Are we going to meditate?

Meditation has been practised for millennia, especially in ancient Eastern cultures. Used mainly in religious practices such as Hinduism and Buddhism, Christians also practised in the West. Inacio de Loyola and Teresa de Ávila, in the 16th century, developed the practice of Christian meditation through reading, reflection, prayer and contemplation of religious themes.

In the 20th century, with the revolution of customs promoted mainly by the hippie culture, the oriental disciplines were widely disseminated, thus arousing the interest in meditation. Since 1970, Psychology and Psychiatry have developed several meditation techniques aimed at reducing mental and physical problems.

Meditating is not a "doing" or "stop thinking", meditating is a natural state and accessible to everyone. It is being aware of the present moment, connected and aware of what is happening inside and outside us, in the here and now. Many believe that meditating is “stop thinking”. On the contrary, we must recognize the flow of our thoughts as a fact, trying to let them pass through the mind without paying more attention to them.

The various techniques help to exercise and maintain the state of mindfulness. A technique may or may not be suitable for you, they are just tools. If you are comfortable with a particular one, try to practice it. However, if you feel discomfort, irritation and fatigue, look for another technique. The important thing is constant practice.

If there's not a lot of time to practice during the day, do it when you're calm. It doesn't take hours and hours of practice. If you meditate for two minutes, but with full dedication, that will be enough. In time, you will be able to invent a technique of your own. And you can be in a state of meditation all the time, dispensing with the technique.

Many goals can be achieved by practising meditation, the benefits are countless on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. Daily practice It may seem like a very simple exercise, but it is one of the most powerful and effective ones for anyone who wants to start meditating. Provides relaxation, development of attention and concentration.

Prepare a comfortable and quiet place (at least initially, if you want to use music, put something soft to play). Make sure that no one interferes with your exercise. Turn off your cell phone!

Pay attention to your posture: Sit on a chair, or bench, with your back straight, feet on the floor and hands resting on your legs. Close your eyes or keep them ajar.

Bring your attention to your breathing. In the beginning, you will start to control. But just try to watch, without effort. Feel the air moving in and out of your lungs. If you like, place your hands on your stomach and feel how it moves as you breathe.

Notice what you feel. Your body will give you various signals (pain, itchiness, cold, etc.). Check your emotional state (irritation, sleep, sadness or peace). Don't judge, just let your conscience collect as much information as possible. Acknowledge everything that is happening to you.

Leave all the images that come to you, come and go don't participate in them, just watch them, as if you were a viewer.

Mentally repeat: “I am calm/calm. I am in peace. I'm here, right now.”

When you want, end the exercise. Open your eyes, move your hands, arms, feet and calmly get up, returning to your activities.

Meditation is about you, your inner world, your perceptions and your feelings. Don't miss what you discovered during meditation. Briefly write down after meditating your inspirations, perceptions, feelings, and bodily sensations.

I made it a habit to meditate every morning because it brings me peace and tranquillity, the time always varies, I don't follow a specific rule, my only rule is to be as present as possible in the now.

I like to always have my stones and crystals around, and I let intuition tell me which energy from, which stone or crystal I need at the moment. I AM Erika Mourão Cireia, my mission here is to help. NAMASTE