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10 October 2013

When Is The Best Time To Meditate For Greatest Benefits?

By Toms Sousa Lima


The best time for you to meditate is the time that you will do it! It is the time that works best in your schedule. It is the time that is easiest for you. If you choose a time that is convenient for your lifestyle, you will find the experience more appealing and more natural.In my view, this is the best way to answer the question, "When is the best time to meditate for greatest benefits?" If that is a sufficient answer for you, there is really no need to read further. I hope you will, though.

Learn about the Breathing Techniques. In meditation, one of the first few things that is needs to be learned is proper breathing techniques. To do this, you must first sit comfortably (either on a chair or on the floor) with legs crossed or the Indian sit. Place your palms on each leg with palms facing up. Close your eyes and start to listen to the things happening around you. Start paying close attention to your breathing making sure to slowly inhale and breathe out through your lips. Do this in a slow manner until you are able to concentrate on without being distracted of the noise around you or be bothered by thoughts running through your head.

My best time is 4:00 am. When I awake naturally at that time, I meditate. It is a joyful time, quiet, peaceful, even the birds are still. I love that time because my mind is not filled with thoughts from the day swirling in my head. Since I have just come out of sleep, I am in a state of non-resistance and peace. Typically, I meditate for 15-30 minutes, sometimes longer. Then I decide if I am up for the day or if I want to return to sleep. If I have not meditated at 4:00 am, then I often will meditate before the day's activities.

It's important to me not to have a rigid schedule. My body and my intuition tell me when it is time to meditate. If I feel I am "forcing" myself to meditate, I stop. Instead, I go for a walk or just do something different from what I have been doing to release any resistance or clear my head. Because I'm already a regular meditator, it makes sense to say that I only meditate when I want to. When I was beginning, though, I did find it was important to make the decision to meditate at certain times and sit myself down to do it whether I really wanted to or not.

To make progress in meditation it is important to meditate at least once a day. If you are inspired then it is good to meditate 3 times a day. Regularity is very important for increasing your meditation capacity. Some people may say it is very hard to find time in a busy day to meditate. However if you really value something then you will find time. 3 times a day we find time to feed the body. We should also feel the necessity of feeding our soul, our inner being. If we value meditation then we will not want to miss our regular period of silence.

According to health experts, the following physiological effects of meditation have been documented in individuals who practice this time-tested technique, and among these are reduced blood pressure, lower pulse rate, decreased metabolic rate and changes in the concentration of serum levels of various substances. If a person meditates frequently, they will, in the long run, find out that they gain a deeper understanding and insight, of themselves.

In addition, I lead my clients through a guided meditation process on the phone, often many times a day. This puts me in the same consciousness as meditating for myself, so I consider that this is part of my meditative practice. I also hold my regular clients in consciousness three times a day, which is another aspect of my meditative practice.In working with others on establishing their meditative practice, I have become extremely open-minded about the various practices and approaches to meditation, including time of day. I encourage people to experiment to find their own ways. Beginners need to start at the easiest time, which might be in a car parked in the driveway or shopping center because that is the only time alone. Right after cool down after exercise is a time the body is very receptive to deep rest or meditation for some. Before or in place of a meal to allow the body to be nurtured before or instead of food can benefit many.

The next best time to meditate is in the evening. In the evening the atmosphere becomes a little more restful as we forget the troubles of the day. However if we meditate straight after finishing work then we may still have thoughts from the days activities going around in our mind. Before meditating it is good to take a shower and clear our mind of what has been going on during the day.

You may find that you have a best time of day when you are learning to meditate that is a different best time of day when you are an experienced meditator. When you are just learning to meditate, it is helpful to have optimal conditions -- a quiet place with no interruptions. After you have experienced some benefits of meditating, you will not need to create the ideal situation because you will be committed on a different level. Many people meditate on planes and trains or other noisy places.




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