Intriguing questions you have about meditation
answered!
The seventh limb of Ashtanga yoga is Dhyana, which refers to meditation; in the words of Swami Vivekananda can be defined as:
“When the mind has been trained to remain fixed on a certain internal or external location, there comes to it the power of flowing in an unbroken current.”
Meditation allows one to connect to the self and tap into one’s awareness, resulting in a greater sense of tranquility, insight, and self-awareness.
This article takes you a step closer to understanding meditation, what it feels like, how you can practice it, and the process, if there is any, to meditate.
Let’s begin with a question, the answer to which can be elusive for most of us…
What should meditation feel like?
Meditation should feel effortless. When one is deep in meditation, the mind is free from distractions, and the body is relaxed and peaceful. A feeling of warmth envelops the body, and there is lightness and suppleness. Those who have been in an immersive meditation experience describe it as a feeling of bliss.
This feeling is not easy to achieve at the beginning of meditation practice.
When one first begins to meditate, the body responds to the uneasiness of the mind by being fidgety and throwing up sensations like itchiness, aches and pains, and an inability to sit still.
At such times, we need to trust the process.
With regular practice, our thoughts and sensations begin to quiet down, the mind becomes more concentrated, making it easier to sit quietly.
This brings us to an obvious next question…
How long before you feel the effects of meditation?
The perceived benefits of meditation depend on cultivating a regular, consistent practice. The short-term benefits, such as reduced blood pressure and stress, can be felt even after a single session. Research shows that ten to twenty minutes of meditation practice at least thrice a week helps achieve the benefits that accrue from regular practice.
That said, meditation is a personal practice, and no prescribed duration or length of time can guarantee what you seek from it.
Showing up, however, is most of the work.
There is no shortcut to sitting down habitually, as per your schedule, to practice, irrespective of how difficult or uneventful it may feel.
Should meditation be silent?
Meditation need not necessarily be silent. There are forms of meditation that involve chanting, muttering, or focusing on the different sounds around you. In these practices, sound becomes the object of meditation.
Known as Japa meditation, it involves repeating a mantra – a syllable, word, or string of words, which, when repeated mindfully, can be an excellent tool for building self-awareness and allowing the mind to experience subtler levels of awareness.
Though a mantra can be practiced aloud, in whispers, or silently in the mind, beginners, in particular, are encouraged to make it audible.
The sound that the mantra produces helps the mind in staying focused and attentive.
However, most forms of meditation, for instance, breath meditation, walking meditation, and gazing at an object, are practiced in silence.
Should meditation be done with eyes open or closed?
Meditation can be done with eyes open or closed. What is important is the object of meditation. Some practices involve looking intently at the object of meditation for some time to immerse in it completely. Also, if it feels uncomfortable for someone to close their eyes, they are advised to keep their eyes fixed at a point for the duration of the practice. If closing the eyes feels comfortable, you can practice meditation with your eyes closed.
Meditation with eyes open is often practiced by intently looking at an object like a flame, a heavenly body like the moon, or even a flower.
Walking meditation is another example where mindfulness is built around the process of walking.
The idea is to concentrate on the object of meditation so that it is the only thing present in one’s conscious mind.
Most meditation practices are conducted with eyes closed so that the visual senses do not interfere with the process and create distractions.
Some people find closing their eyes and meditating extremely challenging as it brings up uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, or memories.
In such cases, it is recommended to fix one’s gaze at a point lower than eye level a couple of feet away from the body.
Wanna know more? 👉 In this article, we discover what’s the difference between Transcendental Meditation & the other types
How many meditation sessions per day should I do?
While each meditation is different, practicing twice a day, morning and evening, is an excellent habit to form. Even if you practice once a day but do it every day, it will, in all likelihood, wield all of the benefits associated with it.
What’s most important is to stay consistent.
Is it OK to meditate 3 times a day?
Meditating 3 times a day is wonderful. At the same time, it is crucial to be discerning about how that makes you feel. If you feel lazy, sleepy, and it feels challenging to sit through the practice, it is best to make the practice shorter.
Meditating 3 times a day, even if done for shorter durations, creates consistency and provides a more frequent window to assess progress and habit formation.
Can too much meditation be bad?
If done intensely and for more extended periods, an unsupported meditation practice can create certain unpleasant feelings and reactions. There are reports of people having experienced hyperarousal in increased anxiety, panic, fear, and emotional instability. However, most meditation is safe and does not cause adverse effects.
When people take to meditation for long hours in a day, sometimes as much as 12 – 16, one must be supported in their practice by someone experienced and helpful.
Also, one way to avoid experiencing any adverse effects from meditation is being mindful of how one is feeling without waiting for the unpleasantness to escalate.
Being in touch with what is coming up and taking time to resolve it rather than letting it simmer can help nip any discomfort that begins to fill the mind.
Conclusion
Meditation can give us access to that wiser, softer, kinder, gentler, and quieter part of ourselves.
Every time we practice meditation, we open up the door for our awakening, and we grow more conscious and aware in our breath, in our minds, and our current existence.
The video below features Alan Watts talking about the Art of meditation. A must watch!
If you are keen to find out more about the various forms of meditation, including Transcendental meditation and how it is different from the other techniques, this article is a great read.