1: Introduction Can you think of an instance when someone deeply harmed you? This can be a friend who broke your trust, a loved one who disappointed you, or a co-worker who undercut your efforts. In these situations, forgiveness may appear to be an impossible task. Have you ever thought about the transformational power of forgiveness? In this blog post, you will learn about the powerful impact forgiveness can have on your live, as well as the great freedom and inner peace it provides. 2: What is Forgiveness Forgiveness is often seen as an act of weakness. However, this is a skill that only the strongest and most mature people possess. Forgiveness can liberate you from a constant anger towards a person and can cure relationships. As Buddha once said: “ Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned .”. You can better understand this quote with an example: Imagine your best friend broke your trust by t...
1: Introduction
Meditation is the practice of training the mind to
focus on the present moment, without judgment. It involves sitting quietly,
focusing on your breath, and letting go of distractions. Mindfulness, on
the other hand, is the practice of paying attention to your thoughts, feelings,
and sensations, in a non-judgmental way. This can feel for some people like it
is mostly the same. Another way to describe it is, is that meditation can be
seen as an exercise to live more mindfully. You can for example be mindfull
when working which means you don’t feel distraction and you are one with the
present moment. To practise to be able to do this is by meditating.
2: How to start Meditating
The first step in starting a meditation practice is to
create a peaceful environment. Find a quiet place in your home,
away from distractions. You can also light candles or incense, play soothing
music, or use a guided meditation app to create a calming atmosphere.
Next, find a comfortable posture. You can sit
cross-legged on a cushion, sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground,
sit in your bed or even lie down if you prefer. The key is to find a posture
that allows you to relax and breathe deeply. What is vital though is to hold
your back straight.
Beginners should start with simple breathing techniques,
such as counting your breaths or focusing on the sensation of air moving in and
out of your nostrils. Guided meditation apps or videos can also be helpful in
providing a framework for your practice. As you may have seen in my previous
blog posts, I meditate first thing in the morning by sitting in my bed and
inhaling while thinking “silence” & exhaling while smiling for 5 minutes.
This smiling helped me a lot because it makes it way easier to not become
distracted and it helps to set a positive tone for the day.
3: Challenges while meditating
What is most difficult for most people is to “think about
nothing”. This is one of the most common misconceptions about meditation. Many
people assume that meditation is a state of complete mental emptiness, where
the mind is blank and there are no thoughts or emotions. However, this is not
the case. In reality, it means focussing on one thing instead of dozains of
things at the same time especially in our fast-paced world. In case of
meditation, it means to focus only on your breathing.
4: Why start meditating
While meditation may not involve thinking about nothing, it
does have many benefits for our mental and physical health. Studies have shown
that meditation can reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood
and well-being, and even enhance cognitive function. These benefits are not the
result of mental emptiness, but rather the result of developing greater
mindfulness and self-awareness.
Most importantly, meditation will not only allow you to
be more peaceful when meditating but also on the other 23 hours and 55 minutes
of the day! After a while, you will start to notice that you have less
stress while doing other activities throughout the day. This is the case
because you will be able to concentrate on one thing instead of thinking about
what you should eat this evening, what your collegues may think about you when
you leave the meeting, about how little time you will have after work to relax,
about what your boss will think of you if you don’t finish your work in time
ALL at the same time. This peacefulness you will find by meditating throughout
the day is what is called mindfullness.
5: Conclusion
The most important thing I want you to remember is that meditation isn't about achieving a state of mental emptiness but rather about developing the ability to focus on one thing, like your breath or a mantra, without judgment. It is not about thinking
about nothing but rather developing the ability to focus on one thing, like
your breath or a mantra, without judgment. By meditating regularly, you can
improve your mental and physical health and increase your ability to be present
in the moment.
6: Your next steps
1. 1. Peaceful Environment: Find a peaceful environment to meditate in (bedroom, garden, in nature,..) (20 seconds)
2. 2. Start Meditating: Try meditating now for 1 minute with the method of inhaling and thinking silence and exhaling and smiling (60 seconds)
3. 3. Choose a Time: Choose a time in the day that best suits you to start meditating. I advice you to do it directly after you get up or after a meal. Then you will probably find the most peace because you had the least stimulation.
4. 4. Do this meditation at the time you scheduled tomorrow for just 1 minute. Remember that the most important is to get started!
6. 5. Stay Connected: Click on this page on “about me” and hit the Pinterest button to don’t miss my further posts about personal development. (10 seconds)
Comments
Post a Comment