Mindfulness meditation is an approach to daily practices that helps boost your levels of focus and concentration. The availability of your mind throughout the day, the measures of focus that you have in everything that you do – can be improved through mindful meditation.
What Is Mindfulness?
It is the ability of an individual to be completely present at the moment. We all come across circumstances that make our minds wander away from the present. Life is a complex and difficult process, thus requiring the human mind to ponder over a thousand things at once.
However, with the practice of mindfulness, you can not only develop a focused approach but also improve your brain’s ability to prioritize important tasks.
Your mental, physical, and emotional processes need to be woken up and improved. The very goal of mindfulness is to stir your inner workings and lead you toward a level of concentration where your mind works to its maximum potential.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation is a journey. The farther you go, the better it gets.
This technique, utilized and perfected over the years, has been an incredible tool to practice focus. This technique is not associated with any particular religion, however, it is used across many religions as a guiding practice.
Meditation has been shown to offer many health benefits, both in physical and mental terms. Mindfulness meditation itself is one of the various forms of education. Every form has different purposes, and every purpose meets the needs of the individual practicing meditation.
Although our focus is Mindfulness Meditation, here are some other types of meditation to help you distinguish between each;
- Spiritual meditation
- Movement meditation
- Mantra meditation
- Focused meditation
- Visualization meditation
Spiritual meditation can be practiced in a place of worship or any place you feel comfortable. While meditation itself is not connected to any religion of the world, in particular, the goal of spiritual meditation is to deepen one’s spiritual connection.
Focused meditation is aimed at improving sole focus. It also leads to the complete utilization of the 5 senses in order to get the internal and external influences to develop concentration.
Likewise, every type of meditation has a different purpose. For every problem that you may counter there is a certain type of meditation that can help you find a solution while utilizing every aspect of your senses.
What Is Mindfulness Meditation?
Mindfulness meditation is one of the most popular types of meditation. As the name suggests, it is a practice that helps you clear your thoughts and pay better attention to the world around you.
The activities practiced in mindfulness meditation generally stem from Buddhist teachings, and it is one of the most frequently practiced forms of meditation.
Mindful meditation is aimed at providing the human mind and body time to pause, think, reflect, and then act upon any circumstances that may occur. For example, instead of rushing to argue when an argument is presented, you reflect upon your experiences, take the situation into consideration, and then process to form words that sound coherent and logical.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, an American professor and the founder of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction says that “Mindfulness is the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally. And then I sometimes add, in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”
Thus, mindfulness and mindfulness meditation is not only beneficial for your internal processes but also cater to the mental processes that you manifest through your actions.
5 Tips To Get Started With Mindfulness Meditation
To practice meditation, you need to tune in to it once a day. It helps you put some space between how you would instantly react and how you can logically act.
Here are 5 tips on how you can add mindfulness meditation to your daily routine;
One: No Matter How Hectic The Day Is, Take Out Some Time.
In order to stick to meditation, you need to be consistent. And consistency comes with practice. Thus, no matter how busy you are or how low you feel, make yourself get up and practice. You do not need a special bench or a special place, all you need to go about mindfulness meditation is your inner motivation. Because that is what keeps you going.
Thus, when you are undergoing stress, skip that cup of coffee and switch to meditation. Even the simplest of breathing techniques can do wonders.
Two: Take In The Reality Of The Present Moment.
No matter how harsh the truth or a problem is, the only way to get over it and find a solution is to accept it. The aim of mindfulness meditation is not to get over any and every issue that may be bothering you. It is about finding solutions and attaining inner peace.
You can look at it this way: the echoes in your mind need to calm down, not shut down altogether. Meditation helps you sort out each and every echo and deal with each one separately. Thus, providing you with inner peace as well as a way to deal with whatever was bothering you.
Your mind and body are in continuous conflict when you carry around the burden of unsolved problems, thus disrupting your inner peace.
Three: You Judge, You Lose. You Think, And You Win.
Rene Descartes, a renowned French philosopher, once said “Dubito ergo cogito, cogito ergo sum”. It is a Latin proverb, translated from French “Je pense, donc je suis”. This means that ‘I doubt therefore I think, I think therefore I am.
Thus, judgment can be stored in your mind solely for information. Answers based on judgment do not make good arguments. Answers based on thoughtful action and logic make room for improved arguments.
Set aside whatever judgments you may have, and think calmly. It is one of the best ways to attain tranquility through meditation.
Four: Let Your Mind Drift, But Not Too Far From Reality.
The human mind is wired in such complex ways that are unknown even to the best of scientists and researchers. It drifts off from one thought to another in a matter of seconds. Where it may travel across worlds and dimensions, it is important that you focus more on the present moment.
For you to reach a state of calmness, you have to be present at the moment and come back to it no matter how farther away you drift from it.
Five: Take Care Of Your Mind – Be Kind.
You cannot punish yourself for whatever thoughts your mind may crop up. It is meant to wander and it has the potential to take you to places unimaginable. Thus, when you see that your mind has wandered, recognize the drift and bring it back. Do so gently, so as not to disrupt any thought process.
The Bottom Line
You will see results only when you are consistent in your endeavors. Thus, sit comfortably, straighten up, and breathe. Feel your breath and use it as an anchor to come back from the wandering world of your brain.
As you spend more time practicing mindfulness meditation, you will feel more emotions flow through your body. You will feel better about your surroundings, because it may not be completely free of problems, you now have a way to cater to those problems.
Breathe.
Also Read: 5 Best Types of Meditation for Peace of Mind