvard researchers scanned the brains of patients before and after mindfulness sessions. The results? Changes in brain activity from mindfulness are long-lasting. Pretty cool, right?
Mindfulness in Daily Life
As you can see, mindfulness is much more than just a trendy concept you’ve read about online. However, knowing about mindfulness and its benefits might not mean much if you don’t know how to implement the technique in your daily life. If it were so effortless to remain present, everyone would be doing it already. It takes practice, discipline, and a willingness to transcend. Here’s how you can incorporate mindfulness in your Yoga, therapy, and meditation sessions as a practitioner and student.
Awareness
When the public imagines Yoga, they probably picture someone sitting cross-legged on the floor as they rest their hands on their chest and tummy. With their eyes closed, the person you imagine may hum “om” or breathe in and out peacefully and intentionally. What your mind thinks of as Yoga is, in fact, only one of many forms. The skill we gain from any form of Yoga or meditation is most commonly referred to as awareness.
Internal Changes
The benefits of mindfulness meditation are numerous, and beginners can expect to experience a host of positive changes in their lives. One of the most notable benefits is an increased ability to focus and concentrate. With regular practice, you will find it easier to pay attention to the present moment and not be so easily distracted by your thoughts. You will also notice a decrease in stress and anxiety levels, as well as an improvement in your overall mood and well-being. Additionally, mindfulness meditation can help to boost your immune system and improve your sleep quality.
Combined Methods
Yoga utilizes a combination of deep breathing, mindfulness, chakras, mantras, meditation, and various repetitive Yoga poses to activate your energy or shakti. Yoga works with various Chakras to root out underlying issues and bring a higher level of awareness to your inner self. Believed to be wound up like a snake in your spine, your unmanaged stressors can wreak havoc in your life if ignored. Chakras are used to work their way up your spine to release your stress.
Reiki Meditation
There are many different mindfulness meditation techniques that beginners can choose from. One popular technique is known as Reiki Meditation. This involves using the hands to channel energy and promote relaxation. The goal of this meditation is to focus on the present moment and let go of any thoughts or worries plaguing your mind. This can be an extremely effective way to reduce stress and promote a sense of calm.
The Seven Main Chakras Utilized in Yoga include:
Root Chakra
Sacral Chakra
Naval Chakra
Heart Chakra
Throat Chakra
Third Eye Chakra
Crown Chakra
Easy Chakra Meditation
Chakra meditation is a great option if you’re looking for a mindfulness meditation that’s easy to do and doesn’t require a lot of time. To do this meditation, focus on each chakra (energy center). Start at the base of your spine and work your way up to the crown of your head. As you focus on each chakra, visualize it glowing with light. This simple meditation can help you to center yourself and feel more connected to your body.
Elements of Mindfulness
Chakras have elements of mindfulness intertwined throughout. With Chakras and mindfulness, you can bring about a deeper level of awareness that most of us are never fortunate or focused enough to experience. Not every type of meditation is a perfect fit for each individual. Whatever method you use, make sure it benefits you and suits your individual preferences, beliefs, and lifestyle.
Conditioned By Life’s Pace
Mindfulness meditation is one of the best ways to reconnect with our physical selves. Our practice that focuses on the breath connects the mind and body. It’s a great way for beginners to get started with mindfulness because it’s simple and easy to do. You can do it anywhere, anytime, and it doesn’t require special equipment or training.
Learning the Basics
Each of us comes to practice with a unique personal history. It’s best to consult with a teacher regarding any necessary accommodations or additional concerns you may have before you dive in. Fortunately, mindfulness combined with meditation can offer a simpler way to guide you toward a more meaningful life and better health.
Other Forms of Mindfulness Meditation
There are many more forms, such as Zen and Vipassana, which have been around for centuries. Insight meditation is a modern form of Vipassana. If you’re ready to find genuine fulfillment and truth at the core of who you are, give mindfulness meditation a try today. Once again, endorse breath awareness as the best mindfulness meditation for beginners.
Choosing the Right Place for Meditation
Everyone has a predominant sense that overrides the other senses in strength. Some of us are highly visual and respond the most to visual stimuli, while others are very much in touch with how things feel and are sensitive to textures and materials within a room. Some people rely heavily on their hearing and are mostly auditory thinkers; others are impacted strongly by what they smell. Meditation is about disconnecting from the mind chatter by focusing on less. Often this leads to reduced sensory perception, but ironically one of the best ways to achieve a meditative state is through the physical body and senses themselves.
Preparation
When you’re ready to start your mindfulness meditation practice, choose a time when you can be uninterrupted for at least five minutes. If possible, it’s best to meditate at the same time each day. Once you’ve selected a time, find a comfortable spot to sit or lie down. You may want to close your eyes and focus on your breath. Start by taking a few deep breaths in and out. Then, begin to focus your attention on the present moment. Notice the sounds around you, the sensations in your body, and your thoughts and emotions. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the present moment.
Meditation at Home
Many forms of meditation can be done essentially anywhere; on a train or bus, in the office during a lunch break; basically, any block of free time can be devoted to quiet rumination, but for most people, the bulk of their meditation practice will be done within the home and so it can prove beneficial to create a space that is perfect for meditation in one’s own home. Typically it’s very helpful to remove media devices from the meditation space, such as televisions. Covering it while meditating also works if there is no other place for the television. However, some practitioners use television for guided meditation.
Atmosphere
Some individuals will want a space that reflects the purpose of the area with visual signals. Serene pictures can be put on the walls if that helps get into a relaxed state. A cushion is important for performing various sitting postures, and a chair can also be helpful, so at the very least, those items should be a part of the room’s design. Incense burners are excellent for those who respond well to scents. Of course, a stereo can be used to play sounds for auditory individuals; this is especially beneficial for those who live in a city where noise pollution is common.
Potential Options and Distractions
A meditation space should ideally be located away from the phone and other distractions. I find that practicing while children are asleep is ideal. However, some children are exceptional practitioners. Family meditation time is always a good thing. Another option is to meditate at a Yoga studio or ashram. Yoga is also a wonderful companion to meditation at home. Yoga practice brings out the finer benefits of meditation as one learns to live in complete harmony with his or her surroundings.
Why Breath Awareness Wins
Breath awareness meditation is the best mindfulness meditation for beginners because it helps them to focus on their breath and become aware of their surroundings. This type of meditation can be done anywhere, at any time, and only requires effort. It’s also a great method to learn how to control your thoughts and focus your attention.
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A meditation space should ideally be located away from the phone and other distractions.Thanks sharing this informative article.
Many forms of meditation can be done essentially anywhere, basically any block of free time can be devoted to quiet rumination.Thanks for sharing this valuable post.