Mindfulness is not some muscle group that you can flex. Unlike your biceps, there are no curls here. You cannot perform push up to increase your mindfulness. Meditation and concentration are the only things that can help you increase mindfulness. You can perform a variety of poses and practice many different forms of meditation to try to increase your mindfulness.
Mindfulness meditation
Formal Walking Meditation
Mindfulness can be combined with anything. It can be practiced during eating, during sitting and even during walking. This is because it does not require any special attention. All it requires is for you to focus on your breathing and your actions. That is what mindfulness is. It gives you a certain awareness of your actions.
You can practice formal walking meditation to improve your state of mindfulness. It can help you reduce your stress-related issues. The point of doing it is not getting somewhere. Formal walking meditation is not meant to take you somewhere from where you currently are. It helps you manifest your mindfulness so that your concentration increases. One of the main aspects of mindfulness meditation is breathing. When combined with walking to give rise to formal walking meditation, your sense of feel also comes into play.
You can start practicing formal walking meditation by just choosing an appropriate place and time. The place need not be big. Start with your hands at your side and shoulders relaxed. Then lift your left leg. Feel the base of your foot losing contact with the ground. Then bring it home. Do that with your right foot next. This might look stupid. But the point here is to raise your awareness. You need to make sure that your breathing remains constant during all that time. Also, try to maintain your balance.
Quiet Meditation Technique
Is it too much to ask for some peace? This is a question we often pose when faced with a challenge. The challenge might be managing a noisy bunch; it might be to do a project within a very short span of time. Peace is something that we yearn. Silent meditation has proven benefits in this regard. Silent meditation or vipassana is a form of meditation where you sit in a relaxed manner. That all there is to it. You sit, relaxed and focused.
Vipassana might seem easy to everyone. But in fact, in today’s world of constant disturbance and interruption, it is one of the hardest to master. Consider this, how often do you look at your phone to check your WhatsApp and Instagram messages? How often do you receive a call from the office or a customer? It is little interruptions and distractions like these that make vipassana a very much needed art.
You start vipassana by finding a quiet place to sit. No distractions. Next, you start to breathe gently. Vipassana requires you to focus on your senses. Not just one part of your body. But the entirety of it. Vipassana is meant to give you insight into why you suffer. It helps you find a solution to your woes. All this by staying silent and still.
Speed and Posture Meditation
Meditation combined with yoga can be of great benefit. Research has shown that meditation can help increase cognitive functions. It can help with brain gyrification. Gyrification is the process of groove and wedge formation in your brain. It increases the surface area of our brains. These grooves and wedges are known as gyri and sulci. The presence of gyri and sulci gives us intelligence. Yoga, on the other hand, helps to maintain your muscle
There are many forms of speed and posture meditation that can help increase your metabolism speed and correct your posture. You do not require any special kind of equipment to do these. You can try out the warrior pose, Surya Namaskar, Utkatasana and so much more. It is generally a good idea to have someone to supervise you. Most yoga poses seem simple enough. But a slight error in movement can cause muscle damage. A coach or yoga expert can help you prevent that from happening.
Kneeling Meditation
Kneeling meditation or Vajrasana is a popular form of meditation. In fact, it is one of the most common forms of them all. It requires you to position your legs beneath your torso. It is somewhat similar to the Japanese form of sitting. Kneeling meditation can be practiced anytime. Generally, you should choose the time after meals. Vajrasana is believed to improve digestion. It also focuses on your legs.
Vajrasana is not easy to master. Because it requires you to give pressure on your legs and knees, it can be taxing. If at some point you start to lose sensation in your toes, you should immediately stop. Vajrasana can also be practiced with support. You can place a pillow or sitting support specially designed for that purpose.
This can help one practice Vajrasana for longer durations of time without putting much pressure on their spine and knees. All the while you need to make that you maintain regular breathing. Any form of exercise or yoga can prove harmful if you do not focus on your breathing.
Burmese Style Meditation
Burmese style meditation is a simple and effective form of meditation. It involves you sitting in the Burmese position or lotus position. You can start with a quarter lotus position. This is your normal cross-legged position. Next, move onto the half-lotus position. Stretch one leg in front. Then bend your other leg so that it rests on the thigh of your stretched leg. Do this for both sides. Some yoga positions require you to bend in order for you to touch the tip of your toes. It is a variation of dhanurasana and places quite a strain on your legs.
Finally, move to the full lotus position. Move your legs in a manner so that you end up sitting in a cross-legged position with the soles of your feet facing up and both feet resting on opposite thighs. Once you attain this posture, you need to hold it. While in this pose, you can practice breathing exercises or just remain silent. Burmese style meditation can be modified to silent meditation or yoga. For some, sitting in this posture might not be possible. If you have a medical condition like arthritis, you should not try to do this. Instead, you can stick with quarter lotus pose.
Absolutely liked it!