Seven simple, practical meditation techniques to boost your self improvement, self esteem and self awareness

This page explains seven easy meditation techniques and is a how to meditate for beginners guide. It also refers to guided imagery meditation and meditation to relieve stress.

Who's in charge, you or your mind?

What's this question got to do with meditation techniques?

Well, many (most?) people find themselves chasing about, stressed out, coping as best they can, not really getting anywhere and often feeling exhausted as a result.

It's as if their conscious mind is running them and they cannot switch it off. It is relentless - stop the world, I want to get off.

Using some of the simple meditation techniques outlined below will raise your self awareness, boost your self esteem, and self improvement, and put you firmly in charge of your mind, body and emotions.

It will help you to understand who you are and who you may choose to be. It will enable you to use meditation, and guided imagery relaxation, to relieve stress.

What is that worth to you?

How about, priceless?, especially when you experience that learning to meditate, and making it part of your lifestyle, will transform how you lead your life and create the future of your choice.

These are big claims, are they true?

They are for me.

Will they be for you? I suppose there's only one way to find out - experience it for yourself.

Yes, but....how do I meditate? - either now, or when you've finished this page, use the i-c-s-i process and COMMIT to use meditation for, say, three months, START today, and see what happens.

If you need a definition:

* meditation transforms the mind and gets beyond the conscious "thinking" brain into a deeper state of relaxation and awareness

* meditation is self regulation of attention as a means of self understanding and awareness

* the ultimate objective of using meditation techniques is to transcend "the ordinary mind" and experience peace and fulfillment

This is a DEEP topic and here we suggest a "primer", an introduction. Do INVESTIGATE it more fully.

What follows sets out seven basic and practical meditation techniques that you can use with many benefits (and you will do no harm).

Hopefully, they will also provide you with an entry-point to this life changing practice.

Although the easy meditation techniques described below are a useful guide regarding how to meditate for beginners, they will also yield many valuable meditation benefits.

Seven meditation techniques and how to practice them.

You may use all the meditation techniques described below, of course, or select one or two that seem to best match you and your needs.

It is a good idea to practice a technique for, say, a week to get an understanding of it, and a feel for it, before deciding that it isn't for you.

Mastering and benefiting from the techniques will be enhanced if you do the following:

* practice daily.

The great beneficial effects of meditation are cumulative.

You may have to prioritise your meditation practice, of course, and do some re-arranging of your schedule or habits to make sure that you practice every day (at the same time preferably. Sunrise, sunset and before going to bed are good times to practice).

But, if you are really committed and determined.....

* have a "special" place to practice.

It should be quiet, pleasant and secluded, where you can spend a minimum of 10 to 20 minutes (the longer, the better), without interruption or distraction, practising up to two meditation techniques at a time.

If you wish, add flowers or incense or other objects associated with meditation to communicate to your unconscious and conscious minds that this is a high priority for you.

* do some yoga.

Including some yoga postures or tai chi or qi gong as part of your meditation process will be very beneficial, both in terms of your meditation techniques and your general well being and health.

You may also want to get into the right state by changing into a track suit or other loose clothing that your unconscious mind in particular will associate with your investment in meditation.

* relax, physically and mentally.

Use some of the relaxation techniques explained in our Relaxation page to get the best results from your meditation practice (click the above relax link).

Also, use of self hypnosis and visualisation techniques will support your meditation process.

As an elaboration of the meditation techniques described below, you may choose to use guided imagery meditation which, as the name suggests, will involve the use of a guided meditation script.

This is illustrated on our self hypnosis script page which uses a simple guided imagery to help get a great night's sleep.

Click here to go to the self hypnosis script page.

Technique 1. meditation with your breath.

In yoga, the breath is sometimes described as, "the string which controls the kite", the kite being a metaphor for your mind.

So, if your breathing is slow and peaceful, your mind will synchronise with it and become calm.

In this meditation you will use diaphragm breathing which is explained in detail on our Relaxation page (click the link above).

Here's how to use your breathing to meditate:

Sit comfortably, with head straight and eyelids partially closed. Relax.

* firstly, become aware of your breathing as it is now, pay attention to it, observe it

* if you are not already doing so, begin to use diaphragm breathing as silently and rhythmically as you can

* establish a rhythm and now slow it down.

For example, slowly count to 3 as you inhale and 3 as you exhale.

Then introduce a count of 3 for no breathing.

So, breathe in to a slow count of 3, breathe out for a slow count of 3, rest without breathing for a slow count of 3. This is one round.

* give your breathing your full attention. If your mind wanders or you get distracted (internally or externally), simply bring your mind back to your breathing with relaxed concentration.

* repeat at least 10 rounds or for as long as you wish.

Technique 2. meditation with your eyes.

This exercise uses a candle flame to focus on and has two steps:

* gazing at the candle flame for 2 minutes, and

* retaining the image of the flame for 2 minutes with your eyes closed and covered.

Here's how you do it:

* light a candle and place it safely about 4 feet away from where you are sitting (preferably in the lotus position)

* fix your gaze on the flame, blinking as you need to

* observe the flame with your full attention, looking at its movements and colours and size. If you become distracted or your mind wanders from full concentration on the flame, simply return it to the task

* after 2 minutes (e.g. a count of 120), close your eyes and place your palms gently over your eyelids.

Retain the image of the flame in your mind and, as before, pay attention to its movements and colours etc.

If the image fades or disappears, continue to pay attention to its characteristics and try to bring it back.

After 2 minutes, return your hands to your knees and open your eyes.

Repeat this meditation technique as often as you wish.

Technique 3. meditation with your ears.

That is, using a sound on which to focus your awareness and attention (and excluding all other thoughts).

There are two variations:

* external sound - that is, sit with a straight back, eyelids lowered and relax.

Select a sound to focus on. This can be a natural sound such as running water or birdsong or the wind or rain or it can be a piece of music that you enjoy hearing.

Listen to the chosen sound, pay full attention to it, focus your awareness on the sound.

If your mind wanders or you become distracted, simply bring your attention back exclusively to the sound. If you wish, you can communicate to your minds that, "I am busy now and do not wish to be disturbed".

Distractions may include imagery conjured up by the sound. Try to avoid this and focus only on the sound, as if you were an instrument through which the sound is flowing.

Spend a minimum of 5 minutes, or as long as you wish, paying attention to the sound.

* internal sound - that is, for 3 minutes, pay exclusive attention to the sound within your own ears. This sound is quite similar to the sound of waves breaking on the shore.

This requires an almost complete withdrawal from the external environment and is one of the meditation techniques that is quite challenging to achieve.

Technique 4. meditation with self awareness.

This meditation technique involves observing yourself at infrequent and unexpected times by stopping whatever it is you are doing and looking at yourself in action - paying attention to yourself to the exclusion of other things.

This may be physically - e.g. which parts of your body are tense and wasting energy? which parts do you need to relax, now?

It may be mentally - e.g. at frequent intervals, observe your mind at work. Is it concentrating on the task at hand or wandering all over the place? Is it focused or cluttered up with thoughts about many different things? Is it brooding or repeating the same thoughts over and over, racing around in circles?

Is your mind sabotaging your efforts or intentions with criticisms and negative, "you can't do that", self talk?

If so, tell your mind firmly and clearly to stop and do this every time you observe your mind wasting your energy (who's in charge, you or your mind?).

It may be experiencing - that is, again, every so often, take a look at yourself and what it is that you are doing and examine what you are experiencing, especially if your mind is telling you that what you are doing is unpleasant.

If you just accept, without question, your mind's description you may feel fear or discomfort or stress or other negative emotions.

But if, on focusing your awareness you cease to resist (what your mind has told you is unpleasant) and you immerse yourself with full attention in what you are doing (i.e. you fully experience it), you may well find that all those negative, energy sapping effects disappear (because the "fear" engendered by your mind was a label for the experience rather than the experience itself).

Meditate with your self awareness and become free of the self sabotage your ordinary mind can cause.

Technique 5. meditation with your voice.

This involves using the traditional Sanskrit syllable "OM".

Here's how you do it:

* sit comfortably with back straight and relax.

In a medium loud and steady voice begin to chant OM (pronounced as in "hOMe").

Hold the "O" and the "M" sounds for a count of 5 each - O-O-O-O-O and M-M-M-M-M - and then take a complete breath (as explained in, "meditate with your breath", above).

* focus all of your attention on the sound of your voice and breath in for a count of 5, say O-O-O-O-O-M-M-M-M-M as you exhale, inhale again, say OM as you exhale, do a complete breath. This is one round.

* repeat for as many rounds as you wish. Make the "M" sound resonate and vibrate strongly.

This is one of the oldest and most effective of the meditation techniques.

Technique 6. meditation on your identity.

This one of the meditation techniques is deceptively simple but amazingly powerful, don't underestimate it.

* relax and ask yourself this question, "who am I?".

* focus your attention entirely on this question and your mind's attempts to answer it.

Take your time.

This is not an intellectual puzzle to be solved with logic.

* be aware that your mind's initial responses will probably be to describe the labels used about you (e.g. your name or what you do).

Don't analyse or judge the answers from your mind, just ask the question again and again to elicit all the labels and information your mind has about you without being able to say who you are.

* keep repeating the question, with full attention, until your mind begins to realise that it cannot give you a true answer.

This is a profound experience of transcending the ordinary mind (one of the aims of meditation techniques).

* persevere - your ordinary mind may feel threatened by this question and, being clever, will try anything to convince you that this is a waste of time and of no value. Be patient, take your time and ask again, "who am I?".

Technique 7. meditation with your empty mind.

This is one of the more challenging meditation techniques that should take about 3 minutes and involves you in resting your mind by turning it off.

That is, you empty your mind completely and do not allow any thoughts to enter.

Here's how:

* relax.

* empty your mind of all thoughts and distractions.

Focus all your awareness on what happens when you stop thinking as you usually do.

Pay attention to what it is like to have stopped thinking.

* when you become aware that thoughts are sneaking back in, or you get distracted, bring your attention back to emptying your mind.

As you practice this one of the seven meditation techniques described here, the time your mind is "empty" will increase.

Using seven simple, practical meditation techniques will help you transcend your "ordinary mind".
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