Contents
How to get started in meditation: what do I do if it costs me a lot or I think I am not capable?
Psychology
The psychologist and mindfulness expert, Belén Colomina, gives the keys about time, space, posture and obstacles to meditate
«It is possible to live happily in the here and now. So many conditions of happiness are available, more than enough for you to be happy at this moment. You don’t have to rush into the future in order to get more. This phrase from Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk and spiritual leader of mindfulness and mindfulness, takes on a special meaning in the current context due to the global threat of the coronavirus.
La meditation is for Thich Nhat Hanh a resource that can help to embrace worries, fear and hatred in a constructive way. An idea that is also shared by psychologists and experts who are including this practice in their guides, recommendations and advice to cope with the confinement and uncertainty derived from the threat of Covid-19.
Since last November the psychologist, Gestalt psychotherapist, meditation instructor and expert in mindfulness, Belén Colomina, designs each week a guided meditation sessionat ABC Bienestar for those who want to feel accompanied in practice. They address, among other topics, self-esteem, anxiety, inner calm, emotional hunger, the value of friendship, the need to strengthen family ties or the best way to address relationship problems.
But although meditation is an increasingly widespread practice, there are still many things that we do not know about it. We shelled them with the help of Belén Colomina.
What are the main misconceptions around meditation?
Meditation is not blanking your mind or avoiding or avoiding the experience. It is training and cultivating the mind around different states, such as mindfulness, which trains mindfulness to the present, in a kind and non-judgmental way.
The experience is not avoided but the acceptance not reactive, being aware of it without hooking on it.
If I want to start meditation, where do I start?
First of all, a tiempo and a space previously delimited in which there are no interruptions. One of the times that best fits this parameter is in the morning, before starting the day. But it is important that beyond a cliché we go to our own reality to adjust it.
We must not be too demanding but realistic in the time that we can dedicate because what will make the difference will be that we can sustain the habit over time. When it is already installed in our day to day, we can increase the time and frequency dedicated to practice.
Is it better to practice meditation at a fixed time or should we vary according to our needs?
It is important, like any other habit, to maintain the same schedule in which to practice. It will facilitate its acquisition and maintenance.
Regarding the place and the chosen environment, what should we take into account?
Having a physical space The one to go to meditate is also a good anchor for the mind. Just as each task has its space, so it is for the cultivation and training of the mind. We eat at the table, we sleep in bed, we train our bodies in the gym and these spaces help us. Having your space of tranquility will also help you.
As with other habits, if you find people like meditation with whom you can share moments of practice together, it will also help you to maintain the habit over time.
To what extent does the way we sit or position ourselves influence?
La stance meditation is important since the body position conditions our mental state: a proper meditation posture allows us to breathe fully and, thanks to this deep breathing, our mind will calm down naturally.
Also, a good posture contributes stability and it will avoid unnecessary tension and pain since it has to allow us to sit comfortably for long periods.
For meditation, there are four postures that facilitate the practice:
– Easy pose. Sitting on the ground like an Indian with your knees on the ground, or on the meditation cushion.
– Sitting in a chair, with your feet on the floor and your legs apart.
– Sitting on your heels with your knees bent or on the meditation bench.
In these three positions We will leave the hands on the thighs or in the center of the body, one on the other and the back straight, aligning the head, neck and trunk.
– Lying down, with the feet dropped to the sides and the legs slightly open and the hands lying on the sides of the body.
You can choose the one that best suits your physical condition.
What if I have a hard time meditating?
Often arise obstacles In meditation practice, they are actually strategies we use when we feel uncomfortable, physically or mentally. And these are:
— garbage y drowsiness. You may feel tired and feel drowsy and even sleepy.
— Agitation y concern. Your mind is very excited, going very fast from one thought to another so you get distracted very easily and quickly.
— Questions. You may not be convinced of your practice and, by not giving it an inner sense, it can cause your attention to wander.
— Sensory desires: During meditation the desire to have pleasant, comforting or very calm experiences may arise and this same desire obstructs your practice by avoiding being in the present, without expectations or clinging to waiting for a predetermined result.
— Ill willWhen we harbor these feelings we tend to cling to them and make them bigger, stimulating minor irritations that can mature into larger ones.
As Belén Colomina explains, we cannot avoid these obstacles, they are common to all human beings. The important thing is to know that the results come with the tiempo practice and that, for this, it will be better to let go of expectations and not cling to a result but to be aware, at every moment, of what arises in order to let go of it, let it go. “It is not about obstacles not arising, they will, but about realizing them, observing them and letting them go to return again, each time, to the support of attention on which you meditate,” he explains.
How much time can I dedicate to meditation in the beginning? How can I know if it is a lot or a little?
You can start your practice by dedicating between 7 and 10 minutes daily that you will progressively increase as you feel that you are establishing the habit of meditation. It should be done in short periods of time in order to facilitate its integration into the day-to-day routine. You can repeat it too, between 3 or 4 times a day.
Subsequently, the recommended time is between 30 and 45 minutes.
You will know that you can increase your practice because the stability of your attention will improve but it is important that you set a time of progression, just as you would in a physical training. We cannot wait for everything to go well, but training is, every day, one more step.