Written by on June 29, 2018

3 meditation techniques for relaxation

General

3 meditation techniques for relaxation and self-knowledge

There are quite a few meditation techniques that have been developed by yoga practitioners for centuries. Among them there are both very complex and those that can be done by anyone who wants to do it right in the office. To do this, you need to be left alone for at least 15 minutes. A shop in the shade of trees in a summer park is also suitable.

Meditation techniques allow us to calm our body and mind, to look into ourselves and perhaps find hidden reserves. But in order for this to work, at first (at least 2 months) you need to practice every day, and then reduce classes to 2 times a week. You understand that if you do this on an ad hoc basis, you are unlikely to get the desired effect.

Breathing “One, four, two”

Deep breathing is one of the easiest and most effective techniques available not only to those who have been practicing for a long time, but also to beginners.

The method:

  1. Find a pleasant quiet place where no one will bother you for 10-15 minutes.
  2. Sit in a comfortable position, always keeping your back straight. It may be a Turkish posture on the floor, or maybe a comfortable chair, but the legs should always stand on the ground full feet.
  3. Close your eyes and put your hands on your knees, palms up.
  4. Just watch your breath for a few minutes. Realize and feel the air flowing through your nostrils and throat. Feel your chest rise and fall as you breathe. Notice how the tension gently leaves your body with the exhaled air through your mouth.
  5. When you feel that your body has relaxed, change the rhythm of your breathing. Take a deep breath on the count of one, then hold your breath for four seconds, and exhale slowly on the count of two.
  6. Continue to breathe by the method of “one-four-two”, focusing on breathing for 10 minutes.

Alternatively, you can do it with special meditative music and calls at a certain interval of time. This way you can keep track of your meditation time in a more relaxed and pleasant way.

Meditation with candles

You won’t be able to do it in the office, so you’d better try it at home. Any meditation is based on the ability to focus on the object. Our body and mind are completely relaxed, but we are focused on a particular subject.

This is quite difficult given that in this time of multitasking, our consciousness is only doing what it takes to switch between several tasks in a short period of time.

Some people manage to do them almost simultaneously. But as it has been noticed more than once, successful completion of a task consists in cutting off all unnecessary things and concentrating on a specific goal. The practice of meditation with candles will help us to do this.

The method:

  1. Turn off all light sources (if this is the evening) or curtain the windows with curtains.
  2. Sit in a comfortable position, keeping your back straight.
  3. Light a candle and place it at eye level at arm’s length.
  4. Focus your gaze on the tip of the candle flame, trying to blink as little as possible. This technique may cause your eyes to start to cry, but it is good (one of the reasons why this meditation technique helps to improve your eyesight).
  5. Let the candle flame fill your mind. If distracting thoughts start to come into your head, try to focus on the candle flame again.
  6. After a few minutes, close your eyes and focus on the image of a shimmering and dancing candle flame in your mind.
  7. Open your eyes and take a few deep breaths.

The meditation “Body awareness”

There are thousands of chemical processes in our bodies, but we don’t see them. Awareness of your body, its feeling from top to toe is another great method of relaxation and concentration.

There’s only one thing you need to know – if the posture is very comfortable, you can just fall asleep.

The method:

  1. Sit or lie down in a convenient position for you. If you are sitting, remember to keep your back straight!
  2. Breathe deeply. Imagine how the tension leaves your body with every exhalation. If you are distracted by any unpleasant feelings in your body, try to find a position in which you can fully relax.
  3. Put your attention on the tips of your toes, focus on the smallest sensations that arise in that place. Imagine you’re directing your breath to your fingers, filling them with a sense of warmth and energy.
  4. When this area is completely relaxed, point your attention up the body through your knees, arms, spine, face straight to the top of your head (top).
  5. Feel the warmth, relaxation and tranquility that completely envelops your body. After that, you feel energetic and ready to cope with any tasks and life situations.

Personally, the most difficult thing for me is to exercise with candles, because I have always had difficulty completely disabling the thought process. And the third method is the most pleasant, because if you do it with meditative music, you can really sleep! So it is better to do it at home and after the end to lie in such a relaxed state for 10 minutes.

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