Hello and welcome to my special blog this week. The topic that I have to write today is meditation. I have been practising meditation for six years. As a teacher, I do practice and assist students in adopting thie good habit of regular meditation. Trust me, this blog is going to be full of experiance based knowledge. Let's begin.

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What is meditation? How is it useful for your health ?

Meditation is a mental practice that involves training the mind to focus and achieve a state of mental clarity and relaxation. It has been practiced for thousands of years across many cultures and spiritual traditions, and it is now widely recognized for its many benefits to mental and physical health.

Meditation is useful for our health because it can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. When we meditate, we learn to pay attention to our thoughts and emotions without judgment or reactivity, which can help us become more aware of our mental and emotional patterns. This awareness can then help us develop more effective ways of responding to stress and anxiety, and can also help us develop greater resilience and coping skills.

Meditation has also been shown to improve attention and concentration, increase self-awareness, and promote a sense of calm and inner peace. When we meditate, we learn to focus our attention on a specific object, such as our breath or a mantra, which can help strengthen our ability to sustain attention and ignore distractions. This can be useful in many areas of life, from work to relationships to hobbies.

Regular meditation practice has been shown to have a range of positive effects on the body as well. It can reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, decrease muscle tension, improve immune function, and promote better sleep quality. These physical benefits can contribute to overall physical health and wellbeing.

What are the basic guidelines of meditation for a beginner?

Meditation is a personal practice, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. Find a technique that works for you and enjoy the journey. Here are some basic guidelines for beginners:

• Find a quiet and comfortable space: Look for a peaceful and calm area where you can meditate without any distractions. Choose a quiet room or a park where you can sit comfortably for the duration of your practice.

• Sit in a comfortable position: You can sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground or cross-legged on a cushion on the floor. Make sure your spine is straight, and your body is relaxed.

• Focus on your breath: Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Then, focus on your breath as you inhale and exhale. Pay attention to the sensations of your breath, and try to slow it down.

• Notice your thoughts: As you meditate, thoughts will inevitably arise. Don't try to suppress them, instead, acknowledge them and gently guide your focus back to your breath.

• Start with short sessions: As a beginner, it's best to start with short meditation sessions of 5 to 10 minutes and gradually increase the duration over time.

• Be consistent: To gain the benefits of meditation, it's essential to practice regularly. Choose a time and a place that works for you and try to meditate at the same time every day.

• Be patient and kind to yourself: Meditation is a skill that takes time and patience to develop. Don't be discouraged if your mind wanders or if you find it difficult to focus at first. With practice, you will improve.

How do you practise every day?

For me, the best time to perform meditation is early morning after getting up for morning prayers. Once I am done with prayers, I take 5 to 10 minutes separately for meditation. Prayer is also a form of meditation, but taking time separately for meditation emphasizes the usefulness of meditation for me, and its benefits begin to show their effect on my body.

I set a timer for a desired duration, such as 5-10 minutes, and focus on my breath or a mantra. I gently bring my attention back to my point of focus whenever my mind wanders. Initially, my mind used to wander more often, but now I have developed command over my thoughts and mind. I feel the passage of air through my respiratory tract as I inhale and exhale.

Changing mantras of the Holy Quran after morning prayers is also a form of meditation that I practice five times a day. I have faith in God and recite the mantras whose meaning is known to me. While I repeat Arabic mantras, I feel the meaning of the mantras, and that gives me ultimate peace of mind.

What kind of good result do you find in your body after meditation?

Through my year-long practice of meditation, I have noticed a significant improvement in my physical well-being.

I feel more relaxed and less stressed, which has led to a decrease in tension in my muscles and an improvement in my sleep quality.

Additionally, I have noticed an increase in my energy levels, and a reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Overall, meditation has helped me to achieve a greater sense of balance and harmony within my body, and has had a positive impact on my overall health and well-being.

Conclusion

In summary, meditation is a mental practice that can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, improve attention and concentration, increase self-awareness, and promote a sense of calm and inner peace. It has also been shown to have a range of positive effects on the body, making it a valuable tool for promoting overall health and wellbeing.