| With so many meditation systems out there how | | | | enhance your stress levels! |
| do you even know where to start? | | | | It all comes back to what you want. |
| Before choosing and sticking with any system | | | | In general meditations that involve relaxation, |
| probably the most important question is to ask | | | | gentle breathing and releasing tension will be good |
| yourself: what do I want from meditation? | | | | for stress relief. Meditation with deep controlled |
| You see, with so many different types of | | | | breathing is good for energy building but can also |
| meditation there are also many, many different | | | | bring up agitated emotions which can be stressful. |
| purposes to those meditations. | | | | Following these types of meditation with gentle |
| There are meditations for relaxation, health, | | | | meditation can help alleviate this. |
| strength, martial arts, Spiritual growth, | | | | Meditations that involve mindfulness and |
| manifestation, magical ritual, Shamanism, devotion, | | | | awareness are good for personal growth as they |
| religion, goal achievement and many more. | | | | foster a keen knowledge of one self. At the |
| On top of this there are meditations that involve | | | | same time without the requisite levels of |
| visualization, feeling, chanting, breathing, moving, | | | | concentration and letting go a person can bring up |
| shaking, sitting still, building energy, letting go of | | | | more than they are ready to deal with. So it's |
| energy, relaxing, tensing, eyes open, eyes closed | | | | important to self regulate and notice what is going |
| and again - many more. | | | | on. |
| If you were going to enroll in a university course | | | | Mantra meditations and concentrating on objects |
| an important question might be: what do you | | | | like candles are very good for concentration but |
| want to get out of this course? | | | | can reach the point where they block out other |
| The same question applies to meditation. | | | | things that may be going on. |
| Contrary to some beliefs there will not necessarily | | | | Meditation with the eyes closed can allow |
| be shared commonalities between all meditation | | | | someone to go very deep but eyes open |
| systems. Some systems require concentration, | | | | meditation is a more direct way to integrating |
| others ask that you let go of everything including | | | | meditation in the external world. |
| concentration. Some require devotion, others none | | | | Sitting meditation is also good for going deep into |
| at all. Some methods are very good for feeling | | | | the mind while standing meditation helps to |
| energy while doing others you may feel none at | | | | maintain the meditation state in the body while |
| all. | | | | you are going about your daily business. |
| Furthermore, while some meditations are very | | | | Look closely at what you want to get out of |
| good for releasing stress, some actually can | | | | meditation and then choose appropriately. |