Simple Ways To Meditate Include Focusing On Your Breath

By Trevor Johnson

The point of meditation is to make our mind quiet and at peace. It helps to stop all the stray thoughts which pass though our minds for a while and give it some rest. Ideally practicing simple ways to meditate should enable us to quiet our minds even in times when we are not meditating. It is not a simple thing to switch the mind off, but meditating helps a great deal.

The breath is a very important aspect of meditating, and focusing on this is a very good way to achieve a meditative state. Taking a breath happens in an involuntary basis, it is always there and because of the rhythm it is a good guide. Any relaxation class will always start with the words "take a deep breath" or "take five deep breaths". This is where you start to meditate, by taking a deep breath!

Deep breathing is useful for relaxation even if you are not about to start meditating. We have all heard the words "take a breather", so taking a few deep breaths before any situation helps to calm you.

When the breath is the focal point it can be used to release the stresses and anxieties which trouble us. So start by inhaling through the nostrils or mouth and on the exhale, imaging that all your stress, worry and anxiety is being released with the breath and out through the soles of the feet, finger tips or top of the head. Imagine that all the tensions and toxins in your body are being flushed away in that exhale.

Shallow breathing while imagining there is something light in the way of your breath, is also a good way of learning to focus on your breathing. Imagine you have a feather or piece of thistledown on your chin and you can't disturb it at any cost. The more you focus and control your breathing the more simple you will find it to relax.

There are no hard and fast rules for meditation, it can be done anytime and anywhere. If you feel stressed, lock yourself away for a few minutes and focus on your breath. Or take an extra ten minutes in the morning to meditate and set you up the right way for the rest of the day.

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