Meditation for beginners. General recommendations. "I can't sit for a long time." Principles of Good Meditation Practice

In this FAQ, I will provide answers to the most popular questions about meditation, for example, how to stay awake while meditating how to get out of meditation, etc. If you want to know about, then read the article on the link, here the narration will go in the "question-answer" format.

I answered many of these questions in the comments, but not all readers get to them, especially since there are a lot of comments and, at times, it is difficult to find the answer to the questions of interest in them. Here are collected questions that, in my opinion, can often arise in many people, after they began to meditate.

How to stay awake while meditating

Question: I can’t understand what I’m doing wrong: I sat up straight, relaxed, disconnected from the surrounding stimuli, I began to observe my breathing and ... I fell asleep! Well, it would be the first time, but all the time ... Tell me what to fix!

- Sergei

Answer:

There are some tips to help you stay awake while meditating.

1. Keep your back straight and not lean against the back of a chair or any other surface. First, it promotes deeper breathing: the air begins to pass better through the lungs. Breathing is an important part of meditation. Secondly, it helps to stay awake: it is very difficult to fall asleep in this position!

   It may not work out from the beginning, you may not be comfortable in this position. But over time with practice, this position will become natural and comfortable for you.

2. Do not eat before meditation. After a hearty meal, you often want to sleep, as the body spends energy on digesting food. In addition, such processes in the stomach distract from meditation and make it difficult to relax.
3. Cheer up. Do some light exercise before meditation (a little stretching will come in handy) and take a shower.

Get some exercise (diaphragmatic breathing).

4. Ventilate the area in which you are meditating. Because of the stuffiness, I want to sleep.
5. Don't meditate in bed. The body gets used to the fact that you sleep there, so it can automatically "turn off".
6. Get enough sleep. Maybe you do not have enough sleep and from this you fall asleep? If so, go to bed earlier and sleep more.

In his lecture, the meditation teacher said that falling asleep during meditation is not so scary. After all, this will not be an ordinary dream, but a dream into which you entered through meditation. Such sleep restores the body much better than normal sleep. Therefore, even if you fall asleep when you meditate, it will not mean that meditation is "lost." You can still feel some kind of meditative effect upon awakening.

How should one get out of meditation?

Question: If we relax as in autogenous training, then at the end there is a suggested exit phase. How should you end your meditation?

- Nikolay

Answer:

The main principle is you need to get out of meditation smoothly... At the end of the practice, without opening your eyes, wiggle your toes and hands, stretch out calmly (hands in the "lock" up above your head - quietly to the right to the left), gently lower your hands, open your eyes. To this you can also add a pleasant exercise from yoga, which is done at the exit from "shavasana", relaxation postures after practice: after reaching out and moving your fingers without opening your eyes, rub your palms together to make them warm, apply them to the closed ones. eyes, sit like this for ten seconds, feel the warmth, remove your hands and open your eyes.

After meditation, vigorous and strenuous activities should be avoided for a while.

My legs become numb during meditation, what should I do?

Question: hello nikolay. in 20 minutes of relaxation my legs become so numb that when I get up I walk like on crutches for several minutes. Please tell me if this is due to incomplete relaxation?

Answer: leg swelling is caused by the fact that the vessels in the legs are clamped and the blood does not flow well to some areas. This is not a big deal considering that you only sit in this position for 20 minutes, albeit unpleasant.

Try experimenting with a meditation posture: sit on a softer or lower surface, try crossing your legs. In general, change your position. Even during meditation, you can gently move and change the position of your legs to a more comfortable one so that they do not numb.

What to do if you have a headache after meditation?

Question: I have been doing this practice for about a week now, but lately my head hurts constantly. This is fine? Or does it need to be stopped urgently?

Answer:

This symptom occurs in some people, I was convinced by reading various sources. The question is quite popular on the Internet. The reason may be as follows. You may be too straining to hold on. And your mind, accustomed to constant activity, meets with resistance attempts to get rid of thoughts. This resistance is likely to cause the headache. Of course, I cannot insist that you continue to practice, since the body reacts in this way. But, perhaps, this only happens at the beginning ...

If I were you, I would try to reduce tension during meditation, for this:

1. Do not try to drive away thoughts with an effort of will, let them come. When you notice that you are thinking about something, just smoothly shift your attention to the mantra or breath. But there is no need to focus on this. Concentration is not the goal of meditation. The goal is to relax. Let your thoughts run their course, just watch them calmly. One should not constantly think about not thinking.
2. Sit in a comfortable position. Make sure your body is COMPLETELY relaxed!
3. Take a couple of deep breaths in and out before you start meditating. (Better, while breathing with the belly, diaphragm)
4. Keep an eye on your body, if you feel that the muscles are tense (including the muscles of the face) - relax them.
5. If your head starts to hurt during meditation, stop the session.

This is what I would advise to try before stopping the practice, since meditation is a very valuable thing, so as not to try to continue it even with such a reaction of the body.

PS. Perhaps it's all about tense, so you can try relaxing each part of your body for two minutes before meditating, directing your attention from the crown of your head to your toes. You can read about this relaxation technique in the article in the "Relaxation Technique from Yoga" section.

How to recite a mantra correctly?

Several people have asked this question about meditation since, so I decided to answer it here.

Question: Tell me, do you need to repeat the mantra during meditation aloud, or can you silently?

Answer: Of course, you need to repeat it to yourself.

What to do if rapid / labored breathing occurs during meditation?

Question: Now, before relaxation, I also have rapid breathing, what is this connected with?

- Tatyana

Answer: Perhaps due to the position of the body in which you are (incorrect back position), your lungs cannot open completely and you have to inhale air in smaller portions, but with an increased frequency. Therefore, keep your back straight! This will allow your lungs to expand to their fullest.

What if I experience back discomfort or pain when I try to meditate with my back straight?

Question: Hello Nikolay)) I want to ask you some advice. I tried to meditate many times ... but my back hurts !! and I absolutely cannot concentrate ... I just can't sit up straight for a long time. I tried to lie down on the floor and I began to succeed !! well !! at least it seems to me so. after such recumbent meditations I feel better. but this is not right !! at least everyone is taught to do it while sitting… I will be grateful for the answer!

- Oksana

Answer: Press your back against the back of a chair or other support and meditate.

Head rotation

Question: I started to meditate. During meditation, my head rotates in different directions and in a circle ... is this normal?

Answer: Elena, I read several sources. You are not the only one who has this. Some sources say that there is nothing wrong with this. In others, it's generally good. Someone associates this phenomenon with muscle relaxation, and someone explains this by energy flows. In any case, there is nothing wrong with that.

Ignore these movements, let them go their own way and do not distract you. If they are too strong and interfere with your meditation, just open your eyes.

So far, these are all the questions and answers that I managed to collect. Ask questions, I will answer and publish some answers here.

Strange feeling around the bridge of the nose

Question: I feel pressure (tingling, warmth) in the region of the bridge of the nose during meditation and not only.

Answer: this is normal, perhaps even good. I myself began to experience this feeling immediately after I began to meditate. It manifests itself in me not only during meditation, but also in everyday life, when, for example, I try to pull myself together, to cope with emotional experiences. In my case, this is a kind of "awareness indicator" that turns on at moments of concentration.

Many people associate this feeling with energetic activity in the third eye area.

Salivating during meditation, I swallow often

Question: Nikolay, during megitation, salivation begins, you have to swallow often, which is very distracting, maybe someone survived this situation.

Answer: Vitaly, salivation occurs constantly, just during meditation, it seems to me, you pay attention to it. So when swallowing saliva distracts you, smoothly bring your attention back to the breath or mantra. This is the main thing

But here are some more tips from various sources:

1. Gently press your tongue against the palate and the front of your tongue against your upper front teeth
2. Keep your neck and head straight
3. Again, ignore what is happening in the mouth (tongue position, saliva, etc.)

Can I listen to music while meditating?

Question: Nikolay, I am meditating with special meditation music (Thai, Chinese, etc.), it seems that there is an effect, I can’t sit in silence for 5 minutes. You say it is better to meditate in silence. Please explain why?

Answer: Ekaterina, because meditation is self-observation, not concentration on listening to music. During meditation, it is necessary to reduce the incoming information to a minimum (so you close your eyes), and music is unnecessary information. Yes, it helps to relax. But relaxation is not the only goal of meditation. Meditation is also awareness, control of the mind and conscious work on oneself.

If you cannot meditate in silence, then something is bothering you. And the inner tension hinders you. You need to get rid of it and learn to relax in silence. Therefore, you all the more need to meditate without music. In short, if you cannot meditate in silence, then you need to meditate in silence.

Why should you meditate twice a day? Why is it so difficult to sit for 20 minutes?

Question: Hello, Nikolay!
Please explain why you so insistently recommend meditating 2 times a day?

You know, it's very difficult to concentrate for 20 minutes. Although every time it gets better. But during meditation, I keep waiting for these 20 minutes to run out (I set the timer, and sometimes I look at the remaining time) ...

Answer: Anastasia, in the morning you need to meditate in order to mobilize strength, get concentration, and in the evening, to relieve stress, get rid of accumulated thoughts.

Anastasia

I know it's difficult, but what can you do? Such desires should be treated like any thoughts and emotions during meditation, just watch it, but not get involved in them. Do not identify yourself with the desire to be distracted. Reassure yourself that you still won't be able to finish before 20 minutes. And if you torment yourself with thoughts of how to stop as soon as possible, you will not relax, and time will drag on even longer. Learn to stay in the present moment without thinking about the future or the past. It is better not to look at the timer. This is a great workout for willpower, forcing yourself to sit for 20 minutes, you will do this every day, everything will be easier for you. But this effect is not limited to meditation.

PS. The fact that it is very difficult for you to sit for 20 minutes is just a strong argument in favor of the fact that you should meditate. Because the inner tension that pulls you somewhere prevents you from sitting still. Meditation relieves this tension.

What time should you meditate?

Question: Is it possible to meditate in the morning - as soon as you wake up, and in the evening before going to bed?

Anatoly

Answer: Anatoly, in the morning you just need to wake up, do exercises, take a shower, for example. Before going to bed, it is undesirable, at least 3 hours before bedtime. It can be difficult to fall asleep after meditation. Therefore, some time must pass.

Can you meditate while lying down? What if you can't keep your back straight?

Question: It is not clear to me how, with complete relaxation of the body, one can meditate while sitting, because with absolutely complete relaxation of the muscles, the body and head cannot be kept in an upright position, the body simply begins to collapse, and the head falls on the chest according to the law of physics. That. I start to get distracted by keeping my body upright. What can you say about lying down meditation, because it is possible to relax your body while lying down.

Natalia

Answer: Natalya, lying down there is a risk of falling asleep and it is more difficult to maintain concentration than if you were meditating while sitting. Meditation is not only relaxation but also awareness. When you sit with your back straight, your attention is better focused, you are, as it were, in a balance between complete relaxation and inner tone, you are resting, but you are still awake. Your consciousness and attention are at work. A straight back, a sitting position helps to maintain this work, not to fall asleep, not to fall into complete prostration, to maintain awareness. At first it creates tension, but then you get used to it.

If for some reason you can't keep your back straight without support, lean it on something.

And for relaxation lying down, you can use savasana from yoga, but this is no longer exactly meditation, but more rest, relaxation. And meditation is far from just relaxation!

How to meditate in case of illness?

Question: Good afternoon! Please tell me how to meditate with a severe cold? Some time ago, I successfully started mediating, but now I have a pain - constantly flowing from my nose, a strong cough and a sore throat, I just can't relax and concentrate on meditation. Surely during a long time of your practice you have come across such situations. Thanks in advance for your reply!

Evgeniya

Answer: Evgenia, I used to answer this question in such a way that you can meditate less, lay yourself on pillows and even meditate lying down.

After my last illness with a fever and severe chills, I began to answer in a different way, giving the opposite answer. Meditate just as you meditated if you were healthy, even a little more. Why? Because a sick person needs some kind of tone, in a good mood much more than a healthy one. And meditation will help him in this. It is much better to tolerate the disease with it, plus it warms the body (not for all people, it is true) and perfectly relieves chills (tested on itself). Of course it will be more difficult to concentrate and relax. But this does not mean that meditation will be wasted. Try to divert your attention away from the symptoms of a cold by stopping your attention with a breath or a mantra.

Tingling in the limbs and yawning during meditation

Question:

I have been meditating for only 2 days, and during the meditation I get tingling and numbness in my fingers. There is also a desire to yawn incessantly. I was alarmed. Is this normal?

Answer:

Valeria, tingling is normal. Don't focus on this feeling. (some meditation teachers say that this is how biological processes in certain places of your body are normalized)

Yawning can happen for the following reasons: you change the breath or it changes itself, you relax quickly and you get sleepy, which you did not feel before due to tension or because you do not keep your back straight or lean it on something. Try to eliminate any of these factors. If it doesn't work, just stop paying attention to it.

Body sways back and forth while meditating

Question: Good evening. I have been meditating only for the second day, but I noticed that as soon as I sit in the lotus position and relax, for some reason I immediately begin to swing back and forth. I would like to know what this testifies to and whether it is necessary to somehow deal with it. Thank you.

Dmitriy

Answer:

Dmitry, it happens. But you can just stop it and not swing. Every time the body starts to swing, just stop it.

"I can't sit for a long time"

Question: I started to meditate based on what is stated in your articles, thanks for that too, but there is a problem, which is that I cannot sit out and for 15 minutes I constantly want to break loose, stop thinking like "Good for today" ,

wifa

Answer:

it was with me. This is natural, this is an inner anxiety that "creeps" out. It is to reduce such anxiety, among other things, that meditation is aimed. Then it becomes easier to deal with it. This is the same emotion and thought, like all other emotions and thoughts, therefore, you need to do the same: watch how you “want to break loose” and not get involved in these experiences. Do not try to stop them and somehow control them, but simply observe. And sit to the end. If observation does not help, then simply accept what does not help, and do nothing about it, again, sit to the end.

How to time

Question:

Hello Nikolay,

I'm trying to start meditating according to your advice, but I can't figure out how to control time. To look at the clock - to be distracted, to set the alarm - to abruptly leave the meditative state. Without being tied to reality, it is impossible to keep track of the time, what to do?

Thanks in advance!

Yuri

Answer:
Yuri, you can put a nice melody on your alarm clock, for example, birdsong, or some slow music. So that she does not annoy you, but at the same time makes it clear that the time for meditation has expired.

I am very glad that the first series of answers to your questions about meditation has aroused such interest in our readers. Some of you have asked us new questions and I hasten to answer them.

Can you meditate while lying down?

You can also meditate lying down if it is more comfortable for you or if you are used to it. But better not worth it especially if you are just learning to meditate.

The most suitable position for meditation is sitting, with back support. You can sit in a chair. Pay attention that your feet lie on the floor with your entire feet (preferably without shoes and always without a heel). Hold nothing in your hands and remove any unnecessary items from your knees. Nothing should bother you or distract you.

My favorite meditation posture is sitting cross-legged.(not quite in lotus position). I meditate on the bed, on the couch, and just on the floor. I prefer to sit on something soft and be sure to rest my back against the wall or the edge of the bed. And I also like to put a soft pillow under my back.

How should I feel while meditating?

It is impossible to determine exactly how you should feel physically while meditating. The fact is that your physical sensations are completely individual... Some feel lightness and weightlessness, others feel heaviness, feel every muscle.

What you physically feel during meditation tends to diminish over time. This applies to any sensation other than a general sense of relaxation, or relaxation. Your body exercises during meditation along with your consciousness. It's like going to the gym for the first time - at first, you feel every muscle in your body.

Over time, your mental sensations will be stronger, and physically you will just be very deeply relaxed.

How do I know that I have “passed to another level of consciousness”?

From a purely medical point of view, you can accurately determine that your brain is slowing down (and you move to deeper levels of consciousness) using an electroencephalograph... You can buy an electroencephalograph for home use, but it is quite expensive.

On the other hand, the transition to a new level of consciousness during meditation can be considered purely subjective. You just decided for yourself that you have passed to a new level of consciousness, and this is really so.

After all, the goal of active meditation is to gain control over the work of the brain and the state of consciousness. If you cannot trust yourself even in such a matter as the transition of consciousness to a deeper meditative level, then achieving complete control over your consciousness, or achieving goals with the power of consciousness alone - tasks are much more difficult than a simple immersion in meditation - will be for you a very difficult task.

Just trust yourself. Most likely you are doing everything right! Try not to control your every movement, breath, and sensation. Go with the flow and trust both yourself and the process. You will definitely succeed!

I feel tension and physical discomfort while meditating. Why? What to do?

If during meditation you feel tension or physical discomfort (pain, twitching or cramps in the muscles), then this is due to the fact that you are under constant stress or stress... During meditation, you force your body to relax and as you relax, all problem areas in your body begin to feel much clearer.

So if you feel the tension then you should reevaluate your daily life... You may be overworking, not getting enough rest, or taking on too many responsibilities. Take time for yourself, try to rest better, sleep more, walk in the fresh air. Be sure to meditate every day. Better even twice a day - in the morning to start your day stress-free, and in the evening to relax after a hard day.

Chances are, your body is just not used to complete relaxation yet. Do not despair. Over time, your physical sensations will diminish and your mental sensations will become sharper.

Can meditation be dangerous for a person?

Absolutely not! Meditation is completely safe and there are no contraindications or diseases that would prevent you from meditating.

On the contrary, meditation is very beneficial. both emotionally and for your health. Moreover, you can use meditation for both healing and maintaining your health.

However, if you are concerned about your health, or you find any discomfort while meditating, be sure to contact your doctor. Your discomfort may be due to illness (but not meditation). Do not self-diagnose or self-heal.

Meditation is an excellent way to maintain health and a good helper in the healing process, but not a substitute for modern medical advances. It is best to combine traditional medicine with meditation.

Is there any benefit to meditation if I fall asleep?

If you fall asleep while meditating, the only benefit you get is relaxation and rest.

If you want to benefit from meditation, and even more so to learn how to control the work of the brain and the state of consciousness, then you should strive to stay clear during meditation.

I am not getting visualization. What to do?

Everyone knows how to visualize, you just need practice. Don't be too demanding of yourself.

If you are having trouble visualizing, use a technique called "continuous flow"... In this technique, you mentally describe what you see. Make the description as detailed as possible. For example, if you are trying to imagine yourself driving a new expensive car, mentally say to yourself: "I see the dashboard, there are beautiful silver dials on it, there is a barely noticeable pattern on the leather seats ..."

As you describe the painting in more detail, you will find that the image acquires more and more detail. This, in turn, gives you even more things to mentally describe. One feeds the other, and your perceived image becomes more vivid.

Don't stumble over the term "visualization". Different people have different prevailing feelings. The most common predominant sense of perception is sight. This is why the visualization process works well for most people. But, for some people, the predominant senses may be touch, hearing, and smell... These people may have difficulty "visualizing" but may be able to accurately visualize sounds, smells, or sensations.

It is important for these people to include these feelings in their "mental images". Those born blind, for example, are still capable of creative visualization, but instead of seeing images, they can gain inner experience through the use of the mental senses of smell, hearing, taste, and touch.

When will you come to our city with seminars?

All information about seminars on the Silva method in Russian you can find by the following link.

If there is no seminar in your city then purchase a home study course "Live to the rhythm of Silva"... He is very good at revealing the Silva Method, teaches all the key techniques of the method and very many people like it as much as participating in the seminar.

Your,
Irina Khlimonenko
and the Silva Method team

P.S. As always, feel free to ask questions! We are always happy to answer 🙂

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1. "Can you meditate while lying down? "

You can meditate while lying down, but I would not recommend this posture for beginners to meditate. The fact is that lying down is much more difficult to meditate than sitting (no matter how strange it may sound!) while walking or eating). Meditation is a delicate balance of a relaxed body and a clear, vigorous mind. When we sit with a straight back in a comfortable position, this balance is easier to grasp - the body is quite relaxed, but at the same time we need to make some effort to maintain balance. There is a great risk of falling asleep in the lying position: in the process of meditation, the body relaxes, it is more and more difficult for us to maintain vigor of consciousness, listen to the instructor's voice or monitor our breathing, and we fall asleep. But, of course, this is not a dogma - if you have such a desire, experiment - try to meditate one day sitting, another lying down and compare how you do better.

2. "I find it difficult to relax and keep my back straight, my back and legs start to hurt, what should I do? "

Yes, there really is such a problem. Moreover, almost all of them. My back hurts, my legs become numb - and sometimes even in 10 minutes. But how do people sit in meditation for an hour or more ...? Before my first Vipassana (this is an intensive course where you have to meditate for 10 days in a row for 12 hours a day), I was worried about how physically I was able to sit for so much in a meditation posture - with crossed legs and a straight back.

I tried all the auxiliary materials that exist - benches for meditation, pillows for meditation, but it didn't work ... Sitting on a bench for meditation with legs bent under you (Japanese posture) is uncomfortable - very heavy load on the knees and lower legs, they quickly get tired and start to hurt. Ordinary round pillows for meditation did not help me either - my legs were on weight, my back was round and tired quickly.

In the end, I decided to make my own meditation cushion for myself (yes, I'm confused! :), embodying everything that I was lacking in it. This is how it looks:

The peculiarity of my pillow is in its shape - due to the beveled geometry, the pelvis is slightly tilted forward, because of this, a natural deflection occurs in the lower back; and the side petals of the pillow support the hips - all this allows you to sit with a straight back without tension and fatigue for several hours a day.

My pillow turned out to be so successful that now meditation centers in Russia order them for me to equip their halls.

You can order such a pillow for yourself)

3. "When I meditate, I have images / visions / I see very beautiful pictures / light, how to understand this and what can it mean? "

Images, colors, visions are all quite normal phenomena in meditation. In fact, these are all kinds of thoughts. But notice how great the temptation is to get carried away with all this, to start analyzing and interpreting - this is one of the pitfalls in meditation. How should we relate to the emerging images and pictures? That's right - just as with the rest of the thoughts: just let them be, don't cling to them and keep watching. Don't give too much importance to your visions, just watch everything that happens impartially.

4. "Is there a difference between meditation and relaxation, or are they the same thing? "

Meditation and relaxation are not the same, although in our society (and in the West too) these terms are often used interchangeably. What's the difference?

In meditation, we can achieve various levels of relaxation (sometimes very deep), but relaxation in itself is not the goal of meditation. Relaxation is more of a positive side effect of meditation practice, in addition to a clear mind, a calm, balanced mind, and many other benefits of meditation that I hope you have already experienced.

In relaxation, the ultimate goal is relaxation. This goal can be achieved using special relaxation techniques, or we can relax while doing something pleasant - walking in the park, sunbathing or listening to music.

Speaking about music, in the second edition of the FAQ I will answer a question that is also often asked to me: "Is it possible to meditate to music? Recommend good music for meditation!"

If you have any question about meditation - ask me in the comments below on this page!

Tags: Meditation. Where to begin?

A yogi sitting in the lotus position, with legs almost tied in a knot and a perfectly straight back - this is the image that most people come up with when asked about a meditation position. Therefore, people who begin to meditate for the first time immediately have a lot of questions about which posture it is best to do. After all, their legs do not want to be tied in a knot, it is also difficult for many to keep their backs straight. In general, difficulties arise.

In today's article, I want to highlight two issues. First, we'll look at basic postures suitable for beginners in meditation. Secondly, we will talk about principles that will help you find the ideal pose for yourself that suits you. The fact is that we are all different, we all have different bodies and, accordingly, different capabilities and limitations.

If you are just starting to master the practice, then the meditation posture must be comfortable. It so happens that people refuse to master meditation because they are not comfortable for a long time in those positions that are recommended for practice. And then it is worth deviating from the recommended instructions and finding a pose taking into account individual characteristics. Knowing the principles of building a posture for meditation, you can find for yourself such a position of the body in which you will be really comfortable.

So let's start with the first question.

Basic poses for beginners to practice meditation

1. Sitting in Turkish

You can meditate while sitting on the floor with your legs crossed.
You can sit on the pillows. Then the pelvis is just above the legs, and this prevents them from flowing.

If your stretch is poor and your legs are suspended, you can also place pillows under your thighs.

2. Sitting on a chair

In this case, the back should be straight, the legs should be firmly on the floor.

3. Lying on your back meditation

In this case, the arms and legs are slightly removed from the body. You can even meditate while lying on the bed, but it is better to do this on the floor, since the rigid support allows you to correctly position the spine. For convenience, you can place a small pillow under your lower back.

Many people wonder if it is okay to meditate while lying on your back. The answer is yes, you can. However, it should be borne in mind that this position of the body often causes drowsiness and interferes with meditation. Therefore, if possible, you should choose other postures for practice.

There are times when the supine meditation posture is the ideal choice. This applies to situations where a person has serious physical discomfort while sitting.

By the way, there is a separate one in my blog about how to choose a posture for meditation, if during practice there are unpleasant sensations associated with body posture.

Of course, there are other meditation postures, but they are more complex, but I still suggest starting with a simple one. In addition, in order to use meditation in your daily life and get tangible results, in my opinion, the three postures I mentioned are quite enough. Personally, I most often meditate while sitting in Turkish and sometimes sitting on a chair, and I get results from the practice that I am completely satisfied with.

It would seem, what could be easier than, for example, sitting on a chair with a straight back? But even this simple instruction has its pitfalls. Therefore, now we will move on to the second question and analyze the principles of building a posture for meditation.

Principles of Building a Meditation Pose

1. Feel the support

Feel how your body weight is relative to the ground, and how you feel supported. If you are sitting on a chair or in Turkish, then the body weight should "flow" into the pelvis, and the pelvis should be the support. Feel the pelvic bones you are sitting on. Feel them resting against the surface of your chair or floor.

When meditating, distribute your body weight symmetrically so that both pelvic bones rest equally on the surface you are sitting on.
If you are sitting in a chair, feel the support in your legs as well.
If you are lying down, feel how your body weight is distributed on the floor. Make sure your body position is symmetrical.

2. Watch your back

When you meditate, your back should be straight and perpendicular to the floor (that is, you should not lean forward or backward).

Experiment and start slouching. Note: What happens to the support? Does the weight continue to "drain" into the pelvis? When we slouch, body weight shifts forward. These are the laws of physics.
Now lean back, for example, leaning against the back of a chair. Where has the body weight shifted from the pelvis? According to the laws of physics, it shifts back.

Let's see why it is so important that body weight flows down into the pelvis.
Take a thick book and place it upright on the table. Like this:

Costs? Certainly. And for this you do not need to make any effort. It doesn't need to be specifically supported. Now put the book aside. Did you fall? Yes, if you didn’t take extra effort to keep it tilted. By itself, without your help, the book will not stand like that. This is contrary to the laws of physics.

Now let's get back to the meditation posture. When your back is straight and perpendicular to the floor, your posture is similar to a book standing upright on a table. To maintain this position does not require any extra effort, and therefore it assumes maximum relaxation.

As soon as you begin to deviate from this position, additional muscles begin to strain so that you, like a book, do not fall, but maintain a sitting position. Excessive tension interferes with meditation.
If, for example, you did not just lean back, but leaned back on the back of the chair, using to hold the posture not the muscles of your own body, but the support on the back of the chair, in this case, too, oddly enough, most likely you will have excessive muscle tension, who are supposed to be relaxed during meditation. If you lean back, then to maintain balance, the head changes its position, goes forward a little, while the neck muscles tense.

In addition, leaning back in the chair, your body is likely to come to a position that will interfere with free and deep breathing. I will talk about this in more detail below.

3. Avoid kinks and excessive tension in the back

This point follows from the previous one. Often people are not used to keeping their backs straight, and from trying to do this they either have unnecessary stress, or they quickly begin to slouch or tend to lean against the back of a chair. As a rule, this is due to insufficient development of those back muscles that are responsible for keeping the spine in a straight position.

If you find that it is difficult for you to sit with a straight back for a long time, during meditation use a support on the wall or back of the chair using a pillow. This way you can keep your back straight without undue stress.

In addition, in this situation, you should regularly do simple physical exercises to strengthen your back muscles.

In an effort to sit with a straight back, some people strain their muscles. Most often, this causes tension in the lower back or in the thoracic region. Outwardly, it looks like too much extension. That is, the back is not in a straight position, but arched in an arc.

In order to track excess stress, remember that body weight should "drain" into the pelvis. If there is tension somewhere, then this prevents such a drainage. Therefore, remember about the support on which you sit. Imagine how the weight of the body flows into the pelvis, and through the pelvis goes to the floor or into the seat of a chair. This will protect you from excessive tension in the back.

4. The position of the body should help free deep breathing

If you have followed all three of the preceding principles, you most likely have already adopted a body position that promotes proper breathing. Nevertheless, I would like to draw your attention to some nuances once again, since they are very important.

Free and deep breathing is the basis for a state of relaxation and rest. Breathing is closely related to emotions. A stressed person instinctively holds his breath. Most people have shallow breathing. Many tend to delay it often, preventing the rhythmic and calm passage of the air flow through the respiratory tract. This type of breathing indicates that the person is in a state of chronic emotional stress. By the way, there is a separate article on my website on how to achieve physical and emotional relaxation using simple breathing techniques. Read it.

By freeing our breath, making it deeper, more even and calm, we release excess emotional stress, returning to a state of deep calmness. Therefore, during meditation, it is advisable to maintain calm, deep, even breathing.

It is worth saying that if you are used to breathing shallowly, you may not be able to fully release your breath right away. Therefore, you should not strive at once by all means to breathe the way it is right. If you practice meditation regularly, your breathing will gradually become more and more free. However, it is important from the very beginning to create the conditions in order to free your breath. A prerequisite for proper breathing is the correct position of the body.

In order to understand which position of the body is correct, let us recall the course of school biology and analyze how the breathing process takes place.

Inhalation occurs due to the fact that the space inside the chest increases and, following this, the volume of the lungs increases. As a result, air rushes into the respiratory tract. That is, our body works like a pump: increasing the space of the chest, it draws air inward, reducing this space, it pushes air outward.

The chest space is enlarged and reduced by the ribs and the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle that sits on the border of the thoracic and abdominal regions. This muscle has the shape of a dome, which is directed upward into the chest cavity. On inspiration, the diaphragm contracts, and the dome flattens, therefore, the volume of the chest increases. As for the ribs, everything is clear. On inspiration, the ribs rise and the volume of the chest increases.

Now, with this information in mind, let's return to the analysis of the body posture for meditation, which allows deep and free breathing.

There are people who are used to slouching and therefore their breasts look sunken. It is very difficult to increase the volume of the chest from this position. And, accordingly, if you slouch, then you can release your breath only after you straighten your chest.
So, make sure that your chest is straightened.

Now about the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle that is very sensitive to stress. She often spasms as a result of emotional stress. There is even an expression: "Sucked in the stomach." In a stressful situation, many people experience unpleasant sensations in the solar plexus area (this is the area where the stomach is located, where the chest cavity ends and the abdominal cavity begins). Such sensations are often associated with excess tension in the diaphragmatic muscle. Excessive stress on the diaphragm leads to the fact that breathing becomes more shallow. Outwardly, this stress looks like a slight compression around this area.

If you have a tendency to constrict the diaphragmatic area, you can begin to meditate with either the back of a chair or the wall in the back. Then you can put a pillow behind at the level of this area and lean slightly on the pillow. This will help you flatten out this area.

So, I hope, after reading this article, you have an understanding of the correct position to meditate in.

What is the benefit of meditation? Meditation at home. The rules of meditation using mantras and runes.

Today oriental practices have become very popular in our country. A large number of young as well as mature people get acquainted with such teachings and, thanks to them, radically change their lives. Meditation also belongs to such miracle practices. But what do we know about her? How do you learn to meditate? Why is meditation considered so beneficial for humanity?

• Experts in oriental practices call meditation a set of exercises, knowledge and skills that allow you to completely relax your body and mind.
• With the help of meditation, a person is able to let go of everything earthly, detach from social and financial problems and fully concentrate on his spiritual state.
• Meditation strengthens the body, spirit and mind of a person.
• Only in moments of complete relaxation, a person is able to rest as much as possible and draw new strength from himself, nature, space.
• Just a few minutes of meditation can be equated with hours of sleep.
• At the same time, in the minutes of being in such a trance, the concentration of all vital forces is at the limit, which allows the brain to work at an unnatural level and solve even the most difficult problems beyond the control of anyone.
• During meditation, a person learns to clear his mind, set aside all pressing concerns and fully concentrate only on his spiritual component.

Meditation fans claim that their favorite ritual is capable of a lot:

• Discipline.
• Enlighten.
• Lead to full awareness of yourself and everything around you.
• Help to live according to your own rhythm, and not to chase the rhythm that society sets.
• Get rid of the hustle and bustle.
• Sharpen all the senses and teach to separate your own desires from the desires of others.
• Fill with a charge of vivacity and inspiration.
• To form an inner core in accordance with their own moral concepts, and not with the concepts of society.
• Reveal the creative data inherent in nature.
• To clear the mind and body of all unnecessary, prepare the platform for something large-scale.
• Get yourself back.

There are several types of meditation:

1. Concentration meditation or vipassana is a meditation practice based on the serene contemplation of everything around, as well as the perception of external sounds.
2. Breathing meditation is relaxation that occurs at the moment of absolute concentration of a person on his breathing.
3. Walking meditation is a complex type of meditation designed for professionals, based on focusing all attention on the body and sensations of a walking person.
4. Devastation meditation is a relaxation practice in which a person completely removes himself from his thoughts, experiences and feelings.
5. Transcendental meditation is a technique during which a person utters special words and phrases in Sanskrit (mantras).

How to meditate properly: 5 steps

Of course, teaching from professionals is considered an ideal option, especially since today there is a meditation school in almost every city in our country. True, teachers in such schools do not always have the proper level of knowledge and practice. But, nevertheless, even not quite experienced theorists can teach the basics of meditation - the main thing is to start, and then you can do it yourself. For beginners in this area, 5 steps have been specially developed that allow you to learn how to meditate correctly:

1. Timing for meditation.
2. Choosing a place for the procedure... The best option for beginners is a quiet, cozy place without extraneous sounds. Over time, it will be possible to relax even in the noisiest and most crowded place. The sound of flowing water has a very good effect on the procedure for entering a trance - it can be a home fountain, an aquarium, or just a quiet stream of water from the tap. You can also use monotonous, flowing, quiet music. Experts do not recommend that beginners meditate in the bedroom, as in the process of relaxation, a person can fall asleep, feeling himself in an environment intended for sleep.
3. Choosing the right posture... Professionals often opt for the Lotus position. Beginners should not take a similar position at first, as from habit the legs will become numb, and instead of relaxation, only discomfort will turn out. Optimal positions for beginners are considered "half lotos" (legs folded in Turkish style), sitting on a chair or lying on the floor with arms and legs outstretched. Whichever position is chosen, its main task is to completely relax the body. The back should be straight, but not tense - this position will allow you to breathe calmly, evenly and on full lungs.
4. Absolute body relaxation... To enter a trance, all muscles must be completely relaxed. A correctly chosen, comfortable posture contributes to complete relaxation. Do not forget about the face as well - all its muscles should be at rest. Professionals most often use "Buddha's Smile" for meditation - a facial expression on which there is a barely noticeable half-smile, symbolizing happiness and repulsing all negativity. Learning to smile a little in a relaxed state takes a long way.
5. Concentrating on breathing or reciting a mantra... The final stage of meditation is to close your eyes and focus all your thoughts on the breath or mantras. In the process of meditation, the mind can be distracted by extraneous objects and reasoning - in such a situation, you simply need to return it to the point of concentration.

How long should you meditate and how many times a day?

Time and duration of meditation

• Teachers of oriental practices recommend that beginners meditate twice a day - in the morning and in the evening.
• Morning meditation will allow you to recharge your energy for the whole day, set the necessary goals, and also tune in to a positive mood.
• The best time to meditate in the morning is when the sun rises.
• Of course, such a time can frighten many, especially in the summer, but having practiced once, a person is unlikely to be able to refuse it.
• In the evening, meditation is extremely important in order to relax, relieve daytime stress, reflect on what you have done, and get ready for bed.
• Beginners should start meditating with just a couple of minutes - it is recommended to gradually increase this interval.
• It is advisable to plunge into a trance for 2 minutes for the entire first week, and after a week increase this time by another 2 minutes - and so add a few minutes every week.
• Do not despair if you do not immediately succeed in being in a state of complete relaxation for so long - professionalism comes with experience.
• Over time, you can learn to meditate for about half an hour anywhere, at any time of the day.

How to learn correctly and start meditating at home for beginners, a woman: tips

Here are some guidelines and tips to help you get started in the art of meditation:

• We begin meditating with short sessions of two to five minutes. Over time, the duration of meditation can be increased up to one hour or more - everything will depend on the needs of the brain and body.
• The best time to meditate in the morning is the first few minutes after waking up. If right after sleep the mind is still asleep and it simply forgets about meditation, you can make yourself a reminder that will remind you of the need to conduct a relaxing ritual.
• Don't get hung up on how to start meditating - everything will go by itself - you just have to start.
• During meditation, it is recommended to listen to your body - it will communicate how it feels and what is new to it.
• In order to enter a trance, you need to concentrate all your attention on inhaling and exhaling - you can, as it were, trace the entire path that air passes from the mouth to the lungs and back.
• Don't worry about extraneous thoughts. The fact is that we are all human, and in any case we will be visited by certain thoughts. Let them be - don't just dwell on them.
• Having caught yourself thinking about something during meditation, it is advisable to return back to breathing.
• Don't get annoyed with thoughts. Thoughts are good. The presence of thoughts in our head suggests that our brain lives and functions normally. Therefore, distracted by any thought, you can simply smile at it and continue your path to purification.
• Sometimes it is worth being alone with your thought. If the thought has already surfaced in the subconscious, you should not immediately drive it away - you can observe it for a while, but not delve into it.
• During meditation, one should strive to know oneself and begin to love oneself infinitely. You should not criticize yourself for something, take offense at yourself, blame yourself for something - it is better to understand why this happened and forgive yourself.
• Physical knowledge of oneself is very important. Over time, you can mentally explore your entire body, piece by piece. In one session, it is desirable to scrupulously feel only one organ - in the next session, you can proceed to another organ.
• It is necessary to practice meditation regularly. Single sessions of relaxation will never give the desired result - you need to agree with yourself to do the exercises every day.
• You can meditate not only within the walls of your own home - over time you can learn to relax even among a crowd of people or while moving (walking).
• Like-minded people to help. It is much easier to learn oriental practices together with close people than to yourself - mutual responsibility will guarantee the absence of missing classes.
• Professional help. If the first sessions did not give the desired result, or meditating alone is simply boring, you can contact one of the many communities that practice meditation.
• It is desirable to end the meditation process with silence and a smile.

What is the right way to meditate while lying down?

• Lying meditation is no different from sitting meditation in any of the relaxing postures.
• True, professionals do not advise starting to meditate in a lying position, as there are risks of falling asleep.
• In addition, it is undesirable to choose a bedroom and a bed for lying down meditation - then sleep will definitely be provided.
• The lying meditation posture in Eastern practices is called Shavasana.
• In order to correctly take a lying position, you need to place your legs shoulder-width apart, and your arms along the body, palms up.

How to meditate correctly with mantras?

• Mantras are special words and expressions in Sanskrit.
• What makes mantras remarkable during meditation for our people is that we do not understand their meaning, and while reciting them, no associations and plots arise in our brain.
• Mantras are spiritual and material.
• Material mantras must be chanted in order to achieve some material wealth.
• Spiritual mantras are most often pronounced by people looking for themselves, or old people at the end of their years.
• In other words, the spiritual mantras are recommended to be read only to those who are not interested in the material world.
• Most often, the following words in Sanskrit can be heard from meditators: "Om", "So ham", "Krishna", etc.
• The mantra "Om" is not suitable for family people, as it is a mantra for renunciation of everything material.
• The mantra "So Ham" has a fascinating effect on meditating people. Translated from Sanskrit, it means "I am". Such a statement is suitable for any person. It allows you to know yourself and make friends with yourself.
• The mantra "Krishna" is naturally associated with the name of one of the Indian deities. It is believed that the pronunciation of such a mantra creates a kind of protective halo around a person.
• When reciting mantras, it is necessary to pronounce the first syllable while inhaling, and the second while exhaling.
• If at the end of the session the person simply falls asleep, there is nothing wrong with that - the dream will be a continuation of the relaxation procedure.
• It is necessary to recite mantras a certain number of times or within a certain time period.
• When reciting mantras, you can use a rosary - each bead will correspond to one pronunciation. Thus, it is possible not to count how many words were said - one circle of the rosary is equal to 108 spoken words.
• For meditation with mantras, you can choose any of the known postures.
• In our country, the question of whether it is worth using mantras during meditation is quite acute, because in fact they can be considered Hindu prayers.
• When Christians turn in prayers to other gods, they often feel discomfort and rejection. Although in fact, this procedure can hardly be called a kind of ritual or ceremony. Therefore, the choice remains with the people themselves.

How to meditate on runes correctly?

• Runes are a fairly complex magical item.
• Runes are special signs applied to a stone or tree.
• In ancient times, magicians and sorcerers carried out witchcraft with the help of runes.
• Many psychics to this day use these magic stones for their ceremonies and rituals.
• Runic meditation is a way of cleansing human consciousness to learn the secrets of the runes.
• It is necessary to meditate on the runes in a quiet, secluded place.
• The best posture for this type of meditation is sitting on a chair with a back.
• Most often, in the process of runic meditation, a lighted candle is used - fire, being the personification of one of the most powerful elements, will help you enter a trance faster.
• For one ceremony, it is advisable to use only one rune - it is worth starting with the knowledge of the Feu (Fehu) rune, the rune of good.
• Last but not least, you need to familiarize yourself with the Dagas rune or the Fate rune.
• In the process of meditation, you may also need a blank sheet of paper and a pen or pencil - with the help of which you can later write down all your thoughts and feelings.

How to meditate on the runes?

Runic meditation algorithm:

• We light a candle.
• We concentrate all our attention on the flame of fire.
• We close our eyes and mentally find ourselves in a favorite place where you can be alone with your thoughts and relax.
• When the mind calms down, and the round dance of thoughts calms down in the head, imagine a rune.
• If the rune appeared before our eyes, we pronounce its name and ask it to open up to us.
• We try not to mix our own feelings and emotions with the rune image - all sensations should come from it itself.
• We contemplate, listen and feel everything that the rune will reveal to us.
• Feeling that the rune has already demonstrated everything, we open our eyes and return to the world around us.
• We use a leaf and a pen to record everything that the rune showed - it can be words, sentences, events, sensations, sounds.

It is also worth noting that work with runes may not be possible right away - you need to go to it for a long time and persistently. It is also worth warning that not all runes are just an identification of something bright and good - there are very dangerous runes that can harm a person, therefore, before taking on such a difficult matter, it is necessary to prepare for it as much as possible.

Summing up the article, I would like to note that meditation is a very useful and necessary process. However, ignorance of all the subtleties, as well as the desire to try something new, can lead to irreversible processes (misuse of runes or mantras). That is why it is advisable to do everything under the guidance of knowledgeable, proven practitioners, and not charlatans.

What is Meditation: Video

How to Learn to Meditate: Video

Meditation for Beginners: Video