You don't have to be Rip Van Winkle to look around and see that things have really changed in the last 30 or 40 years. We still don't have flying cars like the Jetsons, but we're definitely making progress in many fields like medicine, technology, human rights, and even meditation.
Yes, meditation.
Meditation used to be seen as a fringe practice, but now nearly everyone in the world recognizes its value.
This ancient practice offers a laundry list of benefits for regular practitioners. So read on to learn more, and for 9 amazing quotes from meditation master, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to get you inspired.
What is meditation?
Meditation is the process of going inward and relaxing totally. It’s as simple as that. When you practice meditation you take a break from the constant activity of daily life, and allow your mind to rest in the present moment.
There are so many different ideas circulating about meditation that it can leave your head spinning. But when you boil it down, it's really just about relaxing and reposing in your true nature, your own soul.
Why practice meditation?
Twenty minutes to half an hour's meditation per day has been shown by hundreds of studies to offer a bounty of benefits. This simple practice can give you a way to positively impact your physical, mental, and emotional (not to mention spiritual) health.
Some of the benefits include:
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- Deeper sleep
- Improved cardiovascular health
- Decreased blood pressure
- Improved ability to focus
- Better mood
- Higher energy levels
- Improved satisfaction with lif
If you want to get a quick taste, you can try an easy 10- minute guided meditation.
But let’s be totally honest...
You may have the best of intentions. But keeping up a regular meditation practice can be challenging until you get past some of the early hurdles and establish a rhythm.
For beginners, it's easy to tell yourself that you’re too busy to keep practicing meditation. Or you may feel you're not making progress and will never achieve that pure consciousness and eternal awareness you've heard so much about.
The mind will make up a thousand excuses to try and keep you from meditating. But here are some tips to help you relax into the immediate moment, so you can reach the promised land of meditation and enjoy all the benefits that come with it.
Accept your surroundings totally
An extraordinarily quiet setting is great for meditation. But what if you live in a big city or share your living space? Well, in that case, just accept your environment totally.
Don't worry about any noise. Meditation is about relaxing totally, and you can't do that if you're fighting with your environment. Learning to leave some room for imperfections in your meditation space (and in all other areas of life) will do wonders for your peace of mind.
Don't worry if you "fall asleep"
Some people report they can't tell whether their mind falls asleep when they meditate, or if they are actually having a deep meditative experience. The key here is not to focus on any experience you have during meditation. Just keep up your practice daily and good things will happen in the long run.
Practice some conscious breathing
Breathing practices are amazing for settling the mind down and preparing you to relax into meditation. Yogis have practiced breathwork (pranayama) for thousands of years for just this reason. So if your mind is buzzing, click below to learn a simple breathing technique called Ujjayi breath that will get you ready for deep meditation.
Just do it
Simply make the commitment, "Come what may, I will sit for meditation every day for 40 days." By the time you reach the end of your commitment, meditation will be ingrained in you, and you'll be swimming in the benefits.
More meditation quotes for inspiration
A little inspiration can go a long way when it comes to meditation. So check out a few more quotes from Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Gurudev is a world-renowned spiritual teacher, peace ambassador, and master of meditation. He also founded one of the largest volunteer-based non-profit organizations in the world, Art of Living.
SKY Breath Meditation - The gateway to deep meditation
If you're ready to start a regular meditation practice or take your existing practice to the next level, there's no better tool than SKY Breath Meditation.
When I learned SKY, I had already been meditating daily for years, but still, I couldn't believe what a difference it made. After doing SKY for the first time, I slipped into the deepest, most beautiful state of meditation I had ever experienced.
SKY is the one of the most extensively studied breathing techniques in the world, with over 100 research studies published in peer-reviewed journals by the likes of Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. These studies show the tremendous benefits that SKY offers.
If you want to experience the benefits for yourself, just click the image below to sign up for a FREE online intro session with a live instructor. Dive in, and see how easy meditation can be!
