| When writing the Yoga Sutras, Maharishi Patanjali | | | | focus, in life, is filled with the devil and negative |
| makes it obvious, that states of meditation, are | | | | energy, then professional counseling should be |
| of extreme value. The ancient Yogis, who | | | | sought. |
| practiced and documented the value of | | | | For the vast majority of us, our lives are fairly |
| meditation, understood the significance of a | | | | balanced, so it should not be too difficult to focus |
| regular daily practice. | | | | on the most basic of life's functions. Your breath |
| At this time, it is easy for us to make excuses to | | | | is a basic body function and it is good because it |
| avoid anything that may help our mental and | | | | makes life possible. Here are some streamlined |
| emotional health. The most common excuse is: "I | | | | directions for breath awareness meditation. |
| don't have time to meditate." It is amazing, when | | | | 1. Sit up straight. Whether you sit on the floor or |
| we cannot find five minutes out of a day for our | | | | in a chair, your spine should be as straight as |
| mental health. | | | | possible. |
| One of the best excuses is: "What if I lose my | | | | 2. Choose a comfortable position (asana) that |
| mind and become a disciple of the devil?" | | | | feels natural for you. |
| Meditation teaches us to control and train the | | | | 3. Your hand position (mudra) should also be |
| mind. Leaders from every religion meditate. | | | | comfortable. Choose a mudra that feels natural |
| According to the King James version of The Holy | | | | for you. Dhyana mudra and Guyan Mudra are just |
| Bible, Psalm 1:2 - "But his delight is in the law of | | | | two of many choices. |
| the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day | | | | 4. Close your eyes. There are many forms of |
| and night." | | | | meditation with the eyes open, but this is not one |
| To go further on this, in Genesis 24:63, it is | | | | of them. The eyes are the gateway to your |
| stated: "And Isaac went out to meditate in the | | | | mind. To focus your mind on your breath, please |
| field, in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and | | | | close your eyes and relax. |
| looked, and there, the camels were coming." | | | | 5. Now that your physical activity is slowing down, |
| Meditation is mentioned more than a few times in | | | | you will notice the constant internal chattering, |
| the Holy Bible. It has also been said that the | | | | which we call the "Monkey Mind." Let go of |
| Prophet Mohammed meditated in a cave on | | | | self-criticism, worries, problems, and fleeting |
| Mount Hira in 610 AD, during the month of | | | | thoughts. |
| Ramadan, and the angel, Gabriel, came to him. | | | | 6. Observe your breath. Do not try to control |
| For those who believe that you will lose your mind | | | | your breathing - just let it happen. |
| by training it - this theory has no logical foundation. | | | | 7. Ultimately, we strive to focus more toward the |
| For those who sincerely believe that you will find | | | | observation of breath and less toward random |
| the devil by practicing meditation: Do not meditate | | | | thoughts. |
| if your mind is focused on the devil and negative | | | | Breath awareness meditation is a simple exercise |
| thoughts. | | | | in mind training, which leads to less stress and a |
| Why do I say this? Meditation is an instrument of | | | | healthier lifestyle. This one technique can improve |
| extreme mental focus. Therefore, it is wise to | | | | your life exponentially, if you invest a minimum of |
| focus on good things. Many people meditate on | | | | five minutes per day. |
| God, goodness, and Holy Scriptures. If a person's | | | | |