Meditation for Christians is slightly different from those of eastern religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and others. Christians are encouraged to meditate on God and his words and the bible is the only authoritative book that Christians should meditate upon because it contains the words of God. This means you must meditate by focusing on God’s word in the bible by reading it, understanding it, thinking about it, comparing it to your life and if you are not practicing what you read, you should adjust and replace your ways with what you read in the bible.

You should conclude your meditation by praying that God should help you to practice what you just read. Doing so has great rewards that will help you live a blissful life on earth and in the world after death. Keep reading to discover bible references that encourage Christians to meditate and the positive outcome you will get from meditating.

The first reference we shall talk about is Philippians 4:8.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.”

This scripture clearly shows that you should not dwell on negative things around you. You can be influenced by what you hear, what you see, what you read and even by people you associate with. This can make you to continually think on such things instead of positive things that will help you. You should only meditate on things that are true, virtuous, right, pure and just. By doing so, you will eventually find yourself doing positive things that will be right in the sight of God and man.

The second reference to meditation is in Psalm 1:1-3

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

This is another important bible reference that encourages you to meditate.  You should meditate day and night and during meditations you should dwell on the words in the bible. As you do so every day and night you will find that your life will begin to prosper in everything you do and you will begin to know how to always do the right thing at the right time. If this scripture is committed to memory and practiced, you will find that your life’s purpose will get fulfilled when you get to the end of your physical journey on earth.

The third bible reference on meditation is Joshua 1:8

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

Just like the previous reference, this bible scripture also promises success and prosperity if you meditate on the words in the bible every day and night. By the scripture not departing from your mouth, it means you should ensure that what you always say should have a scriptural and godly background. This will help you to have a prosperous life in spirit, soul and body.

The fourth bible reference to meditation is found in Psalms 119:99.

It says; “I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.”

This is referring to King David in the bible. According to him, he is wiser than all his teachers because he meditates on the word of God. Wisdom is a virtue that everyone wants to have. This scripture proves that meditation on God’s word can actually make you wise. One of the benefits of wisdom is that you will always know what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Being wise through bible meditation will also help you to know the best way to relate to other human beings and how to tackle tough circumstances that may confront you.

The fifth bible reference to meditation can be found in 1Timothy 4:15

“Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.”

Paul was instructing Timothy in the bible to meditate on the scriptures and give his whole life to meditating on God’s word. By doing so, he will prosper and everyone will see and know that he is prosperous. Christians believe that even though this scripture was about Paul addressing Timothy, provided it is in the Scriptures it is also referring to them as individuals. This means meditation should be taken seriously by everyone who desires to be prosperous in their daily lives.

Meditation in the bible is strongly emphasized. You have seen scriptures like Philippians 4:8, Psalm 1:1-3, Joshua 1:8, Psalms 119:99 and 1Timothy 4:15 that proves that you should meditate and by meditating continuously every day and night, you will prosper in everything you do. If you have not been meditating, try to start meditating today and you will witness such tremendous change in your life that you may never have dreamed about.

Meditation and yoga are principles that go hand in hand. In fact yoga can be regarded as the offspring of meditation since proper yogic practices can help you meditate better. With yoga you can gain knowledge of breath control, endurance, concentration and focus that can help you when meditating. In this article, you will discover what yoga is, whether meditation is a part of yoga training and how meditation relates to traditional yoga postures. This knowledge will help you to discover more about meditation and yoga.

What is Yoga?

Yoga came from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’ which means ‘union’ and it originated in India over 3,000 years ago. This union refers to the unity of body, mind and spirit that will enable you to experience life at its fullest potential. This means your emotion, intelligence, actions and spiritual life must be in harmony. Yoga postures help the body to be in excellent condition while meditation helps the mind and spirit operate at their fullest capacity. Yoga helps you to have physical well being and better relationship with God and your fellow human beings.

In order to achieve yoga objectives yoga is divided into eight limbs. Each limb builds upon each one before it. After going through the eight branches or limbs, you should be balanced in spirit, mind and body. This is why yoga is very popular. Now that you know what yoga is, let’s find out whether meditation is a part of yoga training.

Is Meditation a Part of Yoga Training?

To gain an understanding whether meditation is a part of yoga training, we have to first analyze what yoga training is and why people train in various styles of yoga training. Yoga training is all about developing physical competencies by mastering postures that are also known as asanas which helps the brain and glands to work better. By doing so the asanas cleanse the chakras, develop mental concentration and skills that help to prepare practitioners for the next step, which is meditation.

Breathing techniques like deep breathing and mantras are used to assist participants to meditate better. Meditation is an important part of yoga training because without meditation, the main objectives of uniting the mind, spirit and body will never be achieved. This is why yoga training is divided into stages. For example, you cannot perform breathing meditation without first learning how to breath properly. Meditation is not only a part of yoga training, it also relates to yoga postures. Let’s find out how meditation relates to yoga postures.

How Does Meditation Relate to Yoga Postures?

Meditation relates to yoga postures in many ways. They relate in terms of posture, mind training and concentration. When you learn all the yoga postures perfectly, you will find that sitting in any given posture becomes very easy to do. Proper posture is emphasized during meditation because it helps the body organs to be properly aligned so your internal energy circulates properly. When you practice yoga postures, the meditation postures like lotus, half lotus and seiza will become easy to do. Otherwise they will be more difficult when starting out unless you practice regularly for a long period of time.

Apart from proper meditating posture, yoga postures also help you to concentrate your mind while meditating. The hormones, the endocrine gland, the lymphatic gland and other glands all work behind the scenes to help your mind stay on your meditating practice. They also have the subtle effect of energizing you physically and internally. Since yoga postures are mainly done in clean airy environment, this will also help you while meditating so that you can breathe clean fresh air properly whenever you are meditating.

People who go through yoga training normally learn to meditate easier and faster because of the way the training is organized. You have seen what yoga is, how meditation is a part of yoga training and how meditation relates to yoga postures. If you have been feeling that yoga is just another workout, this article will help to change the way you feel about yoga from now on.

Here’s exactly what you need to know about mantras for meditation. Mantras have been used for meditation because of the benefits they give. As a result of these benefits, people have reported increased concentration, faster quieting of the mind and unlocking of positive virtues from within. Keep reading to find out what a mantra is, how mantras are a different approach to meditation and how mantras are used in meditations. By the end of this article, you will have learned why mantras are important for meditation.

What is a Mantra

Mantras are sounds (spoken words or phrases) that are used as objects of concentration while meditating. The way mantras are used and the types of mantras available vary according to how people view it and their religious background. Whatever the case, they are known to have spiritual effects on practitioners in a way that affects the mind. A mantra is referred to as a mind protector because it helps to protect your mind from wandering from place to place while meditating. Mantras can either be chanted out loud or chanted internally during meditation. In Buddhism chanted mantras are normally associated with particular Buddhist figures whose qualities can be cultivated by the repetition of the mantra.

The origins of mantras go back at least to the Vedic tradition that preceded the Buddha where mantras were used as incantations to influence or control the gods.

Unlike sentences where you can interpret their meaning most mantras do not have a sensible meaning when translated. However, some do have a meaning. For example, the Rama mantra is one of the most popular mantras used in India. You can simply repeat Rama like this: Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. Rama means to rejoice and was used by Gandhi throughout his life. Other religions also use mantras without actually calling them mantras.

Christians normally chant Jesus when praying and Catholics chant Ave Maria (hail Mary) while Muslims chant Allahu akbar (God is great), Jews chant ‘Barukh attah Adonai’ which means (Blessed art thou, O Lord). Mantras are taken to be a powerful form of meditation because it helps one to stay focused and concentrated during meditation. Now that you know what a mantra is, let’s find out how mantras are a different approach to meditation.

How are Mantras a different approach to meditation?

Many people believe that mantras help them to follow through their meditation practice.  Some of the reasons why they think mantras are a different approach to meditation include helping the mind to anchor, its suitability for all kinds of people during meditation and the ease of using mantras. When it comes to anchoring the mind, repeating a mantra will help you stop your mind from wandering. For example, when you say mantras that you enjoy and that relates to spiritual figures you wish to emulate, you will find that your concentration will focus on that figure alone. You will forget about every other stress or problem you have. This feeling will eventually help you to feel more peaceful and relaxed than when you started meditating.

Apart from anchoring your mind, mantras can be used by all kinds of people. School age kids, teenagers, beginners and even the most experienced meditators all benefit from mantras because they are easy to use. Not only this, mantras also help you meditate when you are facing trying times like financial difficulties, bereavement, hardship or illness. There are specific mantras for such circumstances and by repeating mantras for illness as an example, you will find your mind wandering away from your illness and focusing on your well being.

How are Mantras used in Meditation?

Mantras are generally used in meditation to stay focused while meditating. To do this, you must follow the necessary meditation steps, select a mantra, say the mantra for some minutes before concluding your meditation. Here are the exact steps to take when doing mantra meditation.

1.      Select your meditation time and place. You can allocate about 20 to 30 minutes per day either in the morning or evening.

2.      Get a quiet place where you can be free from distractions.

3.      Select a mantra based on want you really want. You may want spiritual uplifting, better health, financial breakthrough or even a better job.

4.      Sit quietly with your eyes half-closed.

5.      Let about 70% of your allocated time be used for chanting your mantra either out loud, silently or internally. This would mean 20 minutes of the time if you are meditating for 30 minutes.

6.      While chanting, focus on the meaning and what you want solved with respect and belief.

7.      After the allocated time is reached, you can stop chanting and remain absolutely quiet for the remainder of the time.

8.      While you are quiet, observe the thoughts flowing in and out of your mind. You will realize that you feel better than when you started with a positive attitude that your problem is alleviated. This is also the best time to pray.

Setting an alarm clock to assist your timing is not a bad idea. You can even use japa beads to chant your mantra instead of an alarm clock. The japa beads consist of 108 beads and each bead can represent a mantra. Once you exhaust chanting with the beads, you can stop chanting. If you don’t want to use an alarm clock or japa bead, you can decide to focus on your breathing. Each outward breath can represent a mantra repetition.

Mantras are very useful during meditation. You have seen what a mantra is, how it is a different approach to meditation and how a mantra is used for meditation. Use what you have read to practice mantras for meditation and have a great experience.