Meditation

Meditation is a technique for relaxing and clearing your mind, serving as a powerful tool to connect with yourself. Allowing your mind to come to complete rest, you strive to enter a different state of consciousness by focusing on the present moment. The key lies in not attempting to control your thoughts but rather observing, accepting, and letting them go. Simply "being" is a state that brings a great deal of tranquility. By experiencing that you are not these thoughts and emotions, you can come closer to yourself and better discern your own thoughts. There are numerous techniques, thoughts, and ideas about meditation.

Applied meditation is a well-known form of meditating closely linked to mindfulness exercises. During an activity, your attention is fully directed to your breathing and the activity you are engaged in (walking, coloring, gardening). You can also opt for guided meditations, involving meditating on sounds or texts spoken by another person. Often, these meditations focus on breathing, relaxation, and frequently address specific topics. The topics vary widely, and there is almost always a video that aligns with your wishes and needs. Guided meditations, such as "the body scan," focus on releasing physical tensions, healing meditations emphasize letting go of blocks and traumas, and guided meditations for meeting your guides or future self exist as well. Many beginners start with guided meditations, but you can also choose to meditate independently. This can take the form of a silent meditation or a meditation with background sounds. Sound recordings with soothing and/or healing mantras, nature sounds, music frequencies, or sound waves are often employed for this purpose.

Jeroen van Es, Founder of Meditation School Ima Center (consciousness development in the style of Eckhart Tolle)

We typically have an average of 40,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day, roughly translating to about 1 thought per second. However, we are not always aware of this. Research from Harvard University reveals that we spend approximately 47% of our time lost in thought, meaning we are not mentally present in the current moment. Where are we then? Often preoccupied with past events or planning for the future. Moreover, it turns out that during these moments, we generally do not think pleasant thoughts. "I should have said this when she made that remark" or "Why did all this happen to me?" are common reflections. Concerning thoughts about the future, we often find ourselves preoccupied with what the next moment will bring. We are capable of creating extensive "to-do lists" while, for example, engaged in a conversation or watching a beautiful film. Nearly half of our time is lost in thought, a significant portion, especially considering that many people already feel they have too little time. It's not surprising that many individuals experience stress-related issues.

We can be conscious of the world around us in three different ways: through our senses—seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, etc.; through our thoughts, which shape our understanding of the world; and through emotions, even though we are often unaware of their profound influence. If these are the three ways of being aware of the world around us, the question arises: what are we truly? If we can be aware of our body, thoughts, and emotions, then we are none of these three things. That's accurate. We are the consciousness that can perceive these three aspects, creating space—specifically, the space for choice. When you realize you are thinking, you can choose to do something with that thought or let it go. In practice, many thoughts are not as important as they may seem.

Our ability to think has brought us many advantages. There is nothing wrong with that. Thinking only becomes a problem when it happens unconsciously. But why is that? Our thoughts have a significant impact on our state of being. Thoughts trigger various physiological processes. In daily life, when faced with a dangerous situation, hormones are released to enable an immediate response. This is fine because the energy released is used promptly. For example, if a car is approaching, the body rapidly produces adrenaline, allowing you to jump aside before the car can hit you. The problem, however, is that our brain cannot differentiate between a real situation and something we merely imagine. So, when we think about something that stresses us (such as unfinished work), our body also produces adrenaline. The issue now is that we don't utilize that adrenaline. Consequently, our increased heart rate and shallow breathing are detrimental at that moment, and we immediately feel the effects.

Mindfulness is a comprehensive term that includes meditation. Mindfulness involves being aware of your thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception, allowing you to choose whether you want to experience them or not. This can be achieved in various ways, with meditation being a well-tested and effective method. In meditation, you take on an observer's perspective. You observe what you are thinking, what you are feeling, and what you are physically experiencing without identifying with them. The more you practice meditation, the easier it becomes to be aware of your thoughts when it matters. Apart from the benefits mentioned, mindfulness and meditation have several other favorable effects. Relaxation is one, as already evident. Regular meditation also leads to increased creativity and resourcefulness, improves health, and generally fosters a positive outlook.

Of course, there are challenges associated with meditation. In the beginning, it can feel awkward, causing restlessness in your body and mind. Doubt may arise: Am I doing it right? Is it supposed to feel like this? Desire may emerge: I want to be completely free from all this unrest! Aversion may surface: I don't want to feel and think all of this. As you may have noticed, these are all just thoughts. You don't have to take them too seriously! Consider them as passing thoughts and pay no further attention. Like everything else, meditation is a matter of doing it often, not giving up, and starting anew endlessly. It is more than worth the effort!

Children's meditations

Guided Meditations - Various Topics

Mantra's