How to do a meditation at home

“- Hey, you know, I don’t get angry as easily as before. When something happens, something that used to make me mad… I simply detach and stay calm.” I said.

“- I am a spitfire.” answered my friend “Calm, but when the things go too far, I erupt and my anger is just horrendous. How have you changed your emotions so fast? You were quite emotional in the past.

– I meditate, at least once a day…”

This conversation happened on Sunday, between me and a friend of mine. Neither of us is very young, and our characters have been shaped by our daily habits. But even this, allowed me to quickly learn the skill, and observe the incredible benefits of meditation. My friend has never meditated, and I doubt he will, but now, he knows for sure, that anger is not the only reaction. He listened to my calm voice.

Calmness and detachment are not the only healthy benefits  of those magical moments of calmness. The list in fact, is very long, as the scientists discover more changes that take place in our brains and bodies, and include:

• improved focus, memory retention and recall, better decision making
• Stronger immune system, reduces blood pressure
• Increased optimism, awareness, (meditation can help cure depression and anxiety as successfully as antidepressant)
• Helps develop stronger social connections
• Meditation helps you experience less pain
• It also helps you sleep well

The authors of a very popular blog about meditation, tell a story about an experiment in Belgium, involving around 400 students. Professor Filip Raes concludes that “students who follow an in-class mindfulness program report reduced indications of depression, anxiety and stress up to six months later. Moreover, these students were less likely to develop pronounced depression-like symptoms.”

Meditation, practiced even 20 minutes a day, for a few weeks, helps us experience the benefits.

how to do a meditation at home? You may start at a meditation centre

So, how to start meditating at home, if you are a beginner, or even, have never tried it before?

There are several meditation techniques, but they all start with building the meditation habit.

1. It is very helpful, to choose the same time and place, to commit to the same length of the session, some say, that it is also very helpful to have the same tools, like the meditation set zabuton and zafu.
2. Be specific about the time you choose for meditation. Pick a specific time during the day, like for example “7 am”. Mornings are naturally better times for the beginners, because the human mind is refreshed, relaxed, free from the anxiety the days may bring.
3. The length of the session: If you have never meditated before, start with the shorter sessions, like 2 minutes a day. And repeat it every day. If you start and keep practicing, day by day, you will see how the satisfaction from your perseverance help you add more minutes and build stronger habit.
4. Choose a quiet place, where you can sit undisturbed. You may sit on a chair, zafu pillow or zabuton mattress. You can also use the zafu and zabuton meditation cushion set. It is quite helpful, and used in the meditation centres all around the world.

zafu and zabuton set

You may also hang out with those who meditate, to learn more and talk about your experience, also… to strengthen your commitment. I have learned to meditate from watching Deepak Chopra videos on YouTube, and joining a Buddhist Sangha later on.

Meditation is a jewel all of us can access, at anytime, anywhere. It is like opening the window to a new horizon. And all it needs, is 2 minutes a day of focused concentration.