Lifestyle: Meditation Made Easy!

Meditation is generally an inwardly oriented, personal practice, which individuals can do by themselves. All you need is a quiet place, comfortable clothing and a clear mind. A 2007 study by the U.S. government found that nearly 9.4% of U.S. adults (over 20 million) had practiced meditation within the past 12 months, up from 7.6% (more than 15 million people) in 2002.

Since the 1960s, meditation has been the focus of increasing scientific research of uneven rigor and quality. In over 1,000 published research studies, various methods of meditation have been linked to changes in metabolism, blood pressure, brain activation, and other bodily processes. Meditation has been used in clinical settings as a method of stress and pain reduction.

How can you use meditation to relieve stress from work, kids or studying? Don't worry there's no need for expensive equipment or difficult postures or a mountain landscape in the background. This is the simple but effective universal method of meditation.

Find a quiet place or simply shut your office door. Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Breathe very deeply & slowly through your nose and slowly exhale through your mouth. Totally focus on feeling the oxygen (energy) entering your mouth, traveling down, down, down and expanding your lungs. As you slowly exhale, feel the negative energy exiting your body. Repeat this for as long as you can fully concentrate on breathing. As you practice you'll be able to do this for longer and longer periods of time. Be sure to make note about how you feel after this simple meditation!

This 4-7-8 breathing technique is promoted by Dr. Andrew Weil. It similar to ancient Chinese breathing techniques and is said to have not only immediate effects on your stress level but is also beneficial to your whole system when practiced three times daily.

It's this simple!

1.Sit up straight with a good, healthy posture. Make sure the room is quiet and relax!

2.Place the tip of your tongue up against the back of your front teeth. Keep it there through the entire breathing process.

3.Breathe in silently through your nose to the count of four.

4.Hold your breath to the count of seven.

5.Exhale through your mouth to the count of eight, making an audible “woosh” sound.

6.That completes one full breath. Repeat the cycle another three times, for a total of four breaths.

By doing this mindful breathing technique you are oxygenating your whole body and the forceful exhale helps rid the body of toxic CO2 waste.

Try it now!



The Ahmadiyya Post, Lifestyle. By Zubair Ahmed. Sept 15, 2011