| Meditation can help you achieve many things. It | | | | rest on your legs. |
| can help you relax, reduce stress, help you be | | | | 5. If lying down, let your hands loosely rest by |
| more productive, and much more. However, | | | | your sides. |
| there are still many misconceptions when it | | | | 6. Close your eyes and take several deep |
| comes to meditation. Let us see if we cannot | | | | breathes. Inhale deeply so that you feel your |
| alleviate some of these misconceptions about | | | | stomach rise, and exhale deeply, feeling your |
| how to meditate so that you can use this | | | | stomach fall again. |
| powerful concept to your advantage. | | | | 7. Now, this is the key to learning how to |
| You have probably heard that when meditating, | | | | meditate right here. Many think that you have to |
| one has to sit in impossible positions and chant | | | | stop thinking at this point. But it is extremely |
| "ohm", either by voice or by thought. You have | | | | difficult to stop your thoughts, and it is not really |
| probably also heard that in order to meditate you | | | | necessary. All you achieve by forcing yourself to |
| must stop thinking, which is nearly impossible. | | | | stop thinking is that you lose all enjoyment from |
| These misconceptions cause many people to shun | | | | meditation, and turn it into a personal war |
| away from meditation altogether, which is a | | | | between you and your thoughts. Instead of |
| shame because meditation is a very powerful | | | | forcing yourself not to think, or thought stopping, |
| method that can provide you with great benefits. | | | | you can use a much better, more enjoyable, and |
| Fortunately enough, neither of the above "rules" is | | | | more productive method of thought release. The |
| really necessary in order to learn how to meditate | | | | way this works is as follows: instead of trying to |
| and perform meditation. Meditation is actually | | | | stop thinking, imagine that your thoughts are |
| much easier than all that, and once you grasp | | | | some kind of a physical and fleeting thing such as |
| how powerful meditation is and how easy it is to | | | | clouds in the sky, leafs in the wind, bubbles in a |
| learn how to meditate, you will understand how | | | | stream of water, or anything else that suits you. |
| much good meditation can bring you. You can | | | | Imagine that every thought that comes to your |
| literally learn how to meditate in the few minutes | | | | mind goes by without affecting you. So, instead |
| that it takes you to read this article. | | | | of actively fighting your thoughts, you passively |
| So, here is an easy step-by-step way to learn | | | | acknowledge them and let them go by. For |
| how to meditate: | | | | example, if you imagine your thoughts as clouds, |
| | | | imagine these clouds simply passing by you or |
| 1. Choose a time when you will not be interrupted, | | | | above you. You look at them, but you do not |
| preferably closer to bedtime, or early in the | | | | focus on any specific cloud. Using the above |
| morning. | | | | approach to learn how to meditate will greatly |
| 2. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. If you | | | | simplify and at the same time empower your |
| are tired, it is best that you sit since if you lie | | | | meditation experience because now you are |
| down, you will simply fall asleep. | | | | focusing on the actual process of meditation |
| 3. Loosen your clothing or any restrictive jewelry | | | | instead of just battling with your thoughts. |
| and make sure that nothing is applying pressure | | | | You can meditate as much as you like as there |
| to your body (such as a belt). | | | | are no limits or a set time frame. Usually, 10-15 |
| 4. If sitting, make sure that you sit on a | | | | minutes a day is plenty, but even if you meditate |
| comfortable but supportive chair with a straight | | | | less than that, you will still feel the relaxation, |
| back so that your spine is straight. Let your hands | | | | stress relief, and other benefits of meditation. |