Meditation
Meditation is an ancient practice that has been used in order to focus the mind on either a single object or thought. It is used to put the mind into an easy, stable state.
There are many forms of meditation. After inspecting multiple sources, they all state different amounts for the types of meditation; ranging from 5 to 16. I am interested in older traditional meditation. I have always been fascinated by Buddhist meditation. Furthermore, I remember during secondary school, studying the Vietnam War, where Buddhist monks would set themselves alight in protest. The monks would sit in silence as they burn to death. This event has made me deeply curious about the possibilities of our mind and what can be achieved through meditation.
History
Movement and practice started and originated in the Sramanic movement of ancient India (before the 6th century BCE). This is before buddha and Mhavira. “in Hinduism, a part of a self-directed awareness and unifying Yoga process by which the yogi realizes Self (Atman, soul), one's relationship with other living beings, and Ultimate Reality.”
The Yogis are people who are specialised in the philosophy and practice of Yoga. They are said to have reached a level proficient enough that they have reached an advanced spiritual state. Generally "yogi" refers to a man, as women practising yoga is uncommon. There is a separate word used to describe a female who practices yoga, that is "Yogini".
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Another school of meditation that was developed in early 475-221 BC was Taoist meditation. In it's native tongue of Chinese it is referred to as "Xiu Dao". It includes traditional meditative practices associated with Taoism philosophy, including: concentration, mindfulness, contemplation and visualisation. As to which form of meditation came first (yoga or taoist) is unclear as sources state different times periods for their origin.
Any photos related to yogis participating in yoga, they are always seen sat crossed legged, back straight. The older photos, all the men wear no shirt either. I am not sure if this is due to their techniques ( wearing something on top of their chest and diaphragm - may interfere with their breathing). Or it simply could have been a style choice back then.
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Reading up on it, often times yogis don't wear underwear also. It is believed that wearing loose, or little clothing reduces stress, as tight clothing increases it.
Techniques:
Interestingly, all forms of meditation focus on breathing. Every form of it, contains different techniques that can be used in order to achieve a more focused mind or relaxed state.
I looked into further detail around Yoga. Within yoga, there are many different breathing techniques. Sources state between 3 - 10 different ones. However the 4 that I could find mentioned on majority were the following:
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Three-part breath (Dirga Pranyama)
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Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana)
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Lion's breath (Simhasana)
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Ocean breath (Ujjayi)
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1) Take a seat
2) Set a time limit
3) Notice your body
4) Feel your breath
5) Notice when your mind has wandered
6) Be kind to your wandering mind
7) Close with kindness
Instructions on how to meditate
Benefits of meditation
It is difficult to research yoga and the different techniques involved as the meditation has evolved a great deal since it was first used. Noways, yoga is associated with being flexible and getting into different stretch positions. This was not the case when it was originally used.
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Modern interpretations of breathing techniques look something like this:
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Deep belly breathing (either sitting or lying)
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Alternate nostril breathing (sitting)
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Breath retention (sitting - holding breath without inhaling or exhaling)
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Breath of fire (sitting - gently inhaling and forcefully exhaling)
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A similarity between old and modern breathing techniques, is the advised sitting position that is used when participating in respiratory activities. This is probably because it allows for easy air flow through the body.
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After reading on it further, the reasons for sitting straight are:
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to increase concentration
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free energy flow
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inducing sense of calm
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sit longer periods of time
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alertness
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diaphragm is able to move more freely (proper breathing function).
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I looked into what benefits there are of meditation. Through searching for answers, I came across this video of : Sundar Balasubramanian (a radiation oncology researcher with multiple scientific qualification) speaks about Yogic breathing. Upon doing research into it, he discovered that different Yogic breathing techniques stimulate nerve growth factors as well as other factors. It was observed in subjects' saliva upon completing thorough Yogic breathing. Other factors included hormones and proteins that help in keeping our body healthy.
" mind can't travel on own , it uses a vehicle and that vehicle is breath “ – Sundar Balasubramanian
There have been many studies into benefits of meditation breathing techniques. One of which I looked into briefly, was that, it increases our metabolism.
Zen meditation
Zen meditation is like mindfulness in that it's about focusing on the presence of mind. However, mindfulness focuses on a specific object, and Zen meditation involves a general awareness.
Zen can be used for self-immolation.
Individuals who practice Zen meditation attempt to expand their attentional scope to incorporate the flow of perceptions, thoughts, emotions, and subjective awareness.
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Zen meditation often involves keeping the eyes semi-open, which is different from most other forms of meditation that encourage closing the eyes. During Zen meditation, practitioners also dismiss any thoughts that pop into their minds and essentially think about nothing.
Over time, they learn how to keep their minds from wandering and may even be able to tap into their unconscious minds. Often, the goal is to become more aware of preconceived notions and gain insight into oneself.
Timeline of meditations image:
Sources
Anon, (n.d.). 9 Yogic Breathing Practices for Mind-Body Balance and Healing. [online] Available at: https://www.himalayanyogainstitute.com/9-yogic-breathing-practices-mind-body-balance-healing/.
Goodtherapy.org. (2009). Breathwork. [online] Available at: https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/breathwork.
Horowitz, S. (2010). Health Benefits of Meditation: What the Newest Research Shows. Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 16(4), pp.223–228. doi:10.1089/act.2010.16402.
https://www.facebook.com/verywell (2019). Why You Might Want to Try Zen Meditation. [online] Verywell Mind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-zen-meditation-4586721.
Mayo Clinic (2020). A beginner’s guide to meditation. [online] Mayo Clinic. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858.
Monk-Turner, E. (2003). The benefits of meditation: experimental findings. The Social Science Journal, 40(3), pp.465–470. doi:10.1016/s0362-3319(03)00043-0.
Thorpe, M. and Link, R. (2020). 12 science-based benefits of meditation. [online] Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-benefits-of-meditation.
Wikipedia Contributors (2019). Meditation. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation.