In India, all ashrams and many Ayurveda resorts offer guided meditation in the morning before breakfast and usually in the afternoon / evening. The duration is different, mostly between 30min and 60min in length. How much guidance and how much silence the meditation contains varies. More and more meditation courses and open meditations are also offered in Germany. Meditation is even being introduced in companies as the many effects are being researched more and more. There are different reasons for meditating, depending on your objectives. A very factual book that describes how and where meditation affects the brain and which studies in the field of neuroscience have already been done is the book “Meditation for Skeptics” by Ulrich Ott. It is written ideologically and shows the positive effects of meditation from a scientific point of view. Explanations, instructions and assistance are given. I was particularly interested in “the sequence of stages of increasing deepening in the course of meditation practice”, which both beginners and advanced mediators will surely recognize:
1. Obstacles: restlessness, boredom, motivation / concentration problems
2. Relaxation: well-being, calm breathing, growing patience, calm
3. concentration: mindfulness, no attachment to thoughts, inner center, energy field, lightness, Insights, equanimity, peace
4. Essential qualities: clarity, alertness, love, devotion, solidarity, humility, grace, Gratitude, self-acceptance
5.Non-duality: silence of thought, oneness, emptiness, limitlessness, transcendence of subject and object.
What have you experienced while meditating? Why are you meditating? If you would like to try my guided meditation: www.hanna-schumacher.de
