How to Meditate: The Steps To Awareness
April 18th, 2010 8:49 amThe 3 steps to awareness, otherwise known as the three stages of meditation are the normal mind, concentration, and finally meditation – or serenity.
1. Normal Mind
In the “normal” state of mind, your mind is functioning in different directions. It is working as it ordinarily does which means it is bouncing from one idea and thought to the next. In fact, this is rather unnatural activity for the human brain due to the fact it needs to focus on a fewer number of ideas if it is to be effective in resolving problems.
Stimuli from all over the place are coming in at the brain. When something new stimulates your mind, it moves from its preceding thought to the new one. Although you feel like you are totally in control of yourself during this type of brain function, you most likely are not.
The body follows the mind’s thoughts; thoughts control the body. If mind is out of control, so is body.
For example, visualize playing basketball. While your mind is engaged in the plays, your body follows suit. However, as soon as you see a vehicle crash, your awareness is on the motor vehicle accident and you cease playing the game.
As you can see, in your normal state of mind, your emotions as well as your physical being are at stake. Each plays their own role in the end result of these occurrences.
In the long haul the stresses from too many bad thought processes can harm body and emotional wellbeing.
For the most part, your “normal” way of thinking may be one of the worst things that you can do for yourself.
2. Concentration
Concentration is a gateway stage of meditation; it’s the starting point of not being swamped with thoughts.
During the second stage of meditation, you might start to get control of your mind. When you learn to hold yourself in this type of mind frame, odds are very good that you will enhance the quality of your life noticeably.
Although it seems uncomplicated, concentration needs effort and in some cases, assistance by doing yoga, taking certain herbal supplements, watching candles, counting breaths, and so forth.
Concentration is merely focusing on 1 thing; whether one thought or one object, or one feeling. The point is staying focused.
During concentration, although the process of focusing on one element is simple enough, the problem is the mind’s capacity to trick you back into its “normal” state of being. By pulling off the actual concentration topic and focusing on another, it pulls you back.
The goal with concentration, though, is to understand what’s happened. When you can understand that you have been sidetracked and that your mind has tricked you into making its own decisions, then you can return and actually concentrate.
When you can master the art of holding your mind focused and concentrating, you will experience a new kind of thinking. You’ll be able to relax more, and you’ll actually feel better about life. That is an incredible feeling!
3. Awareness Meditation
Meditation is the stage where you do not fall back into normal mind. You effortlessly remain focused on the object or thought of your focus.
It’s a stage that you should strive for due to the fact it really can offer you a new way of looking at things. In several ways, you’ll be able to entirely focus so much so that you can much better understand and educate yourself. You make better decisions that are focused.
Even if you’re a newbie meditator, think back and you will probably realize you have entered meditative states before. Often while completely engaged, but not thinking, could well be your meditative state.
Although it takes some time to work by means of these various processes to attain this degree of understanding, the end result is well worth it.
Learn more about yoga for meditation. Stop by Mana Mind and Body where you can get meditation tools to attain awareness meditation.
