Meditation is a great way to stay mindful and focused, especially during times of uncertainty and chaos, it helps you stay connected to your truest self, and it can change your life for the better in miraculous ways. Buddhists believe that the practice of Meditation cultivates the mind, so we can receive the truest wisdom of existence.
Mindfulness is the experience of being fully present and aware of the “now moment” without judgement or attachment to the stories that can cause us fear, stress, or anxiety. The “now moment” is the only reality there is, so getting to this place is important for living a fulfilled and blissful life.
Benefits of Meditation
From a holistic viewpoint, the underlying cause of disease in the body is unprocessed fear that leaves us stressed and anxious. When we experience illness or any disease in our physical bodies, we have a hard time staying mindful, present, or in a state of bliss.
Meditation is thought to shower the brain’s neurons with feel-good chemicals like serotonin that help dissolve stress and depression. Meditation is also known to help boost your immunity by activating the immune-linked region of the brain.
“Meditation makes the entire nervous system go into a field of coherence. The highest levels of performance come to people who are centered, intuitive, creative, and reflective – people who know to see a problem as an opportunity.” Says one of my favorite teachers and friend, Deepak Chopra.
Why Meditation is Important?
A daily practice of Meditation helps to tap into the gap between our thoughts – this gap is the portal to the Quantum Field of infinite potential, where inspiration and intuition come easy. Scientists describe the Quantum Field as a flowing essence throughout all of space. This essence is a field, like the electric and magnetic fields. This field is not only the Quantum Realm; it also mirrors our very soul essence that transcends the blocks we might have stored in our subconscious minds. When we add an intention into this field of infinite possibilities, it ripples out to give rise to waves of light that potentially lead to matter or the manifestation of our soul’s desire.
Calming the “monkey mind” through Meditation gets us closer to a mindful way of moving through life. According to a National Science Foundation article, the research found that the average person has approximately 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day, 80% of which are negative thoughts. Meditation has proven to increase the length of the space between our thoughts, reducing the number of negative thoughts that inhibit or block us from mindfulness, focus, and our deepest desires.
Best Meditation Practices
Focus, or being in “the zone,” has roots in the term Zen, meaning “of no mind,” which was a Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese transliteration “chànná” of the Hindu word “dhyāna,” which means reflection or Meditation. Essentially, to have a focus is being in a state of Meditation. Our zone of genius is accessed through Meditation. With daily practice, you end up in a state of moving meditation throughout your day, and the synchronicities come to you with grace and ease.
It’s fairly easy to start the practice of Meditation. All you need is ten minutes (or more) and a quiet place.
Here are the 5 easy steps to start a meditation practice for mindful awareness and focus:
- Schedule in 10 minutes first thing in the morning (right after you wake up and relieve yourself, but before you even brush your teeth!) or late afternoon. Challenge yourself for 21 days to make it a positive habit. Your body and mind will thank you for this new skill.
- Set your timer for 10 minutes (increase by a minute each day (20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the late afternoon is great).
- Sit up with your back against a wall or straight in bed, in a chair, or cross-legged on the floor (using a pillow for support). The alignment keeps you awake and opens your spine, which is connected to the energy portals in your body.
- Set an intention for your day. It could be as simple as focusing on the word “gratitude.” You can ask a question like, “what is my purpose?” Or, you can think about a desire. This will add that ripple effect into the gap of potential. The key is to set your intention using general terms, adding the energy of love and gratitude. Lightly present your intention, then let it go. The more we grasp onto details, the more we are attached to the outcome. Detachment allows your intentions a bigger field to manifest from.
- Focus on your inhale and exhale until your timer stops. You can include a mantra or affirmation at each breath. For example, say to yourself “I am” as you inhale, “enough” as you exhale, or any affirmation you need at the moment. Keep it simple. REMINDER: Gratitude opens you up to the synchronicities of the Universe.
When you meditate, a window of potential opens up, and you slip into the space of infinite possibilities to create your destiny with mindful awareness where the benefits are vast. I hope to see you in the gap.
