What is Meditation

Many people ask “what is meditation?”

The benefits of meditation — awareness and a feeling of calm — can be achieved by engaging in what’s called “mindfulness.” Mindfulness can help us develop patience, trust in ourselves and others, and openness.

Here are 5 ways to practice mindful living throughout your day and help you achieve a felt sense of what is meditation:

When you find yourself wanting to prematurely end a conversation, examine what it is about the exchange that is causing you to want to move on. Are you anxious to find a “better,” more exciting conversation partner? Are you thinking about something else? Instead, make an effort to fully listen and then react honestly to what the other person is saying… The payoff: Becoming a better listener, knowing yourself, and building patience.
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When doing physical exercise. Note when your breathing becomes laboured, when your temperature rises, and when fatigue or pain sets in… The payoff:The more tuned in you are to physical cues when placing extra demands on your body, the more familiar you’ll become with your body’s limits; knowing your physical boundaries can help you respect them and, if you want, gently push them.
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For one minute each hour, stop everything you’re doing and focus only on your breath…The payoff: Not only are you giving your mind a chance to take a break (just as you’d give your body a rest after hiking for an hour), but you return to your work refreshed.
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Many of us eat unconsciously, shovelling food into our mouths, rarely tasting much beyond the first bite. Instead, eat slowly, tasting each bite, thinking about how the food got to the table, and appreciating how it fuels your body… The payoff: The more aware you are about how and what you eat, the healthier your food choices become and the more relaxing mealtime will be.
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When we feel physical or emotional pain, the instinct is to rid ourselves of it as quickly as possible, whether it’s by taking aspirin for a headache or suppressing anger. However, true mindfulness doesn’t discriminate — you want to be aware and accepting of the “bad” stuff as well as the “good” stuff. The next time you feel sick or upset, allow yourself to fully feel it and accept it as your present mental or physical state… The payoff: It’s easier to work through something you’re paying attention to rather than ignoring. In addition, the more comfortable you become with a sense of fear, for example, the less anxiety you’ll have when it surfaces the next time.