| Today we live in a fast-paced world. Things | | | | While this may sound easy, it can be quite |
| happen so quickly that more often that not, we | | | | challenging when done for the first time. |
| do not have the chance to react to the things | | | | Then there's the method for increasing a person's |
| thrown at us. We somehow lose the ability to | | | | awareness. Just like the concentration technique |
| think things over in favor of lightning-quick | | | | mentioned above, it involves putting one's |
| decisions. | | | | attention to his/her breathing. |
| But it shouldn't be so. Every one of us needs to | | | | But instead of focusing on the act of inhaling and |
| slow down a little from time to time and be calm. | | | | exhaling air, it is the sensation of breathing where |
| Otherwise, stress will build up and will affect how | | | | the person trains his/her thoughts. The feeling of |
| we deal with the people around us, not only in the | | | | the air passing through the nose, filling the lungs |
| workplace but also at home. The practice of | | | | and expanding the diaphragm is the sensation that |
| meditation is a way for us to be still for a while | | | | a person should look for. |
| and let our minds become focused until we | | | | It helps him/her feel how it is to be truly alive. |
| become calm enough to deal with the daily | | | | This article has shown how important breathing is |
| pressures of life. | | | | in the practice of meditation. It is no wonder, |
| Some may think that meditation is a completely | | | | therefore, that the two are inseparable activities |
| religious practice. While it is true that a lot of | | | | that a student of meditation should learn. |
| religions, especially Eastern ones, take meditation | | | | Meditation and Dealing with Fear and Phobia |
| as an integral part of their practice, it is not | | | | Every person has a phobia of certain things, be it |
| necessarily the case. In fact, more and more | | | | of heights or speaking in front of people. While |
| people who aren't necessarily religious get into | | | | most people overcome their fears, some are |
| meditation. | | | | crippled by it. This therefore prevents them from |
| People practice meditation for a variety of | | | | doing things that they would otherwise find |
| reasons. While we already mentioned that it helps | | | | enjoyable. |
| us become still in this fast-paced world, other | | | | Meditation is one way for people trapped by their |
| people meditate for health reasons and to attain a | | | | phobias to finally get out of their shell and start |
| higher state of consciousness, among others. | | | | living the full life. A definition of fear is that it is |
| So if you think that life is stressing you out, it's | | | | the anxiety caused by a perceived danger. It is |
| probably time for you to slow things down a little | | | | the state of mind by which a person foresees |
| bit. Your mind is probably too distracted with so | | | | something wrong happening either to him/her or |
| many things to consider and to think about. | | | | the people around him/her. |
| Meditation can help you calm down and let you be | | | | Meditation helps in overcoming a person's fear by |
| stress and worry-free. | | | | altering his/her state of mind. There are several |
| Meditation to Improve Concentration | | | | ways by which this practice can help people |
| Today, there are a lot of things that help in | | | | achieve this. One such way is called mindfulness |
| keeping us entertained. In the internet alone, there | | | | meditation. By training the person to live in the |
| are a multitude of websites that do such that like | | | | now, his/her attention is veered away from the |
| video sharing sites, gaming sites and other | | | | future where that person perceives the danger. |
| websites which cater to our interests. While there | | | | Besides, it is only a mere perception and such |
| is nothing wrong with entertaining ourselves, a | | | | event may or may not actually happen. |
| problem arises with our constant need for | | | | Visualization can also help a person cope with fear |
| distractions. Because of that, it becomes difficult | | | | by making the person imagine what he/she will do |
| for us to focus on one thing. | | | | in case the perceived danger comes. By being |
| We do not need to take extreme measures to | | | | mentally prepared for such an event, the person |
| help us focus. There are practices which can do | | | | will be able to deal with the future situation better. |
| the job for us. It includes the practice of | | | | Again, fear is a mere state of mind. Facing it, |
| meditation. People take up meditation for different | | | | therefore, needs some alteration in the person's |
| purposes and improving concentration is one of | | | | perception of what may or may not happen. It |
| them. There are several methods by which | | | | can be achieved by the practice of meditation. |
| meditation does its job. | | | | Meditation and Pain |
| One is through breathing exercises. Even an | | | | Anyone who has heard of the expression about |
| exercise that is as simple as being aware of the | | | | the power of mind over matter will easily |
| times we inhale and exhale can do wonders to | | | | understand the benefit of meditation on people |
| our ability to concentrate. While it may sound | | | | suffering from different forms of physical pain. |
| easy, it can be quite difficult especially if one has | | | | This article will deal with several methods by |
| to deal with distractions such as outside noise. | | | | which meditation can help in alleviating a person's |
| Another method is by reciting a mantra. A | | | | condition. |
| mantra is a phrase or a sound that is recited | | | | Concentration techniques in meditation can help in |
| repeatedly. For Catholics, praying the rosary is a | | | | easing a person's suffering by keeping his/her |
| form of a mantra. The repetition becomes the | | | | mind away from the source of the pain. Usually, |
| center of the meditation to which the person's | | | | the pain is magnified because people choose to |
| attention becomes focused. | | | | focus on it. |
| There are other more methods by which | | | | If their attention is trained somewhere else, the |
| meditation can help improve concentration. | | | | pain becomes more manageable.Another method |
| However, the two mentioned above are the | | | | is called mindfulness meditation. This involves being |
| most basic and could help beginners start out with | | | | aware of one's present condition and accepting it |
| the practice. | | | | as such. If a person accepts that he/she is |
| Breathing and Meditation | | | | currently in pain, dealing with it would be much |
| Breathing is an integral part of meditation. Proper | | | | easier. |
| breathing is required in many practices of | | | | Then there's visualization. It could be considered |
| meditation and is therefore an important tool to | | | | as a form of self-hypnosis. It is done by creating |
| be possessed by people who wish to perform | | | | an image of the pain and imagining it moving |
| this activity. The practice of proper breathing | | | | away from the body. As suggested by these |
| while meditating helps a person relax while doing | | | | methods, they do not actually take away pain |
| the exercise. Proper breathing is achieved by | | | | from the person. Rather, they make dealing with |
| inhaling through the nose, letting the diaphragm | | | | the pain much easier. |
| (not the chest) expand and exhaling through the | | | | This is also the reason why methods like those |
| mouth. | | | | mentioned should be coupled with the proper |
| Doing this slows down a person's heart rate which | | | | medical advice. In fact, consulting one's doctor is |
| leads to a relaxed mood. Breathing also plays a | | | | advised before even trying the meditation |
| significant role when a person aims to improve his | | | | exercises out. Otherwise, there will be a risk of |
| her concentration. This is done by focusing the | | | | overlooking more serious conditions that could be |
| mind on the act of taking in air and feeling it pass | | | | causing the pain. Along with the proper medical |
| through the nostrils until the air is finally exhaled | | | | advice, meditation can help improve a person's |
| through the mouth. | | | | tolerance for pain. |