Breathing, the art of meditation

By Moris Beracha

Stop for a moment, close your eyes and breathe. Feel the air coming in through your nose, into your lungs and back out. In that moment you took, you were in present time and you forgot everything within a fraction of a second.

When I am asked how I do to be in the present moment I always answer that mediation is fundamental to achieve this. However, there are misconceptions about the real meaning of meditation. It is often thought that it is a very difficult activity to carry out or it is for spiritual people and it is not true.

The first thing is to be present with your breathing. We are never present or outstanding when we breathe and this prevents us from being connected with ourselves. My recommendation is that when you decide to experience meditation, look for a quiet place and sit on the floor on a blanket or on a cushion called zafu. The important thing is that the back is straight. You can also do it sitting on a chair without laying the head on the chair.

With your legs crossed start breathing. Breathe in and inflate and raise your abdomen, breathe out and empty your abdomen. You may feel a bit rushed at first, but little by little your breathing will take its own rhythm. Let it flow. When thoughts distracting you from breathing arrive, do not fight with them, just watch that thought, let it go and return to your breathing again. Nothing is rejected; it is simply observed and let go.

It may be a little hard for you at first to concentrate on your breathing. Just let it flow, without forcing you away from those thoughts, just fire them and let them disappear and return to focus on your breathing. Also, it is possible that when you start practicing meditation you will only be in meditative state for a few minutes. Do not worry about it, meditation is a practice that takes time and little by little you can learn to be in the present moment and only listen to your breath.

Meditation can be practiced at any time of day and even several times in a day, although it would be ideal to wake up before beginning your daily routine. Start with 5 or 10 minutes and then add time to your practice.

There are many types of meditation. You can meditate with music, watching the sea or a landscape or with your eyes closed in silence. The meditation I practice is Buddhist Vipassana, which consists of being in the present moment, to cease thinking; it is breathing by observing without judging.

With the passage of time you will notice certain changes in you, not only due to the tranquility that you begin to experience but by the state of full consciousness that you will acquire and its benefits in daily life.

It is important that we learn to control our mind and not let it control us. 

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