Before we set sail to know about Meditation for Awareness, it is important to know that there are concepts such as mindfulness, meditation, awareness. And then there is Meditation for Awareness. Without much ado, let us dive into getting to know more about it.
Table of Contents
On Awareness
It may seem you are aware of the meaning of Awareness. It may not be what you are aware of. (Pun unintended!)
A common meaning of the word awareness means understanding of something; knowledge regarding anything. For instance, you are aware of the presence of somebody in a dark room. You are aware of the seriousness of a situation.
In awareness, we focus on our senses of feeling, thoughts, emotions, and knowledge. When you are in a state of awareness, you step out of your perception to observe and gain a new understanding of the situation. By practising awareness, we get to experience a new perspective of an event, which is devoid of our emotion, of what we think about it. Awareness sets the mind free of the impact of rigidity.
For instance, you are unwell. You are unaware of the reasons for the illness. Fear engulfs you. When you step out of your situation and gain knowledge by researching about the illness, you gain a whole new understanding of your illness. You are less afraid. The perspective of looking at your illness changes. It may not be as bad as you perceived it to be! Awareness becomes stronger with meditation. So, what is Meditation?
On Meditation
Meditation is an ancient practice followed from the gone era. It is a handed down practice from the Asian sect of spirituality. It has innumerable connotations to it. I have listed a few of them here. Meditation is
. to sit still and chant a mantra for long intervals
. to focus on one object without flinching
. Meditation is an exercise solely to still your thoughts
. It should be done in certain postures
However, the concept and benefits of meditation have gone global. It is a very useful means to de-stress, combat pain, give relief and anxiety management. Meditation promotes staying focused, mental wellness and an increase in awareness.
Techniques of Meditation for Awareness
Meditation has many techniques and forms. We will look at 4 common techniques and exercises of Meditation. Though each of these techniques are different from each other, they balance each other in their approach to awareness. They work towards one single aspect and that is to find happiness by focusing into our inner self.
Awareness of energy
Qigong (pronounced as Chee-gong) is a Chinese exercise. Qigong is a type of meditation to experience the awareness of energy. Done under the supervision of a teacher, Qigong is physical meditation. It is constituted of sets of controlled and slow movements while focusing on deep breathing, which results in calmness. Qigong is like Tai-chi. The primary goal of doing Qigong is to be more flexible, self-heal from chronic joint pain and several other diseases.
Awareness of Self
Built on the foundation of mindfulness, Vipassana is a technique of the ancient Buddhist tradition. Vipassana is a complete course which conducted on campus or in a Retreat. The objective of Vipassana is to transform yourself by observing yourself. It is more of getting an insight about yourself through your life’s experiences. It takes years of practice, and it is a journey by itself.
Awareness of the moment
According to Jiddu Krishnamurthy , a Philosopher and Speaker, mindfulness can be as simple as watching an object without taking your focus away from it. An hour-glass, for instance. Observe the object. Mentally trace the contours of the object without being judgmental. At the end of this activity of mindfulness you will have a refreshed and positively energized mindset.
Mindfulness is as ancient as Mankind itself. The main feature of most mindfulness practices is one’s breath. The focus is on how you inhale at a slow speed and exhale at even slower speed. While doing so, feel the warm air in your nostrils. While you are at it, observe your thoughts travel across. If you find your mind has embarked on a journey with your thoughts, you need to reset and center your focus to your breathing. This technique of meditation relaxes the mind free of anxiety and accelerates the habit of awareness of the present and of being in the moment.
Awareness of Being
While mindfulness is more of awareness of the moment, you practice Transcendental Meditation (TD) by going deeper beyond words and thoughts. It is to cut the chatter in the mind. TD practices to go deeper into the Being. in TD you chant a word and breathing normally. The objective is to transcend into your thoughts and being. Practicing TD results in calmness, improved creativity, quieter thoughts, and an almost nil stress. TD increases the awareness of Being.
Meditation for awareness and You
Now that you are harnessed with the basics of awareness and the techniques of meditation, it will be easier for you to understand what Meditation for awareness is. Meditation for awareness means looking into yourself to understand your thought processes. It is seeing yourself and understanding how you are perceived by others. It gives you a clear understanding of who you are, your needs and wants. You can live a calmer life once you know what it is that you desire from your life. The most important element of every technique of meditation is awareness.
Sit in a quiet corner. Calmly close your eyes
Feel the warmth of the room
Inhale deeply and exhale slowly
Take this moment to scan your body in your mind
Do not to judge yourself
Stop briefly at the areas of pain, if any
Focus and inhale and be present in that moment and self-heal gradually
Your routine to Meditation for Awareness
You have the meditative techniques laid out for you. Opt for any one of it or even two of them. You may wish to do your meditation with soft chants and candles. You may choose to go on top of a cliff and do your practice of meditation. Whatever you choose to adapt as your practice, follow and maintain a routine.
It is about being in the moment and resetting yourself to your breath. If you are caught between noises in your head, just close your eyes gently and inhale. Hold to a count of three. Exhale. There is always a brighter Sunrise, tomorrow!
You might like to read other articles: 7 Benefits of Meditation For Your Mind and Body
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From sharing her views on blogs in MoTA to being a blogger in it, Lakshmi Srinath has been writing her thoughts since 2010. Thanks to a persuasive face-reader, she took Content writing on to a next level since August 2021 with a certification in the same, from Henry Harvin Education, India. When she is not among her thoughts and words writing content, you will find her pursuing her hobby in art or gardening or just gossiping the latest on insta, with her daughter. She staunchly believes that mental wellness leads to physical wellness. Lakshmi lives in Pune, India with her daughter and husband.