Focusing on the Breath
by Curt Remington
Reasons to Meditate
You are a spiritual being. There was a spiritual you before you were born, and there will be one still, after your body dies. Often, while we’re here on earth, we can get so caught up in our daily routines that we barely acknowledge that. We rush around from task to task, thinking and worrying about what we need to do next. Meditation can help us slow down, live more in the present, and reconnect with that wiser, eternal, spiritual part of ourselves. Some of the benefits of meditating are:
- Improved energy, concentration and attention
- Reduced stress, anger, anxiety and tension
- Improved relationships
- More forgiveness and gratitude
- Less blocks to health and happiness
- Access to intuition and psychic abilities
Meditation is Easy
Not only is meditating extremely beneficial, it is also easy. By the end of this article, you will have the basics you need to get started. To meditate, you don’t need to stop all the thoughts racing through your head. You just need to find something to gently focus on that slows down your other thoughts, so your mind and body can relax, and you can hear the whisperings of your spiritual self. In my Connect with Nature article, I mention a variety of focal points you can find in nature, but maybe it’s rainy or cold old out. Breathing is another very natural and simple focal point, or object of meditation. For at least 2500 years Buddhists and others, have used their breath as a focus in their meditation. Breathing draws in Prana, a vital life-sustaining force. Just follow the simple steps below and you’ll be meditating in no time.
Simple Breath Meditation Exercise
- If you’re tense, consider doing some stretching exercises before you start meditating. It’s also helpful to stand, let your arms hang and shake the tension out of your hands.
- For meditating, my recommendation is that you find a comfortable chair in a quiet room and sit with both feet on the ground. If you prefer to sit on the floor in a lotus position, go ahead.
- Close your eyes for the meditation. Start to become aware of your breathing. Take a deep breath, drawing from your abdomen, and hold it briefly, then exhale through your mouth. Relax and let your tension go out with your breath. Do this a few more times, and then return to a more relaxed, natural rate of breathing. At this point, I prefer to just breath through my nose.
- Gently focus on the sensations or some aspect of your breathing, such as the pause between breaths or the sensation of warmth as your breath leaves your nostrils. You might visualize the path of your breath as it is drawn down into your lungs.
- When a random thought pops in, and they will, take note of that, then let the thought go. To make this clear, I’ll give you an example:
- a. Normal Thoughts – I wonder what Cheryl meant by that remark earlier today? I’ll bet she was trying to make me look bad. You know I never did like her. Why do I even care? Nobody listens to her anyway…..
- b. Trying to Meditate – I wonder what Cheryl meant by that remark? Oh yeah, I’m supposed to be meditating. Why does my mind keep wandering like this? Doesn’t everyone’s mind wander like this? I’ll bet Cheryl wouldn’t do any better. In fact Cheryl is probably the one that should be meditating….
- c. Actually meditating – I wonder what Cheryl meant by that remark? Hmm… I had a thought. Let’s refocus on my breathing.
- Congratulations, you’re meditating. Do this as long as you like, but 15 minutes is a good goal. Ten minutes might be enough to start, then consider working up to 20 minutes a day.
Conclusion
The more that you practice meditating, the easier it will be to let go of distracting thoughts. Experiment with different techniques and find what works best for you. There are a number of great meditations on my web site, especially grounding and running your energies. They can be used to move quantum energy, releasing blocks to your health, emotional and spiritual well being. I use these everyday alone or before other meditation exercises or clairvoyant reading.
The benefits of meditating make it well worth your time and effort, so try to make it part of your daily routine.