By Maggie Hua, Lifestyle Columnist
Are you distracted and not able to focus? Do you feel anxious? Are you trying to find clarity and the purpose of life? Do you feel unmotivated and less productive? If your answer is yes, this article is made for you!
Meditation is the practice of silencing the thoughts in your mind to achieve awareness or an alternate state of consciousness. Many people think of it as a way to reduce stress and develop concentration. People also use the practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns, and even increased pain tolerance. There are a number of celebrities and high achievers who practice meditation daily, for example, just to name a few, Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Kate Perry, Madonna, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Gates, Kobe Bryant, Joe Rogan, Michael Jordan, Ellen DeGeneres, and Will Smith.
Steve Jobs, another meditator, once said, “if you just sit and observe, you will see how restless your mind is. If you try to calm it, it only makes it worse, but over time, it does calm, and when it does, there’s room to hear more subtle things – that is when your intuition starts to blossom, and you start to see things more clearly and be in the present more. Your mind just slows down, and you see a tremendous expanse in the moment. You see so much more than you could see before. It’s a discipline; you have to practice it.”
The practice of meditation provides Novak Djokovic with the optimal state of peace and calm while simultaneously contributing to happiness and joy. In the words of Kobe Bryant, “I think meditation is important because it sets me up for the rest of the day. It is like having an anchor. If I do not do it, it feels like I am constantly chasing the day, as opposed to being controlled and dictate the day.”
Archaeologists identified that meditation can be traced back to as early as 5000 BCE. It exists this long for a reason – because it works! There are different types of meditations and the popular ones that many people practise are: mindfulness meditation, guided meditation, transcendental meditation, and yoga meditation.
How to practice meditation? For beginners, the Headspace Meditation App and the Calm Meditation App are really good to guide you through the process and allow you to choose what kind of meditation you would like to focus on. If you would like to meditate with a real person instead, Jay Shetty, a former Hindu monk, an English author, and a life coach recently launched 20 Days of Live Meditation via YouTube.
We are being distracted everyday, by our smartphones and the noises around us, from the moment we wake up till the moment we fall asleep. These distractions change our outlooks and perceptions. Sometimes, we are easily triggered by insignificant details, and we will notice that by the change of our breaths. So, take a moment from your busy schedule, try to calm your body, control your breaths, and take care of your mind. Through the daily practice of meditation, I hope it will help you to be more focused and motivated, sleep better, find clarity and purpose you have been searching, and bring joy and happiness to your heart.
Photo by Prasanth Inturi: https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-of-man-at-daytime-1051838/
