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Meditation Introduction 🧘

elementary

Meditation Introduction 🧘

with alexQ

3. Elementary

Pick the correct answer

Do you have a meditation practice?

📜 Brief history of meditation

𑁍 Some archaeologists date meditation back to as early as 5,000 BCE

→ religious ties (Egypt, China, India…)

𑁍 Meditation’s global spread began along the Silk Road around about five or six centuries BCE, as the practice moved throughout Asia.

𑁍 In the 20th century it began to move beyond the realm of specific religions, especially in the West.

𑁍 Breathing techniques

The idea of meditation can be summed up as “sit still, focus on breath, reflect”.

𑁍 Common breathing techniques:

- Mindful breathing → deep breaths, pay attention to the process. - Interval breathing → breathe in, hold your breath, breathe out keeping set intervals (4-6-8, for example).

- Direct your breath → “breathe with your lower ribcage”, “breathe with your lower abdomen”. - Feel your breath → place one hand on your lower abdomen and the other on your chest, and feel the movement.

𑁍 Mantras

- What’s a “mantra”? It’s Sanskrit for a word, syllable, phrase or sound believed to have religious or spiritual powers. We now use it as a phrase you repeat during meditation.

𑁍 What does a mantra look like?

A word or short phrase that you can repeat rhythmically during your meditation. When you focus on repeating the mantra, your mind is free from other thoughts.

𑁍 Ideas for mantras (non-religious):

- Set an intention for your mantra → think about how you’re feeling and what’s your reason for meditating. - Choose a word or phrase that’s simple but meaningful. - Examples: “I am calm”, “I feel grounded”, “I am present”.