Fieldnotes - 2

What is Meditation; what are the benefits of it and how we can practice meditation?

“At its most basic level, attention – what we allow ourselves to notice – literally determines how we experience and navigate the world.” says Sharon Salzberg. But aren’t we all having a shortage of it, thanks to the weapons of mass-distraction: digital devices, smartphones, internet and social media, and many others…

Besides, contrary to popular belief, multi-tasking, which we often proudly count as one of our skill-set, turns out it is nothing more than sheer distraction, the cause of unproductiveness, mediocrity and stress.

Luckily, meditation comes handy to our rescue here. Mediation can help restore our focus and attention through concentration with a chosen object of meditation. This could be literally an object of your preference, but the most common and convenient one happens to be our breath. In-breath and out-breath…

Even though it may seem easy at first, you can’t imagine how difficult it is to concentrate on your breath until you do. Once you try it, as most people find out immediately, you too could realize it’s almost impossible to refrain your mind from wandering.

But the good news is: That’s the whole point. Mind-wondering is a common phenomenon and meditation is not a contest to go against the mind. You’re not rushing anywhere. You don’t have to feel upset or demoralized if your mind destructs your attention. In contrast, “screening” is the practice and the idea is to go back to your breathing every time you screen that wandering happens. And every time this happens, you begin again, start from scratch. And begin again and so forth.

So, during mediation, regardless of the object of our concentration, our aim is to focus our attention lightly on that particular object, in our case, the breath. Thoughts create the first layer, and as we become more aware, we step into the second layer and learn to experience our emotions that arise without judgement. That’s why, it’s a skill and it can be cultivated. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint.

By the way, even though meditation happens to be part of some religious traditions, it can, in fact, be practiced totally in a secular way, meaning that you don’t have to be associated with any religion at all. You can practice it regardless of your religion.

During a simple meditation exercise, we simply sit and observe what arises in the forms of thoughts, emotions and senses as well as trying to curb our impulses to judge ourselves and others.

Our thoughts and emotions are like passing clouds, like everything that arises in life passes away. It is only in the present moment, not in the past, not in the future, that we recognize and respond proactively to the challenges of our everyday life.

When we do mediation formally in the form of sitting, standing, lying, walking or breathing and informally like taking a shower, eating a meal, or listening to a friend, we are in a sense, practicing “mindfulness” as well. These two concepts are intertwined and work together. For example, even taking a moment to just focus on one point on the water may also even help restore ourselves or clam our mind. It is only in the present moment that we perceive, grow, learn and heal. Therefore, mediation brings us to the present moment awareness and self-reflection.

As Joseph Goldstein humorously points out: “When we observe dogs, we can see that they seem always in the present moment carried away, but being mindful requires an added dimension of self-reflection”. That’s the difference between being in the present moment and being mindful.

Recent scientific studies also suggest that regular meditation practice may increase our mental flexibility and focus as well as our cognitive resilience and creativity. We may also see that all challenges we face in life are workable via perspective we cultivate within ourselves. It can make a significant and profound difference in your life.

You can set a time for yourself during the day, say 5-8-10 minutes to practice meditation exercise whenever or wherever you think is appropriate, and gradually learn how to pay close attention to the present moment by observing your thought patterns and workings of you pre-conditioned mind.

Set a timer on your phone, give below meditation exercise a try and see it makes you feel…

 Basic Mindfulness Meditation

 STEP 1

Find a comfortable place to sit, and a posture that is both alert and relaxed at the same time. See if you can make the spine erect, without being too rigid.

STEP 2

Close your eyes (or leave them slightly open if you prefer), and take a few slow breaths. Take a few moments to loosen your body from your head to your toes, and take a few more deep breaths. Holding a longer exhale also promotes relaxation.

STEP 3

Stop to notice the sensations throughout your body — the warmth, the coolness or any discomfort. Be aware of them, but try not to fidget too much.

STEP 4

Pick one sensation — such as the feeling of your breath going in and out — and devote your attention to it. Just focus on that.

STEP 5

When your mind wanders, bring your attention back to the breath. After a few moments, your mind may wander again. Once again, notice that and simply return your attention back to the present moment.

STEP 6

When you’re ready — after one minute, 10 minutes or 30 minutes — open your eyes. Though your formal meditation practice may have ended, your mindful awareness can continue throughout the day.