Meditation is the mental practice of focusing our attention on an object, often our own breath. The earliest traces of this ancient practice come from India, and it is probably most commonly known as one of the practices of the Buddhist religion. Since then, meditation has evolved beyond religious practice to become a tool of mental hygiene and health practised worldwide.
Although this list is by no means exhaustive, we'd like to outline the benefits of meditation practice here
One of the techniques of meditation is focused breathing. We are invited to observe our breathing and turn our attention to the air coming in on the inhale and the air going out on the exhale, and feel it on a sensory level. This simple exercise trains the brain to
maintain attention on the action of breathing.
- Connecting with your body and breath
As explained above, meditation invites us to connect with our breath. Breathing is an automatic mechanism to which we no longer pay much attention. But through this practice we are led to reconnect with our breath, which is nothing less than the manifestation of life within us. Another meditation method is the body scan, in which the mind turns its attention to parts of the body one after the other, to feel and become aware of them. This too is an excellent concentration exercise.
- Cultivating clarity and presence of mind
When we practice connecting with our breath, we anchor ourselves to the pure present moment. Through our sensations, this presence, when cultivated through repeated practice, simply begins to take the place of internal dialogues often involving ruminations, projections or analysis. If we're busy connecting with and feeling our breath, we're not busy thinking about anything else that isn't anchored in this present moment. So we free up space to better welcome what comes to us and approach it with greater clarity and perspective.
- Getting to know and understand ourselves better
Meditation is also an invitation to explore our inner selves. For example, if you feel a strong negative emotion and decide to meditate on it, without judgment, simply sitting down and retracing the path of the emotion's manifestation, you'll understand a lot about yourself and what triggers these emotions. Of course, this exercise requires a great deal of honesty and self-compassion. But from now on, you'll know what it is that makes you react to these emotions, and you'll be able to make the necessary adjustments so that you're no longer reacting, but rather observing.
- Managing your emotions better
So through this attentive listening to ourselves, we develop the ability to better manage our emotions, because we no longer position ourselves as victims, we understand the role our own thought patterns play in triggering our emotions and how these influence our behavior.
Discover our other blog post "Why using cushions in meditation is necessary".
