How Do You Practice Meditation?

Federation des kinesiologues du Quebec August 11, 2020 Health

We offer you here some tips to introduce you to meditation and help you learn the basics of this ancestral art.

Some meditation techniques

First of all, you should know that there are several meditation techniques, including these 3 more well-known and popular techniques.

The first is a technique called focused attention and it aims to tame and center the mind on the present moment while at the same time developing attentiveness.

The second technique is called mindfulness meditation and cultivates a more neutral awareness of emotions and thoughts.

The third technique is to develop compassion and altruism while reducing the tendency to remain self-centered.

The most common meditation technique used is mindfulness.

Here’s how to start practicing meditation at home:

• Choose a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.
• Meditate while listening to music or by following a guided meditation.
• Sit on a chair without leaning back, with your back straight, feet flat on the floor, hands on your thighs and your shoulders relaxed, or sit cross-legged on a small cushion on the floor. You can close your eyes or keep them slightly open.
• Take 3 deep breaths to begin with and then continue breathing at your own rhythm. You should avoid falling asleep while remaining relaxed, and do not try to slow down your thoughts. Let your thoughts and emotions come and go without judging them.
• Pay attention to your breathing by focusing on the air coming in and out of your nostrils or by focusing on the movement of your belly that swells with inhalation and deflates with exhalation.

How long should I meditate for?

It has been shown that 10 minutes each day brings several physical and psychological benefits. For beginners, you can start with 5 minutes a day and gradually increase to 10 minutes. The important thing is the regularity of your practice and quality of your presence during each session.

Where can I meditate?

As soon as you have a small window of 5 minutes of free time, whether at work, on the bus, waiting in line, or at home, you can practice meditation. It is possible to meditate at any time, even when you are running, simply by focusing on your breathing and staying in the present moment.

In addition, cardiac coherence has also proven its worth in psychology. In France, this practice was put forward by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber. Cardiac coherence is “a particular state of heart rate variability, induced among other things by breathing. The state of cardiac coherence leads to interesting physiological and psychological benefits in the improvement of the emotional, neurological, hormonal and psychological balance. Regular practice of cardiac coherence leads to a better state of adaptation to stress and aggression.”

The practice consists of taking the time, 3 times a day, to breathe calmly (inhalation/exhalation) 6 times per minute for 5 minutes. An effective way to remember the technique is to think of the numbers 365. During your breathing, adjust the rhythm so that your inhalation and exhalation lasts 5 seconds each. Then, adopt a comfortable posture, sit with your eyes closed, your back straight, and breathe calmly while focusing on the movement of your stomach.

Finally, by practicing this technique on a regular basis, several benefits have been observed: better sleep quality, a more effective immune system and improved emotional well-being and stability.

Author

Federation des kinesiologues du Quebec

Kinesiology is defined as the use of muscle testing to identify imbalances in the body's structural energy. Kinesiologists undertake years of training to be able to help their clients maintain and regain physical fitness. Headed by the FKQ, kinesiologists write about rehabilitation, prevention and performance.