Buddhist meditation refers to the meditative practices associated with the religion and philosophy of Buddhism. Buddhist meditation techniques have become increasingly popular in the wider world, with many non-Buddhists taking them up for a variety of reasons. Buddhists pursue meditation as part of the path toward Enlightenment and Nirvana. This means that by continually meditating, Buddhists can discover the path to a better life in everything they do. To accomplish this, they must follow foundational teachings like the four foundations of mindfulness and the four noble truths. After reading this article, you will know more about Buddhist meditation.

What are the four foundations for mindfulness?

In Buddhist texts, the Buddha identifies four foundations for mindfulness: the body, feelings, mind states and mental objects. He further enumerates the following objects as bases for the meditative development of mindfulness that encourages us to be aware of the process our mind goes through. They are:

1. Contemplation of the body: This involves breathing, postures, clear comprehending, reflections on repulsiveness of the body, reflections on material elements and cemetery contemplations.

2. Contemplation of feeling: This involves pleasant, unpleasant or neutral feelings

3. Contemplation of the state of mind

4. Contemplation of the phenomena; This involves hindrances, aggregates, factors of enlightenment and the four noble truths.

These foundations of mindfulness collectively help us to still the mind and return to our true nature. By constantly being aware of our thoughts, feelings and surroundings without attaching our perceptions to it; we become mindful. Now that we know about the four foundations of mindfulness, let’s explore what the four noble truths are.

What are the four noble truths?

The four noble truths are an important principle in Buddhism, classically taught by the Buddha in the S?tra. In their simplest form; the four noble truths are:

1. Suffering exists
2. Suffering arises from attachment to desires
3. Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases
4. Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path

They can further be briefly explained as follows;

1.      What is suffering: birth, aging, illness, death is all suffering. Sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are also suffering too. Union with what is displeasing is also suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering.

2.      What is the origin of suffering: The origin is when we crave for sensual pleasures, for existence, extermination and other desires and lust.

3.      What is Cessation of Suffering: This means fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, non-reliance on the different cravings.

4.      What is the Path that leads to the Cessation of Suffering: This means having the right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. This is also referred to as the eight fold path. Once you understand and practice the four noble truths, you will find Buddhist meditation easy to do.

Buddhist meditation is an important practice for people all over the world. Even non-Buddhists practice it because of the benefits to the mind, body and spirit. The four foundations of mindfulness and the four noble truths helps one to fully understand the concepts behind why this meditation practice is very beneficial. You can use what you’ve read to have a better Buddhist meditation experience from now on.

There are many meditation techniques that will help you to have a better life. They will help you to have better emotions, better relationships, better health and better quality of life. Apart from sleeping better, you will have better ability to resist stress, anxiety, pain, depression and lots of health disorders. Based on these, this article will discuss meditation techniques that will make you achieve these goals. You will know about breathing to slow the mind and candle gazing to focus the mind. These techniques will enable you to have a better life when you put them to good use.

Breathing to Slow the Mind

When new meditators start practicing meditation techniques, it is common for the mind to think of many things that make it difficult to concentrate. This is natural and there is nothing to worry about. It shows that you are on the right track. This means that you have successfully accomplished the first step which is to notice your thoughts. You can now go on to the second step; which is trying to move your focus from the thoughts racing in your mind to your breathing.

Here’s exactly how to do that.

1.      Set aside 20 to 30 minutes a day where you will focus your mind. You can incorporate this time into your daily activities so that it will be more effective. During this time you must decide to completely focus your mind on meditating.

2.      You need a quiet place free of distractions to practice. Sit quietly with your eyes half closed and start breathing. Count your breaths as you breathe in and out. Once any thought enters your mind, gently take your mind away from it and focus back on your breathe.

3.      The best way to count your breathes while breathing is to breath in, then count to three. Breathe out again and count to three. This procedure will gently help you to concentrate on your breathing and take your mind away from the thoughts going on in your mind.

4.      Observe everything around you. If you are sitting beside the sea, be aware of the waves and natural scenes before you. Listen to the sounds of the waves and clear any other thoughts out of your mind. This will help you not only to focus your mind but make you aware of sights and sounds you might never have noticed.

When you follow these steps, you will suddenly discover that your thoughts are occupied with your surroundings and what you feel about it, instead of your initial thoughts. This is considered one of the best ways to slow down your thoughts. Breathing is not the only way to focus your mind, you can also candle gaze to focus your mind.

Candle Gazing to Focus the Mind

When your mind is not focused, you will find yourself having all kinds of thoughts. This can lead to stress, memory loss and lack of concentration. Also, if you cannot focus your mind, you cannot meditate; and if you don’t meditate, you cannot enjoy the benefits that come from meditation. Discipline and concentration are the most important skills to learn and once you master them, you will become expert in meditating. Candle gazing is an exercise that can help you learn to concentrate. This is because the eyes control the thought process and focusing on a candle flame that is steady has tremendous and powerful benefits. It will also accustom you to sitting quietly and focusing on something other than the thoughts going on in your mind. With continuous practice, you will witness an increase in your alertness, confidence level, stability in thoughts and an ability to control situations that were previously difficult.

This is how to focus your mind by candle gazing.

1.      Light a candle or ghee lamp in your meditation room or wherever you are comfortable. Make sure the candle is about 12 to 24 inches from your face at eye level.

2.      Sit in an upright position in a chair or on the floor cross legged or in Padmasana (Full Lotus Pose). This will ensure that you maintain an erect posture and that inner energy can flow easily through the subtle channels of the body.

3.      Focus your gaze on the candle light. The light emitted from the candle flame is taken in by the eyes and generates energy. The lens of the eye concentrates the light and heat energy of the flame onto the retina and conducts the light and energy through the optical nerves to the lobes at the rear of the brain.

4.      This newly acquired energy will increase the energy in your pineal gland and flow through your body. This allows the opening of the “Third Eye” and the ensuing feeling of bliss.

5.      Close your eyes and hold an after-image of the bright flame. The practice steadies the wandering mind, leading you to focus with pin-point accuracy.

Meditation techniques that help us to enjoy a better life are not hard to learn at all. Techniques like breathing and candle gazing can help to focus your mind and help you concentrate while meditating. When done regularly, they will definitely assist you in enjoying a better life.

Anxiety is a normal emotion as it can help to safeguard us from dangers. However, when you experience a constant feeling of worry or distress and have difficulty controlling those feelings, then you need to seek help as fast as possible. There are different levels of anxiety that need to be attended to and they have been medically classified into the following;

1.      Generalized Anxiety Disorder, (abbreviated as GAD);

2.      Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, (abbreviated as OCD);

3.      Panic Disorder, which includes a morbid fear of panicking;

4.      Social Anxiety, which covers social problems like shyness and all other social aspects.

Meditation for anxiety is practiced by people who have any of the anxiety disorder listed above.  It is known to be one of the best therapies for anxiety if the anxiety is not severe. This article will explore treating anxiety disorders using guided meditation and treating anxiety disorders and panic attacks using muscle relaxation. After reading this article you will fully understand the value of meditation to help with anxiety.

Treating anxiety disorders using guided meditation

Regular meditation can reduce the number of symptoms experienced by patients with a wide range of illnesses and disorders. Anxiety disorders can be treated using guided meditation. The person suffering from anxiety will need to use guided meditation regularly in order for the anxiety to be helped. The best way guided meditation can be used is by following instructions that will help you identify all the negative thoughts that are responsible for your anxiety and then to eliminate them one after the other.

In a guided meditation you will be asked to find a quiet space and sit with your eyes closed. By breathing deeply and focusing on a calm place, like a beach, you can use your minds eye to jot down all the things that are causing you stress. Next, you will be asked to get rid of the stressors one after the other while replacing them with positive affirmations. The instructions are normally accompanied by calm background music that will help you stay focused. If the anxiety is severe then you will need to combine meditation with other forms of treatment like psychotherapy and medical treatment.

Treating anxiety disorders and panic attacks using muscle relaxation

Panic attacks are considered severe forms of anxiety. This means their symptoms and treatments are generally similar. One of the most common meditation treatments for anxiety disorders and panic attacks is the use of muscle relaxation therapy. The psychology behind this is that most anxiety and panic attack tensions reside in the muscles. Once these muscles are identified and the tensions released, the condition will automatically be brought under control.

The best form of muscle relaxation that you can use is progressive muscle relaxation technique. In this technique groups of muscles in the body are identified. They include muscles in the face, neck, shoulders, right arm and left arm, right hand and left hand, chest, abdomen, right thigh and left thigh, calves and right foot and left foot. Once you identify each muscle group you tense the muscle for about 10 seconds. For example, you can tense your toes by fully extending them outward to create tension and then relaxing them. Next, bend the toes up as far as possible to create tension and then relax them again. The tension you add will make your toes so uncomfortable that when you release the tension your toes become more relaxed than the pre-tensed condition.

You must be aware of the sensations of each muscle group after tension. This has the psychological effect of releasing anxiety and panic attacks while making you calm and peaceful. Therapists advise that regular practice is the key to helping your body become used to the feeling of relaxation so the beneficial effects can last. Professionals also advise that in serious cases of anxiety and panic attacks you should seek medical and professional help.

Meditation for anxiety is a popular form of self help that you can use to manage anxiety if your case is not to severe. You can also use guided meditation, mindfulness techniques and muscle relaxation techniques to treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks. Once you follow the above suggestions regularly you can be sure of overcoming your anxiety and panic attacks.