Basic Relaxation Meditation Techniques

Meditation is widely recommended to reduce or manage stress. It provides many benefits to enhance health such as heart rate and breathing, normalize blood pressure and slow the heart rate.

Meditation can be practiced in many ways since there are several different techniques. Relaxation techniques relieve anxiety and stress and put one in an almost trance like state, after one is relaxed there are breathing techniques used such as breathing in deeply through one’s nose and exhaling out. Each area of one’s body is tensed up and each area is focused on by breathing out to release tension. The following are found in most meditation techniques: quiet mind- while meditating one’s mind becomes quiet, focus is taken off of stressors of the day, life’s problems of trying to solve these problems. One needs to let the voice inside his or her head be quiet. If one was to start thinking now chances are without a clear mind it wouldn’t take long for thoughts to creep in. Second, being in the now- virtually all meditative practices involve focusing on right now. One needs to experience each moment and let it go, experiencing each moment and let it go, experiencing the next. This is more difficult than it seems because most people think of the future or rehash the past. Third, altered state of consciousness- when the mind is quiet and focus on the present is happening one will enter a state of consciousness that is not sleeping but not fully awake. Meditation increases brain activity in the area of the brain that focuses on happiness and positive thoughts and emotions.

There are many ways to meditate. The following are a list of the techniques used most often:

• Basic Meditation Technique- one sits in a comfortable position and tries to clear the mind by no thinking of anything. This is not easy to one that has not had practice. One needs to think of himself or herself as an observer on one’s own thoughts and let go of basic thoughts as they creep in.

• Focused Meditation Techniques- with this technique focus is on one thing intently. Focus can be made on one thing such as a tree, a tape of the rainforest or one’s own breathing. Some find this easier to do than focus on nothing.

• Activity Oriented Meditation Technique- one engages in repetitive activity using this technique where one is on a zone or flow. This also quiets the mind and allows the brain to shift. Gardening, artwork or yoga can be examples of this technique.

• Mindfulness Technique- this type of meditation does not seem like meditation. It involves staying in the present moment rather than looking at the past or present. Focusing on sensations one feels is a way to stay in the now.

• Spiritual Meditation- many people look at meditation as a form of prayer-where God speaks, rather than listens. Many people experience guidance or inner wisdom.

Whichever method is used the benefits are numerous. Many groups of people use meditation as an everyday ritual. Others use it as a special time for relaxation and mental house cleaning.