A Guide On Zen Meditation Grand Rapids

By Lisa Howard


Most people are lost in the thoughts of the past and those of the future. This has made many forget their purpose in life. It is important to take the time and listen to yourself trying to answer the question on the reason for life and death. Taking a few minutes to sit by yourself and relax in a peaceful environment will help you shed all your fears, plans, and ambitions and find yourself. Below is the guide on Zen meditation Grand Rapids.

The first thing to do is position yourself in such a way that you sit on the ground in a cross-legged manner. You should not sit in a chair, and you should ensure that your back is straight. This way you cannot fall asleep. You can do this for a duration that you feel is convenient for you. Introspection can be done for as long as one prefers.

To be able to relax which is the whole reason for meditating, you will need to start controlling your breath. Breath can be easily controlled consciously or unconsciously. Controlling it using your mind is unconscious, and when you do it by yourself, it is conscious. Take deep breaths with your belly and not the chest until you relax. After relaxing, then breathe normally.

To concentrate well, get a secluded place that is very quiet. This will protect you from the various distractions like noise or passersby. After that, your first two to three minutes of introspection should be done with your eyes completely closed. This way you will pay attention to yourself fast and relax. After relaxing, you can have your eyes half open till the session comes to an end.

When you keep moving your half-open eyes, you are likely to have something distract you. To avoid that, have the eyes focused on one point. It may be a rock if you are doing your meditation at the beach. In a room, you can concentrate on the wall, a candle flame or even a shadow. This way, you should pay attention to your thoughts.

The other thing you need is a mantra. This is a thought on which you have to focus your attention. It is usually done rhythmically in a repetitive manner. The mantra can be external or internal. External mantra can be the sound of a raindrop, and internal mantra can be a sound you repeat yourself. When you start making and repeating the sound, your thoughts will return to that sound hence introspection starts. In Zen meditation, the mantra is breathing.

The advantages that come from introspection are many. One is that it enables you to overcome your fears and focus on your primary goals in life. Meditation is also used as a cure for many diseases since it resets your mind not to focus on threats.

In conclusion, for people living with stress and anxiety, meditation can be a great solution to these problems. This is because you gather your thoughts and in that situation, you can take control of your thoughts which will help you fight stress.




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