A Way to Practice Meditation on your own

A way To Practice Meditation On Your Own

  Breath Deeply    Focus all your attention on your breathing. Concentrate on feeling and listening as you inhale and exhale through your nostrils.  Breath deeply and slowly.  When your attention wanders, gently return your focus on your breathing.

.  Scan your body.  When using this technique, focus attention on different parts of your body.  Be aware of your body’s various sensations, whether its pain, tension, warmth or relaxation.  Combine body scanning with breathing exercises and imagine breathing heat or relaxation into and out of different parts of our body.

. Repeat a mantra.  You can create your own mantra, whether it’s religious or secular.  Examples of religious mantras in the Jesus prayer in Christian tradition. the holy name of God in Judaism , or the Om Mantra of Hinduism, Buddhism and other Eastern religions.  Another one is Na Ta Sa Ma.

.  Walk and Meditate.  Combining a walk with mediation is an efficient and healthy way to relax.  You can use this technique anywhere you are walking—in a tranquils forest, on a city sidewalk or at the mall.  When you use this method, slow down the pace of walking so that you can focus on each movement of your legs or feet.  Don’t focus on a particular destination.  Concentration on your legs and feet, repeating action words in your mind such as lifting, moving and placing as you life each foot, move your leg forward and place your foot on the ground.  As you walk, stay in the here (right here where ever you are) and now (right now this very minute.)

Engage in prayer.  Prayer is the best known and most widely practiced example of meditation.  Spoken and written prayers are found in most faith traditions.  You can pray using your own words or read prayers written by others.  Check the self-help or 12-step recovery section of your local bookstore for examples.  Talk to your spiritual leader about resources.

Read and reflect.  Many people report that they benefit from reading poems or sacred tests, and taking a few moments to quietly reflect on their meaning.   Anything you find relaxing with works.  It does not have to be religious.