YouTube Clip of the Week: “Dalai Lama: Stages of Meditation”
People with depression are often encouraged to learn how to manage their stress through non-chemical ways like light exercise, yoga, creating some art or meditation. The point of mediation is to give your racing thoughts some rest. Eventually, you can learn to slip into a meditative state of mind even in moments of stress. Meditation isnt a substitute for medications, but it certainly can make the medications work more effectively.
For people in the West, meditation can be a pretty mysterious thing. Trying to figure out what you are to be doing can be pretty stressful.
First Step: No Expectations
When you hear the world “meditation”, what image comes to mind? Probably sitting in the lotus position admist clouds of incense for hours on end. But I think that’s too limiting. I think we all meditate every day without realising it.
If you ever get really caught up in something so that you loose all track of time, that can be a form of meditation. Fully keeping your mind and sense in the present moment can be another form of mediation. And, sitting on a pillow in the lotus position contemplating your navel is another form of meditation.
Don’t worry about getting it “wrong”. Just keep on meditating.
The Dalai Lama
Surprise, suprise — I can’t mditate in the lotus position. I can’t count my breaths or stare at a candleflame or any of the popular methods used in Mediation 101. But I can concentrate on one thing at a time, when need be. I think one way I do this is when watching any video of the Dalai Lama. There’s something about him that’s captivating.
So, for mediatation practice, just sit and watch the video and try to do nothing else. Hope this helps.
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