Be aware of how you breathe. If you are new to meditation, you may find your attention drifting away from your breathing. Don’t be discouraged. As soon as you realise this happening, gently focus on bringing it back. It doesn’t matter if this happens several times during your practice sessions. As you begin to master the art, you will find it becomes easier to concentrate.
The aim of meditation is not to achieve a totally blank mind, devoid of all thoughts. It teaches us to clear our minds of unwanted worries and just ‘be’ in the present moment. This means we are not distracted by unwanted thoughts but are able to turn a more intense attention to whatever it is we want to consider-almost the opposite of a blank mind. Similarly, utilising meditation because you don’t want to think any more, perhaps because your worries are too great, will not be successful. Just practice every day for at least 20 min and set an intention what you want Meditation to do for you.
People meditate for a multitude of reasons. Some do it to help them to visualise a goal they want to achieve, while some meditate to quiet their inner turmoil. Others do it to improve their creativity-a tumultuous mind does not always mean a brain crowded with negative thoughts; sometimes it’s one that is simply overstuffed with ideas. Meditation allows you to forge a path through the ideas and focus on just one project. Meditation can often enhance intuition skills, too. That said, perhaps you only want to meditate so that you can enjoy a few minutes of relaxation-that if absolutely fine! Meditation is a flexible art that can help you in the area you most need.
-Remez Sasson