Meditation Wherever You Are

I've had a lot of experience with mediation. I was initiated into mantra-based meditation when I was thirteen and it was intensive. I was expected to meditate thirty minutes morning and evening. In the end that was too much for me and I grew to even dislike meditation.

But meditation doesn't have to be like that.

There are a lot of different ways to meditate.

An intense mantra meditation is about turning inwards, withdrawing your senses from the world, being completely still within yourself. And that's a valuable thing to practice.

I was also taught several other mindfulness techniques and today I want to share my favorite one with you.

There's mediation that is turned outwards.

Something that we talked about a lot when I was growing up is the present moment. Being present, coming to the present. A lot of times we think we're present but our minds are still just slightly out of sync. We can spend most of our lives that way.

When you actually do come fully into the present moment it's an incredible feeling.

The space between objects seems to grow, the background sounds become louder, everything almost vibrates.

How do you become fully present?

The easiest way is to utilize your senses.

When you finish reading this article, come still where ever you are and follow these steps (or better yet, go out for a walk by yourself!) If you are seated, close your eyes to start because sight can be distracting to this process since most of us depend upon it more than the others.

Meditation To Be Present

Start with your ears. Open up your hearing to everything around you. Try not to label or classify things, don't think about what they are, don't let your mind wander away thinking about what you hear. Just hear it. What is the closest sound you can hear? What is the furthest away?

Next feel your body. Is there a sensation on your skin? Is there air blowing on you? Do you feel your feet on the ground? Same as with your hearing, don't think about it, don't give commentary. Just observe.

Move on to your sense of smell. Are there scents around you? Don't label, don't classify, just notice the smells.

Now add in your sense of taste. What do you taste in your saliva? What's happening in your mouth?

Last turn to your sight. If you are outside, observe something beside you close up. Look at every vein of the leaf on a tree or each discoloration on the metal fence links. If you are seated inside slowly open your eyes and allow them to rest peacefully in front of you.

Welcome to the present moment!

No Criticism

Thoughts are going to come up. Your brain will want to go off on tangents. There's no need to get upset by it or frustrated with yourself. The key is to gently return your senses out again.

The Greatest Benefit Of The Present Moment

A meditation practice is particularly important in stressful times like these. The best thing I've found about being present is there's a lot less pain and stress. When you are in the exact moment you are in there is none of the fear for the future and there is none of the memories of past hurt. There's usually no stress or pain or fear at all in the moment you are currently in. And this is why I say that we spend most of our lives just slightly off. We think we are present where we are but when we truly are we find a place of peace and contentment.