12 meditation exercises (practical guide and benefits)

We live in a stressful and competitive world that requires us to be constantly active and prepared to adapt to new developments and changes in the environment.

The lifestyle we leadIn both work and private life, it can become frantic and cause us stress, tension and a feeling of not reaching everything. We need to disconnect from time to time and focus on what is important, which is very helpful for meditation and relaxation techniques.

In order to contribute to personal well-being in this article I have selected a dozen of useful meditation exercises, in addition to indicating some of the benefits of these practices.

• Related article: "The 8 types of meditation and their characteristics"

Meditation: concept and benefits

The term meditation refers to the focus of attention on a specific element, be it internal as one's own thought or external, in a state of deep concentration and reflection. It is popularly said that meditation is intended to achieve the liberation of the mind from its habitual concerns and the emphasis on the present. Generally, it is based on focusing completely on the now, focusing on aspects such as breathing, thinking or self-awareness.

Meditation serves to help the individual connect with himself, understand yourself and capture your own potentialities. It also allows us to observe reality in a more objective way, as well as the values ​​and objectives that govern us.

• You may be interested: "80 short positive thoughts to motivate you"

The origins of this practice

The practice of meditation is native to India and typical of Buddhist and Hindu beliefs, having become popular in the West relatively recently. These practices can serve numerous purposes. Originally with a religious or mystical orientation, today meditation has even reached be part of the repertoire of techniques used in psychological therapy, especially in the form of Mindfulness.

Mindfulness as a technique is based on focusing on the present moment and what is happening without trying to interpret it, accepting both the positive and the negative, the renunciation of the attempt to control and the choice of objectives and values ​​in which to work.

The benefits of meditation are many: different studies show that it improves the ability to concentrate and memory, allows the physical and mental relaxation as well as better stress management and even has a beneficial effect on a medical level by stimulating the system immunological.

It has also been shown that helps improve mood, fighting the depression slight and the anxiety, as well as reducing blood pressure and the possibility of cardiovascular disorders. Finally, it has also been shown to be useful in improving the quantity and quality of sleep.

A dozen meditation exercises

There are a wide variety of meditation exercises that can be carried out. Some of them are performed statically (this being the best known and most traditional type of meditation) while others require movement.

Some focus more on living in the moment while others emphasize the idea of provoke feelings through elements such as visualization. Then we leave you with 12 exercises that you can comfortably perform in various situations and that will allow you to meditate, focusing your attention on various aspects.

1. Empty the mind

It is a meditation focused solely on the breath. With half-open eyes the subject focuses on your own breathing without trying to control it, focusing on the sensation of the air entering and leaving. The individual will try to focus solely on it. Different types of thinking may arise, but you should not try to block them but simply not to follow them.

Over time, the individual will be able to concentrate on the breath and ignore the rest of the thoughts, so that it will obtain feelings of calm, tranquility and placidity.

2. Countdown

Although this technique may seem very simple, it is very useful to improve concentration. With your eyes closed and in a relaxed position you proceed to count down slowly, from high numbers (fifty or even one hundred) to zero. It is about concentrating your mind on a specific element so that the rest of the stimuli fade away.

3. Body Scan

This technique is based on a detailed review of the different regions of the body, attending to the sensations that are perceived in each one of them. It is recommended to find a comfortable position that allows the body to relax, sitting on the floor with your back straight and your legs bent with each foot on top of the thigh of the other leg (in what is known as the lotus position). Once in this position, you must close your eyes and leave your mind blank.

In this state, you will proceed little by little to go through the different muscle groups with your mind, paying attention to the sensations that come from them. Is about focus on what the body itself tells us, while we connect better with him and we observe ourselves accepting the information that comes from him without judging them. Generally it proceeds to go up from the toes to the head.

4. The Mindful Pause

A quick exercise suggested by Dr. Ryan Niemiec, which can be done anywhere. This exercise is based on concentrating on the breath for between fifteen and thirty seconds, concentrating our attention solely on this process. You must inhale and exhale deeply.

Once concentrated, the attention directed towards the breath will be directed to ask ourselves which of our own strengths can be applied to the situation that is being experienced. In this way we can help each other make decisions and cope with stressful situations.

5. Observation in dynamic meditation

This exercise is based on the observation and contemplation of what we are capable of observing. First of all, we find a comfortable position in which to relax, to close our eyes for a few minutes, focusing on breathing. Once this is done, he opens his eyes and takes a brief look at what is happening and around us.

He closes his eyes again and reflect on what has been seen, that different stimuli we have perceived that surround us (for example a dog, a roommate getting ready to go to work, an open window through which a tree can be seen ...). Once the stimuli are listed, remain silent for a few minutes.

Once this is done, we proceed to open our eyes again and make a second more detailed pass of our surroundings. Again the eyes are closed and a new list of the observed elements is made. Both lists are mentally compared to reflect on the differences between what has been observed first and what has been seen with a second, longer observation.

6. Meditation in motion

While meditation has traditionally been viewed as something to be done statically, it is possible to meditate on the move (although it may be more difficult to concentrate).

It is recommended to be in contact with nature, like in a field or on the beach. It involves taking walks while the person focuses on the sensations that he is feeling at that moment, such as the heat of the sun, the breeze, the touch of the water if it rains or is near the sea, the salinity of the water or the friction of plants, the movement of the muscles themselves or the emotions that these they wake up.

7. Display

This exercise is based on the visualization of objectives and their assessment through meditation. The subject can do it sitting, lying down or even standing. With the closed ones and with the attention placed on the breath, the definition of an objective or goal to be pursued is proposed.

Then the subject will go little by little posing if you really consider the goal desirable, to then assess whether reaching it would produce well-being, if the benefits to be achieved exceed the costs and difficulties and if you have the means to achieve it, to finally rethink again if the objective remains desirable.

If the result is positive, the will and the effort to achieve it will be strengthened at the same time that the person feels their objective as valid, while otherwise the effort can be redirected towards the achievement of new goals.

8. Meditation with fire

Fire has been used as a symbolic element and as a focal point in different meditation techniques. One of the techniques is based on focusing attention on the candle of a flame, in a comfortable position while controlling the breath and sensations such as heat and luminosity are noticed that contribute.

You can also make a list of positives to achieve or maintain and negatives to get rid of, focusing on the negatives and feelings that provoke and deliver them to the fire to observe how they ignite and carbonize and then focus on the positive ones (which are not burned) under the cover of heat and the light.

9. Meditation in the water

This technique is based on the use of water and can be done while bathing in a bathtub or pool. It is about focusing attention on the relationship of the body with water while we focus on the breathing, noting the sensations it causes and the limits between the submerged part of the body and the one in the Exterior.

You can try visualize how the water takes away tension and bad feelings. You can also work with the surface of the water, seeing how our movements leave their mark in the form of waves and focusing on the perception of the environment beyond the body.

10. Static Meditation: The Mind as Canvas

The exercise begins by closing the eyes and focusing on the breath, trying to imagine the mind as a blank canvas. Once this is done, the person must choose any of the spontaneous thoughts or images that arise and must mentally launch it to said canvas.

From there we will proceed to try to reflect on why this thought has appeared, its origin and its usefulness and what sensations it provokes. Once this is done, the person can try to give life to the image, incorporating mental movement and even projecting himself into it to analyze it.

Although it has been proposed as something to do mentally, since art is an important element that can be used to reflecting can be useful that instead of doing it mentally the subject goes on to make a graphic representation in a real canvas. They also serve other forms of art and expression, like writing, sculpture or music.

11. Yoga and tai chi

Although both are disciplines by themselves with their differential characteristics, both yoga and Tai chi can be used as a form of meditation through the performance of various movements. Visualization is also important.

For example, you can imagine the projection of an energy orb out of our body, giving it a sensation of heat and weight and performing different manipulation exercises with it such as rotating it, passing it over the head and around the torso and sliding it down the arms and legs. This orb is going to be the element in which we focus our attention, and can represent our physical energy or a quality of our own or desired by us.

12. Metta bhavana meditation

This type of meditation focuses on cultivating love and positive emotions.

First the user must sit and pay attention to the body, relaxing each muscle as best as possible. Once this is done, the emotional sensations must be focused, focusing attention on the heart and trying to discern the emotions that are felt at that moment. It is necessary to accept them, whether they are positive or negative. It is recommended to try to smile while doing face to observe possible changes in the emotions felt.

After that, you try to attract positive emotions. For this we can use mantras or phrases that bring us feelings of peace, love or positivity, or the imagination.

This exercise is carried out by thinking first of yourself, then of a friend, then of a person you Let us not value good or bad, then in someone with whom we have conflicts and finally in all living beings. Is about identify the sensations and try to promote the good ones, still accepting and not judging or limiting the bad ones. After that, little by little he turns to the outside world.