Since meditation can be like a trip you are taking, it is essential to have some guidance before you set on your journey. Following some of these meditation tips will make your meditation go smoother than usual. Sleep, diet, elimination of any disturbances, posture, breathing can all influence your practice greatly. Following next are some of the suggestions to improve your meditation experience. These are suggestions to improve your meditation experience.
1. Make sure you slept well.
Sleep is important when attempting to meditate. Main reason is when we are not fully awake we tend to drift in subconscious mind more. That is why sleepy people tend to be more irritated, less conscious. In order for our body, mind to function one hundred percent we need to get full sleep. If we are not fully conscious meditation will not be possible. The reason is that we are not able to merge conscious with subconscious minds when trying to meditate if not gully awake. We could also fall asleep when meditating if not complete awake.
2. Your meditations are better off on an empty stomach.
After eating people tend to feel heavier and more dull as body takes more energy to consume food. Eating light or having a snack is better than a full meal before meditation. When we have an empty stomach, sensations increase significantly throughout meditation. You may have heard that Buddha, Christ attempted fasting for many days to have deeper spiritual connections through meditating. It is also a custom in religions such as Islam. Some people believe they get higher telepathic abilities due to being an empty vessel rather than one full. Fastening or even not eating for a while makes us more open, pure for receiving energies throughout prayer, yoga or meditation. Type of food you eat also influences your inner state not just your body. There are many recommendations out there on healthy eating life style. One of the meditation books that goes deeper on subjects of spirituality, proper diet is “Inner Engineering” by Sadhguru.
3. Eliminate anything that will interrupt your meditation.
Turn off your cell phone, computer, television or anything else to make your are quite for at least half an hour. Make sure sure your room mate, pet or family will not disturb you at that time either. In order tom reach slower brainwaves while meditating, one needs to be focused and undisturbed. Only noise you can have is a mantra or music you specifically designate for meditation. Unless you choose to meditate in nature. It is also recommended to move away at least ten feet from any negative electro magnetic energy emitted from computers, televisions, cell phones, tablets. Those devices tend to take on our energy fields, therefore steering clear of those devices when not needed is healthier for us.
4. Choose your meditation posture.
Having buttocks slightly up from the floor helps your back not to hurt throughout meditation. Putting a towel or light pillow under your buttocks when sitting in a lotus posture will reduce your back pain. Your hands can rest on your knees with palms up or how ever you feel more comfortable for better stillness. Some people prefer meditation in a chair, laying down, while walking or even doing something. Those are all possibilities as long one does not fall asleep or feel disturbed. It is important to remember that real meditation is based on you slowing down your thoughts. You may do so by conscious observation, which is usually possible when breathing, attention are undisturbed.
5. Follow your breathing
Follow your breathing, be conscious of your thoughts, do not fight your mind. Coming back to deep slow breathing helps with slowing down your brain waves. You can revolve your breathing around deep five seconds in and five seconds out slow breathing process. Try to be conscious of every breath entering and releasing. If attention drifts to different thoughts, images which it usually does, bring back attention to your body like palms, back area. Imagine energy spinning around your fingers, palms, spine area where chakras (energy centers) spiral up to your head and beyond. Just as electron spins around an atom, focus your energy flow in a torsion or spiral like spin around your body. If you imagine places in nature or other peaceful places it is preferable to imagining people throughout meditation. Choosing a place of focus whether on our body or in a peaceful place of imagination, directs our energy more precisely rather than spending it on random thoughts arising. After all their is a saying our energy flows where attention goes.