Cultivating a meditation practice
July 1, 2024 By Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
These tips may help you foster a regular meditation practice:
Practice when it's practical. For some people, mornings are most convenient. Others prefer to meditate at the end of the day.
Stick with it. Make it a habit once you've found your ideal time of day to meditate.
Don't have high expectations. You won't emerge from your first session as a changed human being. Meditation is a process. Give it time, and you'll see improvements gradually.
Take your practice with you. Meditate wherever you can find quiet moments alone — in your bedroom, at work, or while walking in the park.
Accessorize. To focus your mind, use something meaningful to you, such as a candle, a piece of art, or a photo of a loved one.
Be prepared to be uncomfortable. Stilling your thoughts is harder than it sounds. It could take a while for you to feel comfortable in the practice.
Don't fight the feeling. Relax into the practice. Let your thoughts drift away. Ease into your breath. Even if you feel slightly uncomfortable, try to give in to the feeling and not push back against it.
Be kind to yourself. If you don't get the hang of meditation right away, forgive yourself and try again. You will eventually get it.
Check in with yourself. After each session, pause and take stock of your feelings. Have you let go of any tension or anxiety you were carrying? If not, do you need to relax for a few minutes more?
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Meditation is a practice that involves focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. There are many potential benefits associated with meditation, including:
1. Stress reduction: Meditation can help reduce stress and promote relaxation by decreasing the production of stress hormones such as cortisol, and increasing the production of feel-good hormones such as serotonin and dopamine. A 2017 review Trusted Source of 45 studies suggests various forms of mediation can help to decrease physiological markers of stress.
An older 2014 meta-analysis Trusted Source including nearly 1,300 adults found that meditation may decrease anxiety. Notably, this effect was strongest in those with the highest levels of anxiety.
Another study Trusted Source found that 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation helped reduce anxiety symptoms in people with generalized anxiety disorder, along with increasing positive self-statements and improving stress reactivity and coping.
2. Improved concentration and focus: Meditation can help improve focus, attention, and concentration by training the mind to be more present and less reactive to distractions.
For example, one studyTrusted Source found that people who listened to a meditation tape experienced improved attention and accuracy while completing a task, compared with those in a control group.
A different studyTrusted Source found that people who regularly practiced meditation performed better on a visual task and had a greater attention span than those without any meditation experience.
Even meditating for a short period each day may benefit you. One studyTrusted Source found that meditating for just 13 minutes daily enhanced attention and memory after 8 weeks.
3. Increased self-awareness: Meditation can help increase self-awareness and clarity of thought by helping you to tune out distractions and become more in tune with your own thoughts, feelings, and sensations.
For example, self-inquiry meditation aims to help you develop a greater understanding of yourself and how you relate to those around you.
Other forms teach you to recognize harmful or self-defeating thoughts. The idea is that as you gain greater awareness of your thought habits, you can steer them toward more constructive patterns.
In a 2019 studyTrusted Source, 153 adults who used a mindfulness meditation app for 2 weeks experienced reduced feelings of loneliness and increased social contact compared with those in a control group.
4. Improved emotional well-being: Meditation can help improve mood and promote feelings of calm, joy, and happiness by increasing the production of positive emotions and decreasing negative emotions.
For example, one review Trusted Source of treatments given to more than 3,500 adults found that mindfulness meditation improved symptoms of depression.
A 2015 study Trusted Source found that people who completed a meditation exercise experienced fewer negative thoughts in response to viewing negative images than those in a control group).
5. Improved physical health: Meditation has been shown to have a range of physical health benefits, including reducing blood pressure, improving sleep, and reducing chronic pain.
An older 2014 study compared mindfulness-based meditation programs and found that people who meditated stayed asleep longer and had improved insomnia severity, compared with those who had an unmedicated control condition.
Becoming skilled in meditation may help you control or redirect the racing or runaway thoughts that often lead to insomnia.
Control pain, For example, a 2017 reviewTrusted Source of 38 studies concluded that mindfulness meditation could reduce pain, improve quality of life, and decrease symptoms of depression in people with chronic pain.
A large 2014 meta-analysisTrusted Source of studies enrolling nearly 3,500 participants linked meditation with decreased pain.
Decrease blood pressure, Over time, high blood pressure makes the heart work harder to pump blood, leading to poor heart function.
High blood pressure also contributes to atherosclerosis, or a narrowing of the arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
A 2015 meta-analysisTrusted Source of 12 studies enrolling nearly 1,000 participants found that meditation helped reduce blood pressure. This was more effective among older participants and those with higher blood pressure before the study (42Trusted Source).
In part, meditation appearsTrusted Source to control blood pressure by relaxing the nerve signals that coordinate heart function, blood vessel tension, and the “fight-or-flight” response that increases alertness in stressful situations.
6. Enhanced creativity and problem-solving: Meditation can help improve creative thinking and problem-solving skills by fostering a more open and flexible mindset.
Kirtan Kriya is a method of meditation that combines a mantra or chant with repetitive finger motions to focus your thoughts. Older studiesTrusted Source in people with age-related memory loss have shown it improves performance on neuropsychological tests.
An older 2014 reviewTrusted Source found preliminary evidence that multiple meditation styles can increase attention, memory, and mental quickness in older volunteers.
Some types of meditation may particularly increase positive feelings and actions toward yourself and others.
Metta meditation, a type of meditation also known as loving-kindness meditation, begins with developing kind thoughts and feelings toward yourself.
Through practice, people learn to extend this kindness and forgiveness externally, first to friends, then acquaintances, and ultimately enemies.
A meta-analysisTrusted Source of 22 studies on this form of meditation demonstrated its ability to increase peoples’ compassion toward themselves and others.
These benefits appear to accumulateTrusted Source over time with the practice of loving-kindness meditation.
Meditation is something everyone can do to improve their mental and emotional health without special equipment or costly memberships.
Trying out a style of meditation suited to your goals is a great way to improve your quality of life, even if you only have a few minutes to do it daily.
There are many different types of meditation, and the specific benefits you experience may depend on the type of meditation you practice. It is important to find a meditation practice that works for you and to be consistent in your practice to see the most benefits.
Weaving Buddho Meditation into the Fabric of Daily Life
Vipassana (Insight Meditation): Vipassana is a prominent meditation technique practiced in Thailand. It involves developing clear awareness and insight into the true nature of reality. Practitioners observe their thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judgment, cultivating a deep understanding of impermanence, suffering, and non-self. What is Vipassana.
Samatha (Calm Meditation): Samatha meditation focuses on developing tranquility and concentration. Practitioners cultivate a one-pointedness of mind by directing their attention to a single object, such as the breath or a mantra. This practice enhances mental stability, leading to a calm and peaceful state of mind.
Metta (Loving-Kindness Meditation): Metta meditation involves cultivating unconditional love and benevolence towards oneself and others. Practitioners generate feelings of loving-kindness and extend well-wishes to all beings. This practice promotes compassion, empathy, and a sense of interconnectedness with the world.
So, you’ve dipped your toes into the waters of Buddho meditation and experienced some of its benefits. Now comes the real challenge – how do you make this practice a consistent part of your daily routine?
As you inhale, silently say “Bud-” in your mind. As you exhale, complete the word with “-dho.” Continue this pattern, synchronizing the mantra with your natural breath rhythm. “Bud-” on the in-breath, “-dho” on the out-breath. Simple, right?
*** Just Focus on whatever you are doing, Feel everything with the Reality, Not interfere with, Just let it be and Accept it as it is.***
Creating a regular meditation schedule is crucial for reaping the long-term benefits of the practice. But let’s face it – in our busy lives, finding time for anything new can feel like trying to squeeze water from a stone. The key is to start small and be realistic. Could you commit to just 5 minutes every morning right after you wake up? Or perhaps a 10-minute session during your lunch break?
Remember, consistency trumps duration when it comes to meditation. It’s better to meditate for 5 minutes every day than for an hour once a week. As the ancient saying goes, “Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence.”
But Buddho meditation doesn’t have to be confined to formal sitting sessions. One of the beauties of this practice is its portability. You can incorporate it into various settings throughout your day. Stuck in traffic? Instead of fuming, try silently repeating “Buddho” with your breath. Waiting in line at the grocery store? Use that time for a mini-meditation session. By sprinkling these moments of mindfulness throughout your day, you can transform mundane activities into opportunities for spiritual growth.
Buddho meditation can also be a powerful complement to other mindfulness techniques. For example, you might start your day with a Buddhist Morning Meditation: A Powerful Way to Start Your Day, and then use Buddho meditation as a quick midday reset. Or you could combine it with Bhavana Meditation: Cultivating Mindfulness and Loving-Kindness for a more comprehensive spiritual practice.
Of course, integrating any new habit into your life comes with challenges. You might find yourself forgetting to meditate, or feeling too busy or tired to practice. This is where a bit of creativity and planning can come in handy. Try setting a daily reminder on your phone, or linking your meditation practice to an existing habit (like having your morning coffee). Some people find it helpful to have a dedicated meditation space in their home, even if it’s just a corner with a cushion and a candle.
Another common obstacle is the feeling that you’re “not doing it right” or not seeing results quickly enough. Remember, there’s no such thing as a perfect meditation. Every time you sit down to practice, you’re strengthening your mindfulness muscles, regardless of how “good” the session feels. Be patient with yourself and trust in the process.