But what is it?
In the past I alway thought it was sitting quietly and staring off into space. It is hard for me to sit still and I never understood the benefit.
However, now I understand that meditation is the ability to focus my thoughts and clear my mind.
Focusing my mind on the present moment and only one thing is not easy. Typically my mind wanders off to some other thought and it takes willpower to force my mind to focus on the present moment. I have been practicing during my yoga classes.
While a yoga class mostly involves physical poses, meditation is also included to keep the mind sharp and clear, relieve stress and improve overall well-being.
Recently I was playing tennis and realized that I have learned how to focus my thoughts!
My husband was hitting the ball to me and I was trying to hit it back but I kept missing. Do you know the expression Air Ball? I realized I was thinking about playing tennis on a beautiful day while on vacation and not focusing on actually hitting the ball.
So, I started to focus on hitting the ball. I stopped thinking about everything else and concentrated on swinging my racket to connect with ball. Guess what? I started hitting the ball really well. I had to concentrate in an intense way but it worked.
In addition to Concentration meditation there is another type of meditation: Mindfulness meditation. It is when you let your mind wander and are aware of what you are thinking about. You pay attention to thoughts, feelings and sensations without being caught up in them.
When I moved to a new city and started a new job. I found that I needed to run to clear my mind.
During my runs, I let my mind wander and thought about all the new people I had met. I would think about first impressions, personality, and expertise and skills of each person. I would review what was said and what was not said in our meetings. I would think about follow-up questions.
When I got tired of thinking about work I cleared my mind and just focused on running, one foot in front of the other.
When I finished running my mind was refreshed and energized. It was no longer chaotic and jumbled from information overload.
You should try meditation to focus your mind and clear your thoughts. It is beneficial for all types of situations.
You don't have to go to a yoga class or run in order to practice meditation. See link on how to meditate: Meditation for Beginners
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