Does Meditation Helps in Mindfulness? (Sharing my story)

        Does Meditation Helps in Mindfulness?  (Sharing my story)

I had heard several times meditation is a great tool for achieving mindfulness. I wasn’t sure it worked. So, I set out to understand if meditation really works and does it help to achieve mindfulness.

The first question that came to my mind was “What is Mindfulness?”

Mindfulness is a state of being present in the present moment. It means focussing on the now rather than regretting about the past or worrying about the future.

The cultivation of mindfulness has roots in Buddhism. However, most of religions talk about prayer or meditation technique that helps shift your thoughts away from your usual preoccupations toward an appreciation of the moment and a larger perspective on life.

It enhances our self-awareness, helps to manage our emotions, reduces stress levels and provides us a holistic view of life.

What is Mindful Meditation?

It is a technique of meditation where you sit or lie down quietly and focus on your breath, an object (e.g., a Diya or, candle) a word or “mantra” The idea is let the thoughts enter and leave while you continue to focus on your breath or mantra.

Meditations helps you to slow down and take notice of the present moment: the sunshine, a child laughing, sound of music, rustling of leaves , taste of food, even awareness of your body sensations.

Mindful Meditation helps to improve your focus, reduces overthinking, boost working memory and improves both physical and mental health

Does Mindful Meditation work?

All this I had read and heard several times…but does meditation really work? These thoughts kept me engrossed as I went about my day ensuring kids attend their online classes, managing countless online meetings, domestic chores and so on.

Everything is life was normal, perhaps good. But this feeling of restlessness, feeling a vacuum inside never left me. So, I thought of practicing mediation.

Once I decided that I should meditate, the next step was to discover the process of meditation.

I read a lot of articles on mediation, saw YouTube videos, even attended  mediation sessions at  different religious organizations. What I realized was that meditation is not about the process. It is simply about being in the moment.

It is a Way of being, a Way of living, a Way of listening, a Way of walking along the path of life and being in harmony with things as they are.

Techniques for mindfulness meditation vary. It essentially involves silence, solitude, deep awareness of body and mind.  Props (candles, essential oils, or mantras) can help in mediation but are not necessary. I personally never used any of them.

So, I found a quiet place in home (had to wake up at 5 am to find a quiet place in my home), sat down comfortably and closed my eyes.

There was so many thoughts going on in my mind…the countless chatter of thoughts, opinions …my first attempt at mediation failed.

Almost after a week, I tried to meditate again…again the same noise inside my mind…this time I was a little persistent…took help of instrumental music and focussed on my breath. I was able to experience a moment of peace.

Once I was able to achieve  some success,  I tried to replicate the process. My meditation time gradually increased from 1 min to 3 min to 15 min. Now I am able to mediate for 30 minutes.

Practical Tips for Effective Meditation

I observed meditating at the same time every day gives better results. Also, if I was not able to meditate for couple of days, I could feel the feeling of anxiety and anger returning.

No matter how many books or journals I read about mediation, theory could never replace the actual practice. My advice is to practice it atleast for 5 to 6 days. If it doesn’t work out, introspect what you are doing wrong. Probably change the time of meditation or try another technique of mindfulness that works for you.

Benefits of Meditation

This practice of meditation changed me for the better. Though I am far from being perfect, I have become more patient, I am now able to listen to complaints of my family members with less of frustration, when my client comes up with an unreasonable demand, I am able to handle the situation in a calmer manner than I used to earlier.

My internal focus has increased. I have experienced much more mental clarity

Meditation is a journey for mindfulness. I believe my journey has started.

I find it difficult to be mindful at all the times. I have failed a lot of times. However, I have accepted to fail with grace and to start again. The idea is to be mindful and accepting of the situation as much time as possible.

Overall meditation and mindfulness have helped me to find happiness and peace in life.

Mindfulness meditation is a mental training practice that teaches you to slow down racing thoughts, let go of negativity, and calm both your mind and body.

It’s a way to live, a way of being, and a way of bringing kindness and compassion to our lives and to the lives of those around us. Take your time going through it, and see yourself shine! We all have magic inside, just waiting beneath our worries and concerns.

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