Introduction
In a world where people now do not even have the time to breathe properly for a few seconds, just how can they take care of themselves! Here taking care does not mean only outer body but inner self as well. Inner self means mental health of the people, which most of them neglect like it’s nothing. You should not neglect your mental health, as just like our body it also needs constant care. No matter how good you eat, or how well your financial condition is, if you do not have inner peace then all of this is just a waste. Just think, is it okay if some other force controls your actions? No right! So to take care of your mental health and form a connection with yourself you have to practice mindfulness through meditation.
This practice sure takes a lot of time to adapt in your daily life, but it is very effective and nowadays it should be mandatory for each and every individual. Staying present in a stressful and busy world is no less than a blessing.
Understanding Meditation
Meditation is now seen as a practice which is done to achieve mental peace and that is completely true, but originally meditation was done to form a connection with one’s inner self and god. You must have heard about Buddha who by doing meditation attained eternal peace and wisdom as well as formed a connection with god. So, we can say that meditation is not limited to just relaxing your brain. Most Eastern cultures believe that by doing meditation one can attain ‘Moksha’ (eternal peace) and wisdom that is beyond the concepts of the world.
Not all people can do that of course but still, to reduce stress, doubts and too many emotions from our lives, we should practise meditation on a daily basis. For us to make decisions consciously, we should be living in the present without being distracted by other things and that can only be achieved when we will practice mindfulness consistently.
Staying Present: The Role of Meditation
Meditation means mindfulness in each and every activity that you do in your daily lives such as walking, eating, studying, exercising, etc. This means that you should always be aware of what you are doing because if you are conscious of what you are doing then, that activity becomes even more effective. For example, if you eat while watching tv or phone, then you will either eat too much or too little, you will also not know the taste of the food and how many times you chewed it. Many children and also adults have digestive problems such as acidity, constipation, etc. because of this only. But if you only focus on eating then you will eat just enough and your digestion will also be proper.
Staying present is not an option but a necessity as when people are distracted by everything around them then they tend to make decisions which will later become their biggest regret. Because when you are in control by your emotions you cannot think rationally. That’s why even if not for anyone, you should practice meditation for yourself, for showing love and care to yourself.
Practical Tips for Busy Individuals
Most of the people are busy in today’s world and do not have enough time to meditate. For those individuals there are some short meditation practices that even they can do despite their busy schedule. The only thing they need to prepare beforehand is a calm, clean space, where they can be alone. So here are some short meditation practices:
- 60 minutes meditation per day
- Meditation under the guidance of a ’Guru’ (meditation teacher)
- Meditation done by breathing exercises
- Audio Tape Meditation
- Meditation for opening awareness.
Overcoming Challenges
There are various challenges that come when you start doing meditation and the first and foremost problem is our mind, as it creates a swirl of useless thoughts when we practice mindfulness. This distracts us from focusing on one thing during meditation but this does not mean that you quit. It just means that you have to stay consistent so that you can take control of your thoughts as well as your emotions and not the other way around. After 1-3 months you will be able to meditate more perfectly and overtime you will master it to the extent that you will be able to focus on only one thing. All you have to do is practice it on a regular basis.
Conclusion
We know that meditation is not something easy and requires a lot of time but you know what, it is worth your time and effort. As of course it is better to be living in the present than living in your own thoughts, stress and anxiety. Connect to yourself so that you can become a better person!