Over the course of this past year I have discovered meditation and it has completely changed my life. Through regular meditation, I am able to achieve that relaxed, happy, “in the moment” feeling pretty much all day, everyday. I consider it a gift that allows us to soothe the mind and channel its great energy into positive thoughts. In this article, I will show why meditation needs to be a necessary ritual in our busy lives.

We are all familiar with images of Buddhist monks meditating for hours in their red robes. These men seem so calm and peaceful but what could they be thinking about this entire time?? As a matter of fact, they are not thinking about anything at all. See, meditation is a practice of “quieting the mind.” There are different frequencies of brain waves and, through peaceful meditation, we are able to slow the brain activity down. This process gives your conscious mind a break and opens the doors for the subconscious to emerge. Many old-time and modern thinkers believe that the world extends far beyond the physical realm of our bodies and that traveling through dimensions, by means of meditation, is actually possible. I am going to save that for another article and show a more practical everyday benefit of meditation we can all enjoy.

I was meditating on my own for awhile, using books as guidance, when I was introduced to a certain belief system. It has no religious ties and is not focused around a god or heaven and hell. The association is called “Path of Bliss” and it is a spiritual movement to unite all people and create universal happiness. They believe in achieving mental peace and balance, as well as healing physical and psychological ailments through meditation. At the core of their beliefs, there is a form of Universal Law: don’t harm, don’t steal, do good, etc.  Having said that, you do not need to learn anything about this group of people to benefit from their meditation mantra.

Here is how it work: By closing your eyes, slowing down your breathing and chanting the mantra, we slow the brain activity down to almost nothing. When your brain is not busy firing a thousand thoughts a minute, you can actually concentrate very well and feel “in the moment”. You aren’t busy reflecting on the past or worrying about the future, you are simply being. We maintain this state of mind for a period of time during meditation and this effect starts carrying through the entire day! It is there when we wake up and with us when we go to sleep. All it takes is diligent daily practice but you slowly become the master of your mind rather than it’s slave. You are able to simply observe anxious or negative thoughts without them ever becoming emotions.

Step 1: Setting up

Find a comfortable couch or pillows on the floor. Some people like their back upright and others lean on something to allow for more relaxation. Whichever one you choose, it is important to not be laying down because you will most likely fall asleep. The idea is to find the place between the awake and unconscious states. Wear comfortable clothing and dim the lighting. It is good to meditate in the same spot many times, it will increase the energy of the room. The cross legged or even better “lotus” positions are preferred because they create an energy lock within your body and you will go deeper into meditation. If you aren’t able to get into those positions at first, find a comfortable seated pose. Choose early morning and afternoon as designated times for meditation. Some will also add a night time session. Plan to sit for no less than 15 minutes and increase the time if you want.

Step 2: Meditation

Close your eyes and allow your breathing to become level and steady. Focus on the inhalation and the exhalation. Slowly start repeating the mantra silently inside your head. The mantra is “Baba Nam Kevalam.” It means “The love of Divine Consciousness is all there is.” It can also be translated as “Love is all there is.” This mantra has a very specific and powerful vibration and can take you very far in meditation. The “Baba Nam” part is during the inhalation and “Kevalam” during the exhalation. You can hear the correct pronunciation of the mantra here. You will find your mind straying off to random thoughts, so when you notice it drift away, you can bring your attention back to your breathing and chanting of the mantra. This process of going back and forth into the mantra purifies your mind and brings on a feeling of bliss I have never felt before. Suddenly you stop feeling the need to think logically and begin feeling strong appreciation for all things. Deep inside of you, hidden behind the role that you play in our society, is a forever burning love for all living beings and the planet itself. Allow yourself to activate these feelings and the quality of your life will improve dramatically everyday. Rather than being ego-driven to obtain material possessions, we start seeing a greater purpose to life: to spread positive energy.

Technically, anything can be used as a mantra, but you will find that this one is much more effective in getting you deeper and deeper into your subconscious. The words “baba nam kevalam” start a strange vibration when I get into it and it takes me further than any mantra I have tried before.

I also recommend using Alpha Wave brainwave music to allow your mind to slip into an Alpha wave meditative state. Only do this if are truly having a hard time sitting still. It is a crutch and eventually you want to remove it and just have silence or the fan going or something. I wrote an article about it before; it can be accessed here. The Alpha wave music is scientifically designed to change the wave frequency and it can jump start the meditation process especially if you have trouble sitting still.

Try to be consistent with your meditation. The results start showing up quickly but they really start becoming evident the more consistent you are. These days I am meditating for up to an hour when time allows and the changes in my mind are quite profound. I can think a lot more clearly; worry much less, if any at all.

I also want to provide a couple of interesting scientific studies for the skeptics. Meditation is now widely studied and science sees a lot of potential in this practice. This study concluded that meditation can improve resting metabolism and levels of antioxidants.

Meditation can even cause positive physiological changes in the brain. This study found that regular meditation leads to an increase in brain matter concentration, especially in areas that are associated with releases of serotonin.

Feel free to ask me any questions! I am only a beginner, but I’m always looking for knowledge and may have the right answer or guidance for you! Happy meditating