Traditional Meditation Technique of Counting Breaths
This technique is often used by people beginning meditation. It simpy involved counting your breaths. This sounds easy, but when you try it you will see how difficult it actually is. The problem is that our minds tend to wander. If you try to concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds, random thoughts take over and we soon find ourselves thinking about other things.
1. Find a place where you can sit comfortably and not be disturbed by other people.
2. Try to eliminate distractions and interruptions, e.g. take the telephone off the hook.
3. Close your eyes. This makes it easier to concentrate.
4. Relax your muscles sequentially from head to feet. Starting with your forehead, become aware of tension as you breathe in. Let go of any obvious tension as you breathe out. Go through the rest of your body in this way, proceeding down through your eyes, jaws, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, chest, upper back, middle back and midriff, lower back, belly, pelvis, buttocks, thighs, calves, and feet.
5. Become aware of your breathing. Breathe slowly and naturally.
6. As you exhale, count "one". On the next exhalation, count "two". Follow this process for another two breaths counting "three" and "four". Then start the sequence again.
7. If your mind wanders, gently return your attention to the counting.
8. Repeat this for about 15 to 20 minutes.
9. When you have finished, open your eyes and sit quietly for a minute or two.
Many people when they try this "simple" meditation technique, or something similar, find it so disheartening that they feel more stressful and anxious afterwards.
WIth a Meditation Machine, however, your mind will automatically slow down and become calm. If you perform the above exercise with a Meditation Machine, your mind will be in a meditative state because of the light and sound stimulation even when your thoughts wander. You will finish the session relaxed and quietly energised.
