Meditation is a practice that is very old, yet still sees use today. It is a mental regimen of concentration and breathing to increase inner and outer awareness. Many people claim that it works well for relieving stress and tension. It is also used to study and understand difficult problems. There are a lot of meditation techniques that are commonly used today. Here are three to look at.
Raja Yoga Discipline
When you think of yoga, you may think of the exercises known as postures. This is usually known as hatha yoga. Raja yoga is one of the mental disciplines that involve the mind, as opposed to the body. Actually it seeks to blend mind and body together.
In Raja yoga, one learns that the soul is the true identity. This soul is said to have three different parts. They consist of the intellect and the subconscious and the conscious minds. In Raja beliefs, thought originate within the workings of the unconscious mind. From there they flow to the conscious mind. However, they are intercepted and filtered by the intellect. The intellect has the power to keep any thoughts from entering the conscious mind.
In Raja yoga exercises, you concentrate of peaceful and serene thoughts, to still the mind. Your concentration only allows the thoughts of peace and serenity to enter the conscious mind. It keeps out negative and harmful thoughts. Eventually your entire mind and essence are filled with good thoughts.
TM
Transcendental meditation or TM allows you to look inward on your thoughts. During the process, you concentrate on thoughts from primal and basic areas of the mind. As you do this, you “transcend” the usual manner of thought and see the real self. This is said to bring about great calm.
It is not difficult to practice TM. One can sit quietly and concentrate on a single sound. An often used sound is the word “OM”. OM is said to be all of the thoughts in the universe compressed into one sound. One concentrates on this sound with the exclusion of everything else. This is believed to allow one to “transcend” normal thought and discover where it really comes from.
Relaxing with Zen
Zen meditation teaches that one should clear the mind of all conscious thought. Once this happens, you will see the true self. When you have this knowledge, it will help you in all other facets of life. You will be able to separate the non-important from the important. Life will be easier to cope with.
You can practice Zen discipline by sitting and relaxing. Often times, it is done in a cross legged or “lotus” position. However, this is optional. Relax and deeply breathe. As you breathe try to clear the mind of thought. You may only be able to do it for small amounts of time. That is fine, it will get easier in time. If it helps to concentrate on something, use one of your hands. Remember to simply look at it and not think about it.
Conclusion
If you are looking for meditation techniques, there are many to choose from. In Zen practice, one clears the mind of all thought. This is said to reveal the world as it really is. TM uses sounds or mantras to transcend the normal thought patterns. This is believed to be very soothing and relaxing. Raja yoga teaches that the intellect has the power to filter thought before it enters the conscious mind. With practice, only warm and pleasant thoughts will be allowed in your mind.
As you figure out how to meditate you develop entry to the secretive abilities of your imagination. Why not try quickclear guided meditation techniques immediately.