By I have been writing about mindfulness of the body for over a decade now and one of those subjects is about meditation. It is a technique that a lot of new meditators I know are using. What is meditation? A term that is often used to describe how the mind is able to calm down and focus, but is more of a method. It can be done sitting comfortably in a chair, as in these videos, or lying down, where the focus is on the breath.
When I was in high school I would lay down on the floor and take a few moments before my parents woke up. This would allow me to get grounded and calm down.
That practice is often called “meditation.
Another technique is called “for your reference.” It is a way of focusing on details. For example, you can focus on the sound of the wind in your ears, the feeling of the sun or a leaf turning, a crack of thunder, a distant sound of a bird, etc.
This is a technique that was introduced by Zen meditation teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche as a way to calm down. A similar idea is used by bodybuilders for a similar effect.
Chgyam Trungpa Rinpoche is a Buddhist teacher, yogini, and an experienced yogi. He started meditating in the 1970s and has studied the practice of meditation for over 50 years. He is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism in the US.
The point is, the best way to practice meditation is to sit still and be aware. But when we’re in a moment of stress, we don’t always have the time to pause and just be aware. A lot of people have ideas about how to train the mind and their brains into becoming more aware. In general, there are three types of “awareness” that you can use to calm yourself down and reduce stress. The first is external awareness.
External awareness is when you can be aware of what really is going on around you. It’s when you focus your thoughts on one specific thing that you don’t have to deal with the rest of the time. This can be helpful when you’re overwhelmed with a lot of information.
External awareness works well in specific situations, but for most people it is not helpful. A lack of external awareness is one of the reasons we can’t get any sleep at night.
External awareness, as I am going to explain it in my next article, is usually the first step to self-awareness. When I tell my wife what I am going to do, I only do it after thinking about what I am going to do. That doesnt mean I am unaware of my actions. I know when I am going to do it, but I don’t know how long it is going to be before I start. External awareness is something you can gain through meditation.
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