The truth about meditation

During a lot of my programmes, there are lots of questions relating to meditation and one of the most common myths about meditation is that it has a lot to do with religion, or is primarily religious in nature. This is not true.

Firstly, what exactly is meditation?
Meditation is a practice of concentrated focus upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movement, or attention itself in order to increase awareness of the present moment, reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance personal and spiritual growth.

So although meditation is very popular when it comes to religion because people use it to focus on spiritual growth, it is not the only aim of meditation. We can all use meditation in our daily lives to reap lots of great benefits. The best part of all is that the steps are very simple and all that is required is an enthusiastic you and a space where you can sit comfortably.

There are lots of websites that list plenty of different steps for meditation but generally the steps of meditation are as follows:

Step One: Find a quiet place.


Step Two: Get in a comfortable position. If you prefer to rest your back on a wall, please do so. A lot of people I know are afraid to do meditation because they have a picture in their heads of people sitting crossed legged with their backs straight. Do not worry, as long as you are comfortable, remain in that position for your meditation session.

Step Three: Practice deep breathing. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Slow and deep breaths.

Step Four: Keep practicing. Try to meditate at least once a day. But do not stress yourself out trying to fit your meditation into your schedule. Remember, meditation should make you feel less stressed, not stressed! Do not force anything, just go with the flow. If you feel that you can only commit 5 minutes of meditation per day for only 4 days, then let it be.


The only problem that beginners might find challenging is the need to empty your thoughts for the period that you are performing the meditation. For this reason, I would advise beginners to keep your meditation session to about 5 minutes. It might seem like a very short time but it is best to start simple and work your way from there. Once you feel more comfortable, you can proceed to meditate for about 30 minutes or so. Its best to progress o a weekly basis. Try 5 minutes for a week and if you feel comfortable with that, move on to 10 minutes the following week. 

Should you have any questions on this or any of my other posts, please feel free to email me at bodypulse@ymail.com. I will be glad to entertain any questions/comments.

Have a great day!