With meditation into the new year with energy and good mood

To start with meditation is not easy at all – in particular for those who can´t stop and relax during the day. Generally speaking, meditation is a technique that helps calm down our mind. But later, when we dive deeper into the art of meditation, we may find out it is rather a chance to turn into ourselves and to meet our inner self.

Many of us perceive meditation as a training convenient just for the chosen. To achieve the state of calm mind is, however, possible for everyone. Meditation is not a competition, we don´t have to report the outcomes and to compare ourselves with other people. Meditation is something we do just for ourselves. It is our space we control on our own.

If we search for the beginnings of meditation, we find the first written reference in classical writings of antient Indian literature Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita created at the beginning of the first century BC. Other references date back to around 600 BC, to Taoist China. In Europe, it is Greek philosopher Philo of Alexandria who first mentioned the work with mind at the turn of the first century AD. After him it was Plotinus who worked on meditational techniques.

During a couple of centuries, meditation spread in all religions and in some disciplines such as martial arts, psychology, sports and medicine. With the beginning of the 21st century, this technique started to be employed in education and some workplaces, where stress is the enemy number one.

How to start then?

If the words above motivated you to make a change and to sit on a foam mat, we can offer you some pieces of advice on how to start.

The basic thing is to sit right and comfortably. Don´t arch your back so all the energy can flow freely through your spine. It is often said that this sitting position is vital for the connection between ground and heaven. When you sit in a lotus position or in the basic sitting position with your legs crossed you can close your eyes and breathe in and out deeply.

Little by little, become aware of your body and consciously relax each part of it while breathing out. Start with hair roots and finish with toes. If you realize that the upper part of your body is still in tension, repeat the whole process once again.

When your body is relaxed, you can continue to the main part of the process. Start breathing naturally and realizing the space around yourself. It is useful to visualize all the things in your room gradually disappearing and nothing around you but white emptiness. If an unwanted idea pops out, don´t get stressed by it and let it go in peace.

When your body is relaxed, you can continue to the main part of the process. Start breathing naturally and realizing the space around yourself. It is useful to visualize all the things in your room gradually disappearing and nothing around you but white emptiness. If an unwanted idea pops out, don´t get stressed by it and let it go in peace.

If you are not successful in stopping the flow of ideas, try to repeat an affirmation or a mantra that calms you. The favourite mantras are Gayatri Mantra, Ganesha Mantra or a universal healing Shushmana Mantra. It is good to finish these mantras when they´re divisible by three.

If you´ve just begun with meditation, meditate as long as it feels good, but step by step you should achieve between 10 -20 minutes of meditating. It is convenient to meditate in the morning and in the evening to soothe your mind for the whole day and later on for the sleep. It is the best to meditate every day to preserve your inner peace.

To conclude, I wish you good luck and self-discipline, that is so important while getting better in this art, because if you stick to meditation I can assure you that your consciousness will get wider as well as your inner peace and your life priorities.