Happy World Meditation Day - Get the Meditation Habit !
On May 21st, we celebrate one of SEVA's favorite days worldwide. It holds a special place in our hearts, right between our birthday and World Chocolate Day. We are referring to none other than World Meditation Day!
While it may seem peculiar to those unfamiliar with the practice, we hold a strong conviction that embracing regular meditation can make the world a better place. Have you ever come across the well-known adage that change begins within oneself?
Adopting a regular meditation practice can be a catalyst for positive transformation on both an individual and global scale. By turning inward and exploring the depths of our consciousness, we can cultivate inner peace, mindfulness, and compassion. These qualities, when nurtured collectively, have the power to bring about a more harmonious and benevolent world.
Let’s Get Started
As you read these words, you may find yourself nodding in agreement, realizing that you should embark on a meditation journey or rekindle your existing practice. However, you might also be feeling a sense of uncertainty, unsure of where to begin, what to do, or if you're doing it correctly. Questions like "How do I start?" and "What type of meditation suits me best?" may be bouncing in your mind.
Rest assured, you are not alone in this quest for clarity. Many of us have stood at the precipice of meditation, wondering how to take that first step and screaming in the void for help. The good news is, that won’t happen to you if you keep reading this article. But may you be worn that if you find scrolling down cat memes is a better use of your time, you might find yourself back at the precipice of meditation screaming in the void.
Cat meme to make you stay among us
Let’s get back to the subject of our hearts: meditation. There are various paths to explore, and the key lies in finding the approach that resonates with you.
To start your meditation practice, consider these simple yet effective starting points. Find a quiet and comfortable space. It can be your living room, a cozy corner in your bedroom, a secluded beach, or maybe a meadow. It doesn’t need to be the same space each day, all that matters is that you find yourself at peace and comfortable.
Set aside a few minutes each day, starting with as little as 5 minutes, and then gradually increasing the duration as you progress.
Begin by sitting or lying down in a comfortable position. Close your eyes, and focus on your breath. Now, if you’re human, your mind is going to wander from the dreamy eyes you’ve met today to your grocery shopping list at some point or another. Nothing to worry about, it happens to all of us: wandering is the mind's default mode, much like a smartphone constantly seeking new data. So when it takes the road to your thoughts, gently bring your focus back to your breath, and observe its natural rhythm, without judgment.
And repeat: remember to follow with regular, persistent, and repetitive practice. The mind functions akin to a muscle - practice makes perfect! And as you will develop these rock-solid abs when excercising regularly at the gym, you will reach a clear mind with regular meditation training.
As you grow more at ease with this foundational practice, you can explore different meditation techniques and traditions. You might find solace in guided meditations, where an instructor or audio recording directs your focus and aids relaxation. Or you might prefer silent meditation, embracing the stillness within your own awareness.
It's important to remember that there is no "right" or "wrong" way to meditate. The key is to find what suits you and resonates with your being. You may choose to experiment with various styles, such as mindfulness, loving-kindness, or transcendental meditation, to discover what brings you the most peace and presence.
There is one meditation practice into which we want to delve further though, and that is
Sound Healing Meditation
What is sound healing though? It may sound like a funny concept, but whether consciously or not, you have likely encountered the positive impact of sound on your well-being already. It could be through the comforting whispers of a podcast lulling you into a restful sleep, the carefully curated playlist that amplifies the serenity of your yoga classes, or even the solace found in the tranquil symphony of rustling leaves or the rhythmic patter of the waves crashing on the beach. These seemingly simple yet potent encounters have been serving as powerful forms of sound healing, working silently to restore harmony and nurture your well-being.
But How Does Sound Healing Work?
Every element within the universe possesses a vibrational frequency. Sound is ingrained within our very being. And, as you may think, these two sentences have a very “New-Agy”, and “hippie” sound to them. But science also has its word to say about it: within the brain, our neurons exhibit diverse firing frequencies based on the information received from our surroundings. These vibrations intricately interact with each and every cell throughout our bodies.
Certain tools like gongs, or Tibetan singing bowls can generate sound waves or vibrations that actually modify the frequencies of our brainwaves. By employing specific rhythms and frequencies, it is possible to transition our brainwaves from the beta state, which characterizes normal consciousness, to the theta state, associated with a state of relaxation, and even to the delta state, indicative of deep sleep.
Inaccurate representation of gonging
\These vibrations are measured in hertz (Hz), the same unit used to measure sound. Although humans can hear frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, it doesn't mean that frequencies outside this range have no impact on us. When two vibrating entities are in close proximity, the stronger vibration will influence the weaker one, eventually leading to synchronization. A phenomenon that can be explained by basic physics.
So Many Benefits
All this sounds great, but what are the benefits of tuning in these particular frequencies?
Sound healing’s main power is that it puts your body in a parasympathetic state. Parawhat, now? Parasympathetic. The adjective in question pertains to a specific aspect of the autonomic nervous system responsible for counterbalancing the activities of the sympathetic nerves. In essence, it describes the nerves that originate from both the brain and the lower region of the spinal cord. Conversely, the sympathetic nerves are comprised of nerves arising from ganglia located near the middle segment of the spinal cord.
The sympathetic system plays a crucial role in preparing the body for potential threats or dangers. When we enter a sympathetic state, commonly known as the "fight or flight" response, the system activates with its shorter neuron pathway, enabling a rapid response. Conversely, the parasympathetic system functions to promote a state of calmness and relaxation.
Being in a parasympathetic state has both emotional and physiological effects. It boosts antibody production, leading to improved immunity, and aids in reducing cortisol levels, thereby helping to lower high blood pressure. It also enhances alpha and theta waves, promoting increased daytime alertness and facilitating deeper sleep at night, which is vital for the healing process.
These frequencies can stimulate the production of nitric oxide, a vasodilator that widens blood vessels, enhances cellular efficiency, and regulates blood pressure at a cellular level. Anything that supports nitric oxide production contributes to a more effective healing response while calming one's mood helps to reduce inflammation. And reduced inflammation means positively affected overall health!
Sound Healing Meditation in Dubai
Now that your curiosity has been spiked, it’s time to give sound healing a try! You can integrate it into your meditation practice (they are tons of playlists to hack brain frequencies available online, on YouTube or Spotify), and if you are in the UAE, you should drop by the best wellness center in Dubai and experience a private or group sound healing meditation!