How to Meditate in One Minute

Edited by Katherine Gordy Levine, Krystle, Teenreporter, Harri and 3 others 11 Article Edit Discuss

Many people don't meditate because it seems to take too much time. Learning this one minute meditation is a way to calm you body and focus your mind. It also can be the entry way into longer meditative moments.

Edit Steps
1. 1 Take a slow breath in. 2. 2 As you are breathing in, tighten all your muscles from your toes to your head. 3. 3

Hold your breath and the tightness for at least 5 seconds. 4. 4 Starting with your head, release the muscle tightness slowly as you breathe out. 5. 5 End this Calming Breath by sighing "Ahhhhh" and gently smiling. 6. 6 Breathe normally for at least 5 breaths. 7. 7 Notice what it feels like to just breathe in and out. 8. 8 End with another Calming Breath.

Edit Tips

When mastered it is sufficient to imagine tighten your muscles particularly if you are in a public setting. Practice is a must. Start by practicing when already calm. Many do so before falling asleep at night. As your ability to calm and focus increases you can use this as a tool when stress mounts. Adding a calming slogan while breathing normally strengthens this exercise.

How to Meditate Without a Master

Edited by George AP, CBK, Wdt3223, Luv_sarah and 17 others Pin It Article Edit Discuss Meditation without a trainer isn't easy, but many people meditate and learn to meditate on their own on a daily basis as those who are able to teach it are rare and even if they are available, they often have very busy schedules. While history has seemed to glorify those who have meditated alone, undertaking this journey alone is challenging. However, with dignity, confidence and compassion, meditation can be done by anyone and without a master.

Edit Steps
1. 1 Work out where you intend to go with your meditation. You can't pre-plan and expect it to happen but knowing what direction you want to follow or what you want out of meditation is a good start. A commonly made mistake of many beginners is to assume that meditation is all much the same with the same goal. This is a misunderstanding because meditation can cover many different goals, including mindfulness, insight, calmness, generation of energy, healing, a path to happiness and self-realization. There are even meditations to help you through rough patches in life, such as overcoming abuse, addiction, suffering, and stress and long term mental health such as mindfulness and insight focused. There are also meditations for cultivating love, compassion, peace and seeking spiritual enlightenment. Ask yourself:

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Are you looking to relax? Are you looking to develop concentration? Are you looking to develop insight and understanding? Are you looking to feel better about yourself? Are you seeking inner peace?

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Get some information. The web has a lot of great articles and "how-to's" on the subject of meditation, and your local library and bookstores will have good books about meditating. Reading can help answer questions about the benefits and purpose of meditation, as well as suggesting many methods for approaching it. Look for online information and books that cover a wealth of information to begin with, so that you're not narrowed down by one person's singular idea of meditation and to give yourself the opportunity to try different styles of meditation. You may even discover that you want to meditate for different goals at different times during your week; be open-minded about the possibilities.

There are advantages and disadvantages to reading about meditation. The advantage is that you have a good idea as to what's involved and certain methods or styles to try, as well as many tips and suggestions how to improve. The disadvantage is that it's easy to build up too many expectations which you may or may not ever experience. It may also seem too foreign to you, which may feel a long way outside your comfort zone which would be an immediate obstacle. Providing you avoid setting yourself expectations of ideas on what meditation should bring about for you, then the practice can be a lot easier to do.

3. 3 Give yourself time. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't allow a lot of time for meditation or choose a good time to practice it. Ideally, the best times are in the early morning or late at night, when it typically is more peaceful and quiet around you and you can relax

properly. Or, choose anytime when it is nice and quiet for a prolonged period during your day; perhaps the only peaceful time you get is when the kids are at school or your workplace is out to lunch. If you come home from work or school, watch a lot of TV, listen to music or read thrilling novels, then your mind can often be in overdrive, or worn out and these will not be the right times to meditate.

In terms of length of time, aim for 10 to 15 minutes at first, and gradually build up to about 45 minutes every meditation. Naturally, sometimes you won't have much time but making some time available, however short, is more important than counting time. It's best to dedicate a weekend or a few days to yourself when you begin meditating. That way, you can enjoy undisturbed time and give your experience full attention. A good recommendation if you feel particularly stiff or ache from an injury, is to do some light muscle stretches first and then after the session.

4. 4 Understand that simple relaxation is a form of meditation. Many people actually meditate without knowing it. When you relax with a cup of tea, paint a picture, or go outside and feel relaxed under the sunshine or watching the birds in the garden, then meditation has happened. When the mind becomes more calm, or you even gain a sense of connection with the outside world at large, you are meditating. It sometimes doesn't need a lot of time, but that is because you aren't striving or trying to make it happen.

5. 5 Set yourself ground-rules. Set yourself a practice what you would do before, when and after you meditate as well as what you would do should anything arise that may distress you. Other useful ground rules are if you have an object based meditation, such as focus on the breath, watching the mind, watching sensations, or an image such as a flower etc, aim to maintain focus. If you have no structure or object of focus at all, you have nothing to use as a foundation, so your meditation is likely to be harder work.

Aim occasionally to meditate without any music, or any other external device you use to relax, this way you can learn to meditate anywhere with or without meditation aids.

6. 6 Find a place to meditate. It should be somewhere you feel safe and is quiet and comfortable. If you live in a busy house, or in a noisy environment where there is little space or silence, then try and find somewhere else outside. It might require borrowing a spare room at a friend's or relative's house or booking a study room in a library or a health centre. It might be finding an empty office at your work or empty classroom at your school. During better weather, perhaps you have a garden, a gazebo or other outdoor structure where you can get away from others for a short time.

7. 7 Select your posture with care. Quite often you see yoga images of people in the full lotus posture, looking deeply at peace. Very few people can actually do this posture without a lot of training and generally, few people can even sit upright for a long period. Instead, it is always okay to sit with your legs folded in a comfortable manner, or in a chair with your feet on the ground. Keep your head upright and chest open in a relaxed fashion.

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If you lie down, try lying on your side or in a posture where you won't fall asleep. You can also stand upright, with your knees soft (not locked) and the chest and head in an upright, dignified posture. You can also walk by taking a slow, gentle strolling pace either in a large circle (so that you do not get dizzy), or pacing back and forth in a line.

8. 8 Begin your practice by relaxing and letting go of any distractions. To relax, practice tensing and relaxing groups of muscles, or imagine a tranquil scene. You can play soft music if this helps. You can also use your breath to calm and relax the body. Mindfulness of breathing is an important aspect of meditating because it reduces stress, focuses your attention, and deepens your awareness.

There will very likely be times when your meditation is solely just letting go of thoughts and feelings as the mind won't relax. This meditation can seem very frustrating, cause anxiety or depression, especially if you compare it to a more peaceful or pleasant previous session. But if you approach these times with the view that you can learn something during this meditation instead, simply by watching the mind, it can be a very productive session and give far more benefit longer term as you can learn to recognise why your mind won't relax and explore what you can do about it.

9. 9 Adapt your meditation to the goal you're seeking from it. As explained earlier, there are many possible goals behind meditation. Once you're clear on what you want from meditation, find the ways to best achieve this. For example:

If you want to concentrate, focus gently on an object such as a coloured disc of paper, a bowl of water, a flower, a candle, or a picture of something that inspires you. You can also count each breath up to ten then start at one again to keep focus. If you want to develop insight, start observing all the little things that happen as they happen. Let them flow like water so you don't drown in an idea or a feeling. Be mindful of everything that occurs to you. Eventually you can observe each action of the mind and understand what it is and can then understand what can be done with it for your long term well-being. If you want to feel better, focus on images or project an image of kindness, acceptance, forgiveness, compassion and appreciation. Try and imagine a healing energy or a light within your mind and use that to scan through the body and the mind, easing any distress.

10. 10 Keep practicing. Meditation does work well when you are a regular practitioner. Regularity of practice helps you to develop more strength, awareness and confidence. With practice, you develop more as you go. Choose your time to suit your schedule and needs once a day, twice a day, once a week, twice a week, even once a month if you're struggling to begin with!

11. 11 Never pass up an opportunity to relax, or to be kind to yourself by letting go. If you find yourself swimming in thoughts, then return to your object of focus and let go of the distraction, returning each time to what you are doing. This gets easier as you go.

12. 12 Evaluate each time you finish. Did the session go well or unwell? Why? Try to find out the cause of any negative experience so that you can address it, or prevent it from happening next time. Patience is the key to a satisfying and productive meditation practice.

There is a rather profound metaphor you can consider - "Don't chew on bones". This means that there is next-to-no nourishment gained in eating bones as opposed to a balanced meal. So, if you were to feed your pet only bones, it will be very unhealthy and unhappy. Work out if you're trying to force-feed yourself bones in your meditation and find ways to enhance your experience with more nourishing purpose.

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Find yourself a quiet place relax and breathe. Get away from the daily busy things in life. Try focusing on your breathe and do nothing. Clear your mind listen to the inner body.

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Be kind to yourself. Thoughts and feelings are going to keep coming, don't feel you have failed when this happens. Challenges will happen (no one is perfect) so this is always the time to take the opportunity of understanding what you are seeing.

Try other methods once you're confident and comfortable with something you have practiced. Otherwise, stick to something basic for a few months and gradually progress into new ways as they feel right to you. The mind is going to project images; that doesn't mean you have actually met Buddha, God, Jesus etc. They are just part of your mind. If something comes up that causes you alarm or fear, admit that it makes you feel that way, there is nothing wrong with that. Then work on letting go of the fear by getting to know what you see. Relax. It may seem like mindless repetition of the word, but tension arises often when you start off in an unfamiliar posture. While practicing, listen to soothing, warm music.

Edit Warnings

Don't forget - all images, thoughts and mental feelings are mind made. They can't harm you unless you let them. Talk to someone you trust, you don't have to be on your own. Other people who meditate are an excellent resource of shared experiences. Don't force yourself. The mind has been wild for a long time so it's really going to try and keep it that way. It might pull all stops to prevent you from seeing how the mind works. It is an exceptionally good manipulator (the mind knows all the tricks). Be kind to yourself for this reason.

Edit Things You'll Need

Websites and books about meditation Suitable quiet space for meditation Journal for keeping thoughts about meditating goals, etc. (optional)

How to Meditate
Edited by James Quirk, Jack Herrick, joyson, Alan J and 203 others 791 Article Edit Discuss Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned, "thinking" mind into a deeper state of self awareness. To free one's awareness from associating solely with the mind and its soul. There are many different meditation methods.

At the core of meditation is the goal to focus and eventually quiet your mind, thus freeing your awareness. As you progress, you will find that you can meditate anywhere and at any time, accessing an inner calm no matter what's going on around you. You will also find that you can better control your reactions to things as you become increasingly aware of your thoughts (letting go of anger, for example). But first, you have to learn to tame your mind and control your breathing.

Edit Steps
Sample Techniques

Sample Meditation Techniques

Sample Safe Space Visualization

Meditating
1. 1

Make time to meditate. Set aside enough time in your daily routine for meditating; early morning and in the evening are often most preferable. The steadiness of mind meditation is most noticeable when you do it regularly; some people like to end the day by clearing their mind, and some prefer to find refuge in meditation in the middle of a busy day. The easiest time to meditate is in the morning, before the day tires your body out and gives your mind more to think about. Just take care to avoid spending too long meditating start with around 5 to 15 minutes a day.

Find or create a quiet, relaxing environment. For the beginner, it's especially important to avoid any obstacles to attention. Turn off TV sets, the phone or other noisy appliances. If you play music, choose calm, repetitive and gentle tunes, so as not to break your concentration. Meditating outside works for many meditators. As long as you don't sit near a busy roadway or another source of loud noise, you can find peace under a tree or sitting upon some lush grass in a favorite corner of the garden.

2. 2 Sit on level ground. Sit on a cushion if the ground is uncomfortable. You don't have to twist your limbs into the half lotus or full lotus position or adopt any unusual postures. The important thing is to keep your back straight, as this will help with breathing later on.

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Tilt your pelvis forward by sitting on the forward edge of a thick cushion, or on a chair that has its back legs lifted off the ground 8 to 10cm (3 or 4 inches). Starting from your bottom, stack up the vertebrae in your spine, so that they are balanced one on top of another and support the whole weight of your torso, neck, and head. Done correctly, it feels as if no effort is required to hold your torso up. (A small amount of effort is in fact required, but with the right posture, it is so small and evenly distributed you don't notice it.) Relax your arms and legs. They don't need to be in any special position, just as long as they are relaxed and don't interfere with balancing your torso. You can put your hands on your thighs, but it might be easier at first to let your arms hang at your sidesthe hanging weight helps reveal where things are out of alignment.

3. 3 Relax everything. Keep searching for parts of your body that aren't relaxed. When you find them, consciously relax them. You may find that you can't relax them unless you adjust your posture so that you are better aligned, and that place doesn't need to work anymore. This commonly happens with muscles near your spine. You may also notice that you are twisted a little and need to straighten out. Little muscles in your face often keep getting tense, too. 4. 4 Let your attention rest on the flow of your breath. Listen to it, follow it, but make no judgments on it (such as "It sounds a little raspy... maybe I'm getting a cold?"). The goal is to allow the "chattering" in your mind to gradually fade away. Find an "anchor" to settle your mind.
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Try reciting a mantra (repetition of a sacred word). A single word like "om" uttered at a steady rhythm is best. You can recite it verbally or just with the voice in your mind. Beginners may find it easier to count their breaths. Try counting your breath from 1 through 10, then simply start again at 1. To circumvent images that keep intruding on your thoughts, visualize a place that calms you. It can be real or imaginary. Imagine you are at the top of a staircase leading to a peaceful place. Count your way down the steps until you are peaceful and relaxed.

5. 5 Silence your mind. Once you've trained your mind to focus on just one thing at a time, the next step is focus on nothing at all, essentially "clearing" your mind. This requires tremendous discipline but it is the pinnacle of meditation. After focusing on a single point as described in the previous step, you can either cast it away, or observe it impartially and let it come and then go, without labeling it as "good" or "bad". Take the same approach to any thoughts which return to your mind until silence perseveres.

Edit Test Your Knowledge

Meditate Quiz

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Do not force yourself to meditate. You should want to meditate before you think about trying. The benefits of meditation can be experienced long before the practitioner has been successful in maintaining focus or clearing the mind, simply as a result of the practice. What you do with a silent mind is up to you. Some people find that it is a good time to introduce an intention or a desired outcome to the subconscious mind. Others prefer to "rest" in the rare silence that meditation offers. For religious people, meditation is often used to connect with their God(s) and receive visions. Make some effort to be mindful of your mood and thoughts when not meditating. You may notice that you feel calmer, happier, and sharper on days when you have meditated, and notice a decrease in these qualities when you have not. For some people, focusing attention on a point or object does exactly the opposite of what meditation is all about. It takes you back to the life of focus, concentration, strain. In this case, as an alternative to the above techniques, some meditators recommend un-focusing your attention. Instead of focusing attention on a point or an object, this type of meditation is achieved by attaining a state of zero. Take your attention above all thoughts to a point where you lose all attention and all thoughts. Do what works best for you. What works for some people might have other techniques that might not work for you. Don't let that get you down. Remember to relax! Some other benefits that are less observable for most people include: falling asleep more easily, more ease in fighting addictions, altered states of mind (which are most prominent in people who have spent over 1,000 hours meditating such as Buddhist monks). With good posture, it will be easier to breathe as your lungs will have more space. In fact, you may notice how most of the muscles in your torso work to help you breathe, from the muscles in the base of your pelvis to the ones in your neck, centered on the main breathing muscle, the diaphragm. They work just a little, assisting the diaphragm. If you notice this, it's a good sign you have established a good posture. The right posture is easy and comfortable. You almost feel like you are floating. Meditating is not to be forced, it's to relax your body. Listen for the silence and just relax. If you find it difficult to meditate for the length of time you have chosen, try a shorter time for a while. Almost anyone can meditate for a minute or two without experiencing intrusive thoughts. Then, as the ocean of the mind calms, you gradually lengthen your meditation session until you have achieved the desired length of time. It is easy to lose track of time while meditating. Being concerned about time can be distracting to meditation. Some people find it liberating to set a timer and let it be concerned about how long you have to meditate. Choose a gentle timer. If it is too jarring, the anticipation of the alarm can be distracting. You should be comfortable enough to concentrate, but not so comfortable that you feel the urge to fall asleep. It may be beneficial to mentally review or replay the previous day at the start of your sessions, if you can do so in a relaxed, passive way. This often happens naturally, and sometimes it's best to allow this to happen, as long as you don't get emotionally wrapped up or let it go on too long before beginning meditation. This procedure is known as "processing" of recent events, and becoming skilled at performing a non-judgmental review of events does much to increase awareness and emotional well-being.

If you want to meditate, and feel exhausted, tired, sore, or anything, even just unrelaxed, to the point where you try but don't succeed, try doing something relaxing. A walk, or run, then a shower or a bath. As all will relieve stress. Then go back, and try again. Set aside a specific time each day for meditation, but don't overdo it. If 20-30 minutes in the morning isn't enough, add another session later in the day instead of trying for a single, longer session. Meditation practiced over a long period of time has been shown to have many beneficial results and is well worth continued practice. Benefits include: Increased mindfulness and awareness, reduced stress, calmer and more relaxed moods, improved memory and focus, and increased in grey matter (brain cells) in various parts of the brain.

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Edit Warnings

If you find your mind is wandering, try not to scold or beat up on yourself about it. Wandering restlessly is the normal state of the conditioned mind. This is the first lesson many people learn in meditation and it is a valuable one. Simply, gently, invite your attention back to your breath, remembering that you've just had a small but precious "awakening." Becoming aware of your wandering mind is a success, not a failure. As you meet other people who meditate, you may encounter a few who will boast about their endurance for long meditation sessions, even hours and hours at a sitting. Don't be tempted to change your practice to "keep up." Meditation is not a competitionit's a way of life. If your posture is good, you will almost certainly feel a stretch on the back of your neck, and possibly in your shoulders. Just relax. If the stretch is so pronounced that it is painful, work on stretching and relaxing that area when you aren't meditating. Some people find it's difficult to meditate immediately before bedtime. If you're very sleepy, you may find yourself nodding off. Conversely, meditating may energize your mind, making it more difficult to fall asleep. Don't expect immediate results. The purpose of meditation is not to turn you into a Zen master overnight. Meditation works best when it is done for its own sake, without becoming attached to results.

How to Meditate With Your Inner Voice

Edited by Nils Horn, Flickety, Eric, Carolyn Barratt and 22 others 50 Article Edit Discuss Meditation is a way of relaxation and a path to enlightenment. If we dissolve our attachment to the outside world and bring our minds to rest, well-being, positivity and enlightenment (inner happiness) arise. All negativity vanishes. We think positively again and suddenly live in the

light. We see the positive in the world, in our fellow men, and in ourselves. We are in harmony with ourselves and our lives. Here is the process for meditating with your inner voice.

Edit Steps
1. 1 Prepare. Sit in your meditation seat (cross-legged, heel seat, chair, etc.) and in your meditation posture (hands on the legs or in the lap).

Have your eyes closed.

Breath in and out.

Calm down and relax

Feel what you need and find your personal practice.

Meditation is good for you.

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Stop thinking. Stop all thoughts for one to three minutes and come to rest. Relax.

3. 3 Send light to the world. Visualize the Earth, move a hand and think: "I send light to... May all people be happy. May the world be happy." In particular, send light to the suffering people. Use your television as a window to the world and wrap all suffering people with light.

4. 4 Use yoga as the model. Put your hands together in your lap. Visualize yourself as a Buddha, Shiva or Goddess. Move your toes a little and think the mantra: "I am a goddess (Buddha, Shiva) of peace. I go the way of peace. I live in peace."

5. 5 Visualize the cosmos around us, a universe full of stars. Make large circles with your arms and think: "I take things the way they are. I let go of my false desires. I live in the unity of the cosmos. I flow positive with my life." What do you want to accept or release today? Say: "I accept .... I let go ...".

6. 6 Connect with the masters. Rub your palms in front of the heart chakra. Connect with the enlightened masters and think: "Om all enlightened masters. I ask for guidance and help on my way."

7. 7 Question. You can now ask a question. Think about your life. What are your goals? What is your way of a wise life? Meditate on your question. Listen to the answer inside. What does your inner wisdom say? What answers your inner wisdom? You feel the answer. Let the answer appear in you. Think the answer several times as a mantra.

8. 8 Say the mantra. Put your hands in your lap. Keep your back straight and your stomach relaxed. Bring your mind completely to rest. Think the mantra "Om" in your head, chest, abdomen, legs, and feet. Think in the earth and in the entire cosmos: "Om Shanti, Om Peace... ".

9. 9 Stop thinking. Stop every thought for a minute. When thoughts come, always push them away. Then relax completely. Slacken your body. Sit there relaxed. Peace and harmony are within you.

10. 10 Be optimistic. Go forth positively in your day. The light is with you. Be blessed.

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Always be in good contact with your body and your soul. Feel what they want and need. And give it to them. Follow the five features truth, peace, love, self-discipline and happiness. Then you will find your way into the light. Feel the light of God, the energy of peace and love within you. Be happy and be good. That is the essence of yoga philosophy. The most important thing in yoga is the inner voice. The inner voice is the voice of your own truth and wisdom. It is your feeling of rightness. You combine your intellect and your feeling. Then you will find the way to yourself. Follow your own wisdom. Find your personal meditation practice. Do meditation like it is good for you. What do you want from meditation? Happiness, healing, enlightenment? Inform yourself. Read meditation books, visit meditation groups, look for the right meditation teacher for you. Then learn meditation. Find out what is the best way for you to practice. And practice every day.

Edit Warnings

If you want to heal an illness, it might be good to go to a health or wellness professional. Yoga is a way to relax and to awaken inner happiness. You can heal some diseases with yoga and meditation, but you must be careful and listen to your inner voice. Many people feel it is best to follow the advice of the doctors and any relevant medical books. Keep in mind, however, that medical education is primarily geared to disease treatmentnot wellnessand few physicians have training in yoga, nutrition, or other non-medical health care approaches. The main path of health and healing are the five principles of health. Every day we should do some sport (yoga, walking), eat healthy (lots of fruit and vegetables, low in calories), avoid harmful substances (alcohol, smoking, drugs), think positive (overcome negative thoughts) and relax (get enough sleep, pauses, silence, and meditation).

How to Do Computer Meditation

Edited by Nils Horn, Meg, Tasha, Teresa and 9 others 16 Article Edit Discuss A guided meditation while taking a break from working at the computer is a fast way to find relaxation. Through simple yoga movements associated with positive phrases, you can dissolve inner blockages and recharge your mind positive. Get peace, power, love and happiness in five minutes.

Edit Steps

1. 1 Find peace in prayer with your religious figure (eg God).

2. 2 Send light or pray for (happiness, peace, love) to all beings: "I send light to ... (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy."

3. 3 Begin by understanding that this computer meditation is aimed at people of all religious denominations and it may also be practiced by atheists. Use or adapt the phrases that work for you. You can also rephrase the mantras and make them suitable for you. You can define God in your own way as a supreme being or as a cosmic force or life power. You can omit the mantra "Om God" if it does not fit for you. Hence, it is advised that the remainder of the article be read in this light.

4. 4 Connect yourself with the Enlightened (Saints) or God (or other entity) Say: "Om all enlightened masters. Om God. I beg for guidance and help on my way."

5. 5 Get inner peace. Say: "I take things as they are. I flow positively with my life."

6. 6 Calm your mind. Speak (or think) one minute the mantra: "Om Shanti. Om Peace."

7. 7 Try focusing on peaceful thoughts and avoid thinking of the stressful thoughts

8. 8

Relax.

9. 9 Find a positive phrase. Then speak it. For example, "My positive phrase is ...":

I go forward with love, peace, happiness and strength (power, energy). Be a victor in your life. God (or other entity) bless you. (This is an example of one possible positive phrase).

10. 10 Linger. Finally, it is good to linger in the relaxation for some time. In this final phase, relaxation unfolds its healing (harmonizing) effects.

Edit Video

Computer Meditation

Edit Tips

The essence of spirituality is to build up inner strength, peace, love and happiness. Your inner energy can be awakened by positive visualizations in connection with mantras (positive statements, prayers). Inner peace arises if you put your mind to rest. For this purpose, first use the mantra "Om Shanti. Om Peace." Focus only on peaceful thoughts

Edit Warnings

On the spiritual path, you're only successful if you always act in close connection with your personal truth and with good feelings for yourself. Practice the computer meditation therefore so that it fits for you personally and is good for you.

Edit Things You'll Need

Computer and seat

How to Do the Yoga of Love

Edited by Nils Horn, IAmAbigailM, Teresa, Flickety and 2 others 1 Article Edit Discuss The yoga of love is a way of connecting yoga exercises with the pure and uplifting energy of love. In this way, yoga gains a powerful cleansing ability that can guide you through each fast you undertake. It can also provide an easier way to enlightenment. The yoga of love awakens the love in you and brings you to a life bathed in love and light.

Edit Steps
1. 1 Find a spiritual role model you love and you trust. In Indian yoga, people usually pray to Shiva before starting with their yoga exercises. In so doing, they connect with the energy of Shiva when performing yoga and this energy transforms them. Modern yoga teaches the unity of all religionsthis means that you can incorporate the belief you follow:

Find a role model that suits your belief. You can believe in the power of nature and pray to the sun. Many yogi perform the sun salutation and get by this into a life in the light. You can pray to God, to Jesus, to Buddha or to an enlightened Master if you want. If you believe your role model is enlightened, your belief will activate the enlightenment energy within you. If your role model really is enlightened, he or she can help you with his spiritual abilities.

2. 2 Find a picture, representation or statue of your role model. It helps to have a clear vision of what he or she looks like. Forming this picture can include reading or listening to the works of your role model regularly, reading yoga tales, praying or working with an oracle.

The energy transfer is known as "darshan". A real darshan consists of the three points seeing, hearing and touching. The energy of love can flow into you when you see a picture, statue or a real enlightened person who has significant meaning for you. The teachings of your spiritual role model must touch you inside. You have to feel the love or trust. When this happens, the energy of love will transfer to you.

3. 3 Send forth the energy of love to all people. Wish that all people be happy and that the whole world be happy. This selfless wish will allow the light of your role model to flow through you into the world. It fills you with love. You will feel consciousness of unity with all other beings, which is an essential state for enlightenment, inner peace and happiness.

4. 4 Always begin your yoga exercises with a mantra for your role model and for allembracing love. For example: "Om, all enlightened Masters. Om, inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way." "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the word be happy." You may formulate the mantras in your own words. Christians can pray to God and for all people. You can also connect yourself with a special enlightened Master such as Buddha, Jesus, Shiva and so on.

5. 5 Feel connected with your role model while doing your yoga exercises. Think or speak mantras. Do yoga for yourself and as a way to connect yourself regularly with spirituality, wisdom and love.

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Draw the power for a life in love and truth from your daily spiritual exercises. If you lack the time for yoga at any particular time, you can instead start or end your day with a prayer, mantra, reading or a puja (spiritual ritual).

6. 6 Practise yoga with wisdom, love and joy. Yoga brings you health, beauty and happiness. If you connect with the enlightenment energy (God and the enlightened Masters), your life will be filled with light and love. Perseverethe grace will come to you by its own; it is only a question of time. Everybody on the yoga path will be filled with bliss, if he or she goes with the power of love.

Edit Video

RaMaDaSa - Snatam Kaur - Love Vibration (example for yoga of love)

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The word "guru" means "imparter of knowledge" (jna). A guru helps to dispel followers from the darkness of not knowing and brings them into the light of God (enlightenment). A guru awakens dormant spiritual knowledge in a student, the act of which is known as shaktipat. (Wikipedia) Bhakti yoga is a spiritual path outlined in Hindu philosophy. It is about fostering love, utter faith and surrender to God. It is a means to realize God, being the easiest way for the common person to follow. (Wikipedia) Within Hinduism, the terms Ishta-deva or Ishta devata are used to identify the worshipper's favorite (or only) deity. The practitioner worships his or her Ishta-deva in the form of a murti, which may include making offerings, reciting mantras, singing the name of the deity and praying. A guru can inspire devotion in practitioners and his or her presence can purify all.(Wikipedia)

How to Relax Your Mind

Edited by Nikki, Carolyn Barratt, Teenreporter, Harri and 45 others 132 Article Edit Discuss Are you stressed or unhappy? Do you need to calm down? Training your mind to relax can help you feel rested and prepared at any time, and is easy to do. When you find methods that works for you, cultivate and practice them often. In time, you'll be able to relax more quickly and easily using some of the following ideas.

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Relaxing with Meditation
1. 1 Do deep breathing exercises. Although the idea may seem cliche, deep breathing exercises work wonders on relaxing your mind. Practice these daily and in times of stress to help soothe your anxiety.

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Close your mouth and take a deep breath in through your nose. Try to time this inhalation so that it lasts for four seconds. Hold your breath for seven seconds, and then exhale your breath for a count of eight seconds. Repeat this four times total. If you have trouble slowing your breathing this far, start at a faster pace and slowly work your way up to a longer time. Feel free to adjust the time each inhale and exhale lasts, but be sure that your exhale lasts for twice as long as your inhale. Pause between each breath.[1]

2. 2 Practice meditation, or try rejoicing, meditative prayer. This is the process of clearing your mind by focusing on a specific thought, place, word(s), color or object. To meditate, sit (kneel or lie) in a comfortable position and think (or pray) about one specific thing. It may take upwards of ten minutes in order to completely clear your mind, but that is normal.

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You can sit or lie down during meditation, but always keep your eyes closed to help you focus mentally/spiritually. It is normal for restless thoughts to intrude on your meditation. Try to ignore them as best as possible, purposely focusing on (cherishing/praising) one specific thing. Use guided imagery to help clear your mind. Imagine a place, real or fictitious, in which you feel at peace and stress-free. Focus on being in this place, including the details of what it looks like and how you feel in it. Meditate for as long as you like, but resting for at least ten minutes once you have managed to clear your mind proves to be beneficial to overall stress-level and focus. Playing calming music, sounds or positive song phrase (such as: "I just feel like something good is about to happen. I just feel like something good is on its way..."[2]) can help you to focus better for your meditation. Always do whatever is necessary for you to feel your most comfortable.[3] Meditation has proven to have health benefits in addition to causing mental relaxation, including lowering blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar.[4]

3. 3 Try visualization. This is similar to guided imagery in meditation, in which you imagine a peaceful scene. Picture the scene in your head for as long as you would like, but focus all your thoughts and energy on visualizing this place in your mind.

4. 4 Do progressive muscle relaxation. This is a process by which you tense and then relax all the muscles in your body. Relaxing your muscles after having them tensed alters your mental state, and helps your mind to be as equally soothed as your body.

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Start by tensing the muscles in your face one at a time. These might include frowning, knitting your brows, scrunching your forehead, and setting your jaw. Then, allow each muscle to relax. When you finish with your face, move down your body until you have done this with all your muscles. Hold the tense muscles for 5-10 seconds each before releasing in order to get the most relaxation from the process.[5]

Relaxing with Changes in Health

1. 1 Practice yoga. Yoga is a type of stretching and low-impact exercise which helps to relax the muscles in your body. Because you must focus on each yoga pose, your mind is left no room to contemplate stressors and is forced into a state of peace.

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It is best to start yoga by taking a class. Yoga classes are made to create a state of relaxation, even though there may be many people present. Look for local instructors or classes at nearby gyms. Hatha yoga is the most basic style of yoga and is great for relaxation. Look for hatha yoga poses that you can try yourself at home. Avoid doing yoga if you have physical problems such as a herniated disc, osteoporosis, or you are at risk for blood clots.[6]

2. 2 Drink lots of water. Water is important for keeping your body well hydrated and free of toxins, which helps your mind to focus better. To aid in other relaxation exercises, drink plenty of water.

3. 3 Eat foods that promote relaxation. Certain foods help to lower hormones linked to causing anxiety, while simultaneously raising hormones which are responsible for creating a sense of happiness and peace.

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Foods high in selenium aid in lowering anxiety and depression, and include nuts (especially brazil nuts), shiitake mushrooms, and tuna, cod, or salmon. Eat foods that have a high magnesium content, such as spinach, pumpkin seeds, and halibut. Look for foods with high tryptophan content, as this helps produce the chemical serotonin which increases happiness. Try dark chocolate, nuts, and red meat.

4. 4 Exercise moderately. Exercise is responsible for releasing endorphins, which in turn create a feeling of happiness. Try doing a little exercise every day to help relax your mind after dealing with a stress-filled schedule.

Exercise in places that are quiet or allow time for you to be alone. If you workout at your gym, find an area or room that is mostly deserted, so that you arent distracted by thoughts of things around you. Try to find mindless repetitive exercises to participate in. This might include swimming or running laps.

5. 5 Participate in your favorite activities. If you love to cook, read, or play sports, do those things! Doing things you love will help you to clear your mind of anxiety, and will likely release more endorphins which cause happiness.

6. 6 Drink warm liquids. Hot drinks help to relieve tension and reduce stress. Look for hot drinks that lack caffeine and alcohol, as these can stimulate anxiety and depression.

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Green tea contains certain natural chemicals linked to reduced stress levels. Drink it hot or iced to get the peaceful benefits it provides. Try drinking warm milk. This classic bed-time drink can help to soothe your troubled mind as it contains high levels of tryptophan, responsible for producing more serotonin in your brain. Warm milk in a saucepan with honey for a sweet relaxing treat. If you choose to drink coffee to help you relax, find a decaffeinated version so as to not stimulate hyperactivity. Avoid drinking anything with too much sugar, as this will stimulate your brain and make relaxing much more difficult.[7]

Relaxing with Activities

1. 1 Occupy yourself in a repetitive, mindless activity. Doing something that requires work but no focus can help your mind to relax.

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Try doodling or drawing an abstract image. You are forced to focus on the act of drawing, and are therefore unable to think about stressors in your life. Performing chores that use repetitive movements can induce relaxation. Think of raking leaves, sweeping the floor, or folding laundry. If you know how, you can also do things like weaving bracelets or knitting. Avoid things that require a lot of movement or that are very busy, as this can induce stress rather than reduce it.

2. 2 Listen to calming music. Although you may love rocking out to hardcore rock or rap, find some slow, soothing tunes to help relax your mind.

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Avoid music that has heavy instruments or loud vocals, as these will make it hard for you to relax while listening. Sometimes it's better to not have words in it at all. Instead of music, you can also listen to nature sounds and white noise which are developed to help people relax. Look for sounds of the ocean or forest, or find samples of white noise to try. Binaural beats are a special type of music or sound that produce higher levels of alpha waves in your brain, which help you to relax. Find free versions of binaural beats online or through your favorite music streaming site.[8]

3. 3 Spend time with animals. Studies show that people who spend time with pets or touching animals have lowered blood pressure and are significantly less stressed than people who rarely come in contact with animals.

If you dont have your own pet, consider borrowing your friends dog to take for a walk or cuddling up with your neighbors cat. A little animal time a day can go a long ways. Look into animal assisted psychotherapy. This is a type of therapy that helps to reduce stress and anxiety by using animals. Often times horses are used, but dogs and cats are also popular options.[9]

4. 4 Try aromatherapy. This is when you use soothing scents to help you relax. Many popular aromatherapy smells include lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus.

You can purchase aromatherapy oils to place directly on your skin. Dab a little around your temples and the inside of your wrists and elbows. These are some of the warmest places on your body, and will work to diffuse the scent faster. Aromatherapy mists and home fragrances can be used to make your bedroom your own personal relaxation sanctuary. Find them in mists and candles to help your home smell peaceful.

5. 5 Soak in a bath or pool. Warm water can help to release endorphins that reduce stress, so take a hot bubble bath for twenty minutes.

Avoiding Stressors
1. 1 Stay away from social media outlets. A huge cause of stress is any social media, whether it be your phone or facebook account. Try to spend some time away from these things to help reduce your anxiety.

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Turn off your phone or leave it in your car for a bit so that you dont run the temptation of obsessively checking it every few minutes. Leave your laptop closed and turn off your desktop so that you are not tempted to check your online media accounts. If social media is a big enough stressor in your life, consider removing it entirely for a period. Deactivate your online social accounts for a few weeks or months until you feel that it will no longer cause a problem for you.

2. 2 Dont watch television. TV is full of bright colors, busy images, and constant noise which help to raise stress levels.

3. 3 Spend time alone. Often the people around us cause us the most anxiety, so make it a point to spend some time with just yourself.

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Take time off work to catch up on rest and alone time. Try taking a weekend retreat to a local town or nature reserve where you can have some time to think. Cancel plans with friends if you overwhelm yourself with a too-packed schedule. It is important to have time with just yourself before sharing it with others. Find time away from your family. It doesnt matter how much you love them, everybody needs a bit of time separate from their family in order to keep a healthy mindset.

4. 4 Avoid your known stressors. If you know that an upcoming test or meeting is what is causing your stress, try to spend time away from it to prevent additional anxiety.

Set firm boundaries for times in which you are willing to deal with these stressors, if they are work or school related. Promise yourself only to work on your homework until 8pm, after which you will spend time debriefing and letting go of stress. If a certain person or activity is responsible for your anxiety, avoid them for a bit. Spend time thinking about why that thing in particular bothers you so much, and a solution to the problem.[10]

Meditation Help

Sample Meditation Techniques

Sample Safe Space Visualization

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Close your eyes, and hear yourself breath. Make sure you are in a quiet place. Feel the air go to your head and exhale slowly. Sit in the sunshine, even if you are indoors. The warmth and light will help lift your mood. Write about something in whatever style of writing you enjoy most. Or just write whatever comes into mind. Keeping a journal can be very calming. Light candles, turn off lights and relax where there's no noise. Lie down on the floor, a couch or recliner and just breathe in and out slowly, listening to soft music turned low or simply in a quiet room. Think about good times and smile. Lie down in an open area outside, at night and look at the sky and stars above.