Meditation tips

Meditation is a practice that's been used for years now. Besides its obvious effects such as quieting your mind and relaxing your body, there are some other side effects to it which come with more good news. Meditation helps you relieve stress and thus it increases the blood flow and slows the heart rate,  it increases the serotonin level - which influences mood and behaviour, it helps you decalcify your pineal gland and fight off allergies and arthritis, it helps you get control of your own thoughts and so on. 

I've learned my lessons so when I first read about meditation instead of raising an eyebrow at the concept I just gave it a shot. I became addicted to it immediately, so ever since I'm trying to learn more and more about it. I find a 10 min session of meditating more effective than a hour of sleep. I don't know how meditation works for you but for me works miracles. 

Here are my tips on meditating:

• A place to meditate

Find a quite place in your house where you can meditate. It can be any room in your house or outside your home ( garden or somewhere outside) just make sure it's a quiet spot (birds chirping and the wind blowing through the leaves don't count as noise ). Close your TV, phone, stereo... anything that can make noise to make sure you won't get disturb. I would also suggest you decorate that spot if it's possible. Bring a plant over there or a painting you like, maybe a fluffy carpet... anything you want to make you grow more attached to it.

• Burn some incense

Incense and aromatherapy are well known for their properties to induce a particular feeling in your body. I love to burn some lavender essential oil in my ceramic burner while meditating.  Lavender is believed to possess a sedative that calms the psyche. Studies show lavender helps reduce stress, anxiety and insomnia. 

• Get in the zone

Get ready to meditate, leave your worries behind and have a positive attitude towards it. Don't try to meditate with an attitude of 'ah, let's get this over with!'. Get excited, get ready...know that this will help you physically and mentally. You can also put on some really slow music with no lyrics to it to help you relax.

• A comfortable position

Don't try poses you can't hold or poses that make you uncomfortable just because they look so good on TV or in magazines. If others can do it, it doesn't necessary mean that you can also do it right away. Maybe they are more flexible or maybe they exercised in order to be able to hold a pose like that. If you want to you can try to exercise as well, I would recommend Yoga. But when you meditate it's really important to be comfortable, so make sure you get as comfortable as you can.  

• Posture 

The golden rule is to keep your back straight, everything else can be adapted. You might find it easier to meditate if you hold your chin slightly downwards and your eyes half opened (that will help you relax and not fall asleep). You can also rest your right hand on the left, with the thumb-tips lightly touching. 

• Start with your breathing

Breath as natural as you can, taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly. You can look up some breathing yoga exercises on the Internet to help you figure out how to breath correctly. In order to quiet my mind I often count my breaths - I read this tip in a book and found it effective. With focusing on your breath and counting it, it's harder for your thoughts to bug in. 

• Let your emotions overflow you, don't fight back

Fighting back is a huge mistake. The whole point of meditation is to help you clear you mind, thus when you fight back thoughts or emotions you do exactly the opposite, you could just as well let all those sporadic thoughts be comfortable in your mind. Whatever emotion or thought comes in mind, let it be...observe it, feel it... and let them go when they are ready.

• Don't try too hard

Meditation should equal relaxation and peace of mind... if you don't feel that when meditating, there's something definitely wrong. So, don't get ideas of what you have to feel or experience, just let yourself be. If you get thoughts, don't start to blame yourself for not being able to keep your mind clear. Keep your calm and keep on trying, eventually you'll get a hang of it. I know it took me some time to meditate. 

• Try to focus on a burning candle

That also helps. Burn a scented candle (or a regular one) and watch it burn, I don't know why but that usually helps me. 

• Read some books/blogs on meditation

I would definitely recommend Osho's Meditation The Art of Ecstasy. The book is serious and funny and practical all at the same time. There are multiple meditation techniques he talks about so you can try them all or find one that fits you. The book really helped me so maybe it 'll help you as well. If not, I'm pretty sure there are many other books on meditation.

Now it's your turn...What helps you meditate ?