Sitting Techniques to Breath Work: Tips and Techniques to Experience a Successful Mindful Meditation

Buddhist teachings tell us that meditation should be used to disconnect the source of all trouble, which is the illusion of self and others. In essence, when there are no thoughts nor illusion of self and others, negative emotions such as anger, greed, and hatred, cannot arise.

Incomparably, the freeing positive energy that has been fully absorbed by these illusions becomes available to us once again. This particular energy greatly influences our overall health. That is why meditation is considered The Fundamental Practice.

Meditation is one of the most practical methods to battle against these far-reaching effects through calm-inducing thoughts that stabilize us to make us more healthy. Overall, things that contribute to our healthy functioning very much impact our physical health as well.

If we let our concentration unravel naturally and give it space to grow, it will improve our vitality through positive emotions and their physical associations. Most of us have minds crowded by disturbances caused by deeply rooted patterns of thinking and the illusion of self. In Buddhist teachings, enlightenment involves being free of all these things.

Concentration is imperative for practicing meditation as it limits one's attention to a single thing. What follows is a complete void of thoughts and words that brings us to a delusion-free space in which healing can take place.

Meditation is a Tool for Personal Growth

Relaxation and calming your mind provide multiple benefits from being less stressful to expanding your consciousness.

Meditation is a practice of focusing on one object, thought, or activity to train attention and awareness to achieve a clear, calm, and stable mind.

Switching your focus from the outside to the inside can provide many interesting lessons about yourself- who you are, how you feel, and why, plus so much more. It teaches you not to rush, not to worry. It can also reduce stressfulness.

Meditation can be Applied to Any Aspect of Life

Meditation is a potent tool for spiritual growth, in our examination and bringing the subconscious mind closer.

Meditation can be practiced in a lot of different ways and there isn't a single best way. Different approaches work for different people. It is not dependent on any religion or dogma. It can work well on its own. It is a lifetime exercise.

There is always something new to learn and improve on.

During meditation, you shouldn't expect anything special to happen. In fact, a good meditation is when there is nothing at all. No thoughts, no feelings, no emotions. So don't go into it expecting certain results. It does take a while to learn a new skill.

No special posture is needed

It is perfectly fine to sit normally in a comfortable chair. It's much easier to clear your mind with your eyes closed. Strive to make comfort your ultimate guide. Find a position that you are able to hold for longer periods of time. to read the most benefits, find a quiet and uncleared room in which you can sit and undisturbedly.

Down below I do offer you the information on how most practitioners do sit in the Full Lotus position. So if interested, continue reading.

Discipline is a Part of Meditation

Regular daily schedule, sit still, don't react to anything.

During meditation, there will be different perceptions, feelings, emotions, thoughts. Just notice them. Don't judge or try to change anything. Even though there isn't any one way to meditate, here is a recommendation of basic steps for meditation.

Pick a Place: This will be your meditation place. It shouldn't be your bed, if possible. It can be a chair, a couch, or a floor. You need to be comfortable sitting for a longer period of time.

Time: Pick a time. It can be in the morning or in the evening - it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you have a specific time. to dedicate to meditation.

Remove Distractions: During meditation, make sure there are no distractions - no kids, no pets, put the phone on silent mode.

Pick a duration: If you're new to meditation, start with 5 minutes. As you get better, you will realize you don't need to set the timer. As it is only distracting you. Meditation with no end time is more efficient.

Be Comfortable: If you meditate while lying down there's a risk of falling asleep. You need to be comfortable, but not too comfortable. It's common to just sit normally with the straight back with hands on the lap.

Pick a Focus: Pick an object assault or an activity that will be your single focus. The most common focus points are breath, heartbeat, mantra, or imaginary candle.

Start Meditatfocaling: Close your eyes. Relax your body. Before anything else, try to relax your body. No matter how relaxed you think you are, you can always relax more. Relax every muscle and nerve throughout the body, from toes to head.

Relax Your Mind: Fix the focus point in your mind and don't think about anything else. Thoughts will start bubbling up. When it happens, just acknowledge them and gently come back to your focus point.

Come Back Slowly: When you're done, gently wiggle your fingers and toes and then slowly open your eyes.

Common Obstacles While Meditating

The Itch: Part of meditating is the discipline. Acknowledging the itch (distraction) and move on. Go back to your focus point and it will disappear.

Mind Starts To Race: Your mind races all of the time, you just slow down enough to notice it. Acknowledge the thoughts and go back to your focus point.

Expecting Immediate Results: Meditation is a lifetime practice, don't expect results immediately.

Timing: Don't try to think about how long you're meditating. You either set up a timer and forget about it or just don't set any duration for your meditation practice.

Feeling Your Feels: Frustration, Anger, Urges... These and many other emotions are quite common. Just acknowledge them and move back to the focus point. It will get easier the more you practice.

The Sitting Position of The Full Lotus

Traditionally, meditation should be practiced in the so-called ~Full Lotus~ position. First, you need to sit on the floor and fold your right leg in front of you. Then, fold your left leg over the right one and have your left foot rest on the right thigh, close to your groin. Lastly, pull your right foot up and lay it onto your left thigh, bring it close to your groin.

In the beginning, you will have a hard time maintaining this position for a long period of time, but with practice, you will discover that it greatly contributes to your sense of tranquility and stability.

Practice the full Lotus position gradually and make sure not to strain yourself. If you cannot hold it at all, start by doing the half-lotus first, with only one knee weighted down by the opposite leg.

You can practice the Lotus position by sitting on the edge of a chair, with your ankles aligned with your shoulders. Slowly raise the left foot of one leg and let it sit on top of the thigh of your opposite leg. Gently, let your raised need drop as far as it can go but make sure to support it with your hand.

If pain starts to arise, observe this sensation for a while. Staying with our pain helps us understand how we are supposed to sit, breathe, and even perceive the situation we are in.

When meditating, it is important to position your chest correctly in order to allow your diaphragm to function unimpeded. You should raise your chest a bit Pushing it forward, thus allowing the part of your trust that is leveled with your base of this sternum to keep the diaphragm relaxed.

Beginners often experienced discomfort in the chest because of their hearts then not being low enough. In case this happens to you, shift your attention to your abdominal, and let go of any effort that you were previously making.

Let your back be easily erect, and your buttocks ever so slightly protruding. While you are sitting down completely self-composed and relaxed, settle into your lower abdominal. This practice is known for leaving a tremendously calming effect on the practitioner.

BREATHWORK

Meditation can only take place when there is an utter absence of thought. If you are focused on your breathing, you are unable to let yourself go and become completely calm. Meditation is about relinquishing control.

Whenever you hear someone speak about meditation, you almost always hear them talk about the importance of breathing.

When meditating, you should be breathing through your nose. In the beginning, your breath will probably be quick and shallow. However, the more your mind starts to go, your breath will become subtler and finer. In fact, when you completely let yourself go, you will be inhaling the exhaling once every minute.

If you can, practice breathing - relaxation exercise for 5 minutes each morning and evening. You will discover that the mind and the breath are closely entwined. The more subtle your breath becomes, the more stable and calm your mind will be.

TYPES OF BREATH DURING MEDITATION

In meditation, breathing is so frequently mentioned because the breath is the ultimate harmonizer. Meditative practice recognizes different types of breath:

Windy Breath: This type of breath is characteristic of beginner practitioners and it is distinguishable by its noisiness.

Gasping Breath: Breathing no longer produces any noise, but the practitioner feels as though he or she cannot inhale enough.

Air Breath: Unlike the first two types, the air breath generates no noise nor obstruction, but the practitioner fails to feel utterly combed.

Silent Breath: The practitioner's breath creates no sound nor obstruction, and he or she does not even feel like they are breathing.

On your path to achieving your silent breath, you will encounter restlessness. The best way to overcome it is to count from 1 to 10 with each cycle of breathing you go through. Unconcernedly count your breath. One inhalation and one exhalation should count as one breath. If you still have not managed to avoid your mind of restlessness, repeat the exercise one more time.