A journey into mindfulness meditation

I recently discussed my daily routine, and how important it is to have systems in place, which I find provide stability and consistency to mood, improve physical health and bolster my decision making capability. This post will briefly discuss the benefits of meditation, journey through my meditation story, and discuss ideas on how to start or continue your own journey…

INTRODUCTION

Firstly, mindfulness meditation, mindfulness and meditation mean different things to different people, so let’s define these first. Meditation may have begun some 5000–7000 years ago in ancient Vedic times in India. The purpose was to connect to the ‘Deeper inner Self’ (the nonchanging pure consciousness). In part, this was achieved by witnessing the ‘Inner faculty’, which is responsible for the mind, intellect, ego and Chitta (memory store). Buddhism labelled practices as mental development (bhāvanā) or mental training resulting in a calm and luminous mind (jhāna/dhyāna).

I initially found the idea of aiming towards a state of ‘enlightenment’ or the spiritual depth of the meditation practice overwhelming, and hence unknowingly at the time, went down the path of the ever-popular ‘mindfulness meditation’. This aims at being in the present moment through focusing on something specific whilst being open to, acknowledging and not judging the thoughts arriving in your mind.

My current definition of what I aim for in each practice would be: “intentionally focussing on the body, breath or environment, to provide a space of calm and conscious presence in the mind, using a single point of focus”. Attempting to link back to the ancient Vedas, I am witnessing thoughts as they arise in the mind from the ‘Inner faculty’, acknowledging and moving back to the nonchanging pure consciousness of the ‘Deeper inner self’ through a single point of focus. Or, more simply, I am focussing on one thing, being mindful of thoughts as they arise, acknowledging them compassionately, and gently guiding myself back to my point of focus each time. More to come.

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

The benefits of meditation have been thoroughly covered in many articles online, so I’ll keep this brief. Still, as with any new habit, it’s essential to understand why you want to move towards it. I have noticed improved awareness and stability of my emotions, reduced anxiety, depression and worry, better impulse control, and improved attentional and mental focus.

Meditation studies using fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), which can show live, the activity of the brain, have shown reductions in activity of the amygdala, the area of the brain associated with fear and anxiety when exposed to emotional stimulus. Also, better connections between the amygdala and regions such as the prefrontal cortex, involved with logical planning and decision making, potentially explain the improved perception and awareness of emotions. Ultimately leading to the ability to deal with these more positively and self compassionately, rather than always being on auto-response.

Mindfulness meditation can help you consciously acknowledge how you feel mentally and physically whilst meditating and going about your day. Our mental stories and identity create neural firing patterns, good or bad, that become stronger and deeper, like sledge grooves in the snow down the side of a hill. Meditation helps to disconnect your automatic response of pain, fear, anxiety and allow you the flexibility to understand and interpret your feelings. Through this awareness, you can then deliver a fresh fall of snow to create and sledge down new grooves, also known as neural plasticity.

GETTING STARTED / CONTINUING THE JOURNEY

Of course your journey will take its own course, below is a list of key thought points to begin or continue your journey:

• Apps: I have tried several popular apps, working through Headspace, Balance and recently trying Calm. These apps can provide a fantastic introduction and experience of a wide range of techniques in mindfulness, meditation and beyond. They are great for first developing the habit, taking uncertainty out, and making the process and feedback enjoyable. In addition, cues will help you deal with thoughts and guide you to consistency. Once you have grown into the practice, you can then build your own self guided techniques, as I have for many years.
• Body position: I started meditating sitting comfortably in a chair, and would recommend the same for starting out to reduce distractions. Lying down may be good if meditating to help sleep, but for me, I practice in the morning so want to be alert. For the past few years, I’ve used a combination of sitting on my knees or cross legged, which has taken some time to get used to. I continue to use yoga and morning stretches to help make these positions more comfortable, as they allow you to sit in a wider range of environments, and teach you to be okay with discomfort in the body.
• Sensory input: Again, I recommend removing as many distractions as possible when starting out. I started with noise cancelling headphones, eyes closed, comfortable in a chair, and had the most euphoric, intense experiences in meditation not repeated since. However, in order to bring my practice more into my daily life, I went through stages to bring more senses into my practice, moving through 1) removing the App and going self guided ; 2) allowing sounds in through removing the headphones ; 3) opening my eyes ; 4) sitting on the floor as explained above. This has allowed me to introduce short meditative moments into my day, and reduced the automatic responses from senses around me.
• Location / environment: Links in a lot with the above, but I started in my spare room, closed off from the environment, but I now enjoy meditating outside, and even sometime practice walking meditation in the garden or the forest.
• Focus of attention: The key areas of focus for me are 1) the breath ; 2) the body ; 3) the environment. 1 and 2 are introspective and 3 is exteroceptive. More on this is the next article, but essentially all 3 allow for a single point of focus that takes conscious thought away from the mind, and allows you to be present in your internal space, or when focussed externally.
• Duration: I generally meditate from anywhere between 5–30 minutes a day, depending on my schedule and mindset of the day. The main thing is to turn up each day.
• Experiences & lessons: One of the initial motivators for me was practising before a trip to Japan to stay at a Buddhist temple. I wanted to learn and understand the practice before I arrived, and you could use a trip to do the same. Since then I have returned to Japan for more and participated in several other meditation lessons. Each time I learn a new method, and take away a new experience and deeper rooting of meditation into my identity.

SUMMARY

I hope this provides some interesting and valuable insights and suggestions on how to start or continue your own journey into the world of connecting to your inner self. If starting out, the key as always is to start small, and be consistent to build the habit. Think about something you already do every day and tag on a 5 minute meditation session, using an app if that works for you, in a comfy environment, and see where the journey takes you. You must try to keep an open mind, and remember to be self compassionate. You will have thoughts, you will have feelings in both mind and body, as I do every day. The important thing is you observe your thoughts, try not to judge them, and try to return to your point of focus as consistently as possible.

Thank you for reading and namaste 🙏