Learn a Guided Buddhist Meditation to Control Anxiety and Calm the Mind

More than a religious practice limited to churches or temples, the guided buddhist meditation has much of its wealth inserted in people’s daily lives, serving as a foundation for a journey of self-knowledge, awakening of the mind and complete relaxation of the body.

It is in small gestures and actions that its precepts are experienced by its adherents, who seek to practice kindness, detachment, balance, liberation, generosity and so many other qualities.

Contrary to what many people think, meditation doesn’t just mean not thinking about anything. That’s not the goal, so if you try to practice with that intention, you certainly won’t succeed. In general, the exercise aims to quiet the conscience, improve breathing and, with that, achieve countless benefits for the organism and the spirit.

In Buddhism, meditation is one of the most widespread methods on the path to enlightenment and the way to do it depends on the school in which you belong. That’s why we offer here some general practical lessons so you can start your path, always aiming at personal evolution.

understand your mind

Meditation works as a kind of investigation that mainly aims at two goals: understanding and training the mind.

The first means that we need to understand what goes through our “head” and why we act the way we do in a given situation – which has consequences even for the people we love. With this, regret becomes scarcer and even attachment to material things ends up losing its value.

The second purpose, on the other hand, wants the practitioner to stop taking attitudes that will lead to temporary happiness – which harms the person himself and who he lives with – and makes him start to have a full life, cultivating and developing habits that are really beneficial.

Meditation does not want to eliminate an emotional discomfort that is temporary, but to get to the root of problems, eliminating the source of afflictions in general, which will bring you closer to true happiness.

Guided Buddhist Meditation for Beginners

Anyone has the ability to start meditating, all it takes is willpower. You can start with ten minutes a day and build up gradually. Today, there are even mobile applications specially developed to assist in this practice.

• With your spine straight, sit on a cushion or chair. Close your eyes.
• Inhale and exhale. Feel the air going in and out. Observe the movement of the abdomen up as the air enters and down as the air goes out.
• Choose one of these points and focus only on it. Concentrate on this and observe without interfering.
• If you lose concentration or get caught up in a thought, simply return to your focus and continue to meditate.
• After five minutes of concentration only on the breath, open your eyes and repeat the mantra: “Prabhu Aap Jago Paramatma Jago Mere Sarve Jago Sarvatre Jago”. Which means: “Awaken the divine love in you. In everything and everywhere.” She recites the phrase for three minutes.
• End the guided Buddhist meditation with another two minutes of silence, eyes closed and imagining a blank canvas in your mind.
• Get up calmly and thank the universe.

If you are a person who loses focus quickly, you can use some means to concentrate: look at a burning candle, a drawn mandala or a geometric figure, notice the breath coming in and out of the nostrils and listen to some kind of relaxing sound, such as birdsong, rain and wind over foliage.

Tips for doing meditation

In addition to the forms of concentration, there are three other important points to be followed in order to reach your goal.

1. Frequency and time

Frequency is one of the most important aspects to keep on this journey. In the beginning, it is much more valid for you to practice meditation every day for two minutes at most, than to try once a week for longer. To discipline yourself and get used to your body, it is necessary that you set a schedule for performing this activity. Preferably do this after a routine activity, such as brushing your teeth.

2. Location

You can practice meditation anywhere, but to really create a ritual, it’s best to choose a specific environment. Look for a place that is quieter, without the movement of people or any other type of noise that interferes with the process.

3. Posture

Always keep your spine straight, this will facilitate concentration and will reduce the chances of sleep getting in the way. If you find it difficult, you can also lean against a wall. The ideal is to stand with your legs crossed – if you want, sit on a cushion. There are several positions that derive from the lotus pose, so be sure to research which ones you want to practice. You can start in a chair, with your feet flat on the floor and your hands on your lap, one on top of the other. It’s important that you close your eyes so you don’t get distracted.