| We all hear over and over again how meditation | | | | unpleasant situation, but also rewire your |
| can help us with stress, reduce blood pressure, | | | | reactions. With basic meditation, you have |
| and so on. Westerners most often hear about | | | | become adept at staying focused on an object of |
| TM, which is just a form of basic Buddhist | | | | your choosing. With mindfulness, you have |
| meditative techniques. If all you have been | | | | become adept at understanding yourself and |
| practicing is this, however, then you are cheating | | | | precursors to various emotions. Due to your |
| yourself out of a greater benefit. | | | | increased mindfulness, you may be able to pick up |
| TM is just a small, tiny part of the entire Buddhist | | | | on a pattern of thoughts or feelings that you |
| meditative tradition. It is basic, but very important. | | | | know will lead to a bad state of mind. The |
| It's as simple as repeating the same patterns | | | | moment you pick up on that, you "preemptively" |
| over and over again. You can count your breaths, | | | | strike by meditating on ANYTHING. |
| sheep, or repeat a word of your choosing each | | | | If you don't have time for formal meditation, you |
| time you exhale. | | | | simply meditate on whatever you are doing. |
| However, if this is all you practice, then you are a | | | | Perhaps you're showering, or brushing your teeth, |
| cheating yourself. You are cheating yourself out | | | | driving to work.. etc. Doesn't matter. As long as |
| of a higher understanding of yourself, and a | | | | you are focusing on some object (whether it be |
| better control over your reaction to stressful or | | | | literally an object, or an activity), acknowledging |
| sad situations. | | | | entering thoughts and returning to your object, |
| Oftentimes referred to as the objectless | | | | you are meditating. That's all it takes. You will be |
| meditation, mindfulness will help you understand | | | | surprised to see how the few hours of getting |
| how your brain functions at all times-particularly | | | | over bad news or a bad incident of some kind |
| during unpleasant times. Objectless meditation, or | | | | can turn into just a few minutes. |
| mindfulness, is the practice of simply | | | | When you first begin to meditate this way, you |
| acknowledging whatever may be happening in | | | | will notice that your recovery time is MUCH |
| your mind. These activities that you acknowledge | | | | faster. However, this will remain mechanical for a |
| could come in the form of thoughts, feelings, | | | | while. What I mean by that is that you will have |
| desires, fantasies, etc.. Anything. Absolutely | | | | to stay on top of what is going on in your head, |
| anything that goes on in your head. As you | | | | and continue to preemptively strike with |
| acknowledge these activities, you learn more | | | | meditation until your mind gets used to doing this. |
| about yourself. | | | | After some time, your mind will automatically |
| As you learn more about yourself in different | | | | react this way, and bad situations will not feel so |
| situations, you become better equipped to | | | | bad anymore. It's very interesting, but our minds |
| recognize and predict how you will feel based on | | | | generally store any kind of actions that result in a |
| what is happening in your mind. Generally, | | | | positive outcome rather easily, so training your |
| Buddhists will teach you to only recognize these | | | | mind to do this should come relatively quickly. This |
| feelings and stop there. However, I recommend | | | | brings me to one final point. When you succeed at |
| that you also make note of any causal | | | | reducing your 'recovery' time, allow yourself to |
| connections that you quickly notice. This would | | | | feel proud and happy. The better you feel about |
| help you understand yourself even better, and | | | | your success, the more impact it will have on |
| prepare you for analytical meditation (which I | | | | your mind and the faster your mind will |
| recommend, but more on that later.) | | | | reprogram itself. |
| Let me explain how being skillful in meditation as | | | | Feel free to contact me regarding any aspect of |
| well as mindfulness will help you not only to | | | | Buddhist meditation. |
| drastically decrease recovery time from an | | | | |