Author: Gurpreet

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/mindfulness-vs-meditation-4497df3.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/mindfulness-vs-meditation-a697296.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present

Mindfulness has gained significant popularity in recent years. It has become a buzzword in health and wellness circles, as well as in corporate settings. But, what is mindfulness exactly? What is the meaning of mindfulness? Let’s take a closer look!

What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness Definition

Mindfulness is all about focusing your awareness of the present moment, non-judgmentally, it is a mental state defined by an open-minded state of being aware of the current moment. It involves paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and physical senses in a way that is free from distractions and judgment. This means that you observe your experiences without getting caught up in them or trying to change them.

One of the reasons mindfulness has become so popular is that it is an easy and accessible practice that can be done anywhere, at any time. You don’t need any special equipment or training to practice mindfulness. You only need the willingness to be present and observant of your experiences.

As you practice mindfulness, you may find that your mind wanders or that you get caught up in thoughts or emotions. This is completely normal. It is not about eliminating thoughts or emotions. What is mindfulness in simple terms is observing your thoughts without getting caught up in them.

Mindfulness vs. Meditation

The practice of mindfulness has its origins in Buddhist meditation, but it has been adapted globally in modern times.

Mindfulness teaches us to accept and pay attention to our thoughts, feelings, and what is happening around us. By practicing mindfulness, we make better choices in responding calmly or empathetically when we are faced with such challenges. With prolonged practices of mindfulness, you can be more patient and find a sense of compassion for yourself, as well as teach your mind to be still.

Meditation is slightly different from mindfulness. Meditation is a tool and a practice to train yourself and your mind in building awareness and creating a healthy sense of perspective.

It requires you to focus intentionally with an array of different forms and techniques, depending on what your intent is. By meditating, you alter a state of consciousness that connects you to your deeper sense of inner self.

Benefits of Mindfulness

There are many benefits of mindfulness, both for your mental and physical health. Studies have shown that mindfulness can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improve cognitive and immune system functions. It has also been shown to improve relationships and increase feelings of well-being and happiness.

Another great benefit of mindfulness is that it can help with boosting your memory. In a 2018 study, participants either undertook four weeks of mindfulness training or took a creative writing course. The tests showed that those who had been training in practicing mindfulness showed more remarkable proactive interference decreases. The proactive interference is your older memories interrupting your ability to create or access new memories. Thus, mindfulness shows significant improvements in the participant’s short-term memories.

Research has also indicated that mindfulness can also help to relieve the symptoms of many different health conditions, such as fibromyalgia, psoriasis, and type 2 diabetes.

With regular practice, you may find that mindfulness becomes a natural part of your daily life and you may find yourself more present and alert in your interactions with others. In addition to being more aware of your own thoughts and feelings, and being able to manage stress and anxiety.

Mindfulness is a powerful tool for improving your mental and physical health, and for developing a greater sense of well-being and happiness in your life. With frequent practice, mindfulness can lead you to a richer and more generous experience of life.

How do I practice mindfulness?

We believe that mindfulness is a skill that anyone can learn, no matter how new you may be to the practice. Here are some simple ways that you can practice mindfulness:

1. Take a moment to breathe before you start your day (you’ll be amazed at how much this helps!).

2. Try to take some time out of the day by going for a walk. This will give you time to unwind, clear your head, and keep both your mind and body fit.

3. Slow down and pay attention to things around you. Take the time to experience the environment with your senses – sight, smell, taste, sound, and touch. For example by listening to your favorite song, and hearing how the instruments are being played, or the singer’s tone of voice.

4. Find some kind of joy in your everyday life and live in the moment. Even if it wasn’t a good day, always try to find some good things about it, and remember tomorrow is always a new day.

6. Treat yourself as you would treat a good friend, and respect yourself for who you are and what you are not. Everyone is different and we aren’t made to be perfect.

If you are looking for more structured mindfulness exercises, you could try:

1. Body Scan Meditation: Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms at your sides with your palms facing up. Focusing slowly the attention on each part of your body, in order from head to toe, or toe to head. Be aware of any feelings, emotions, or thoughts that you may encounter with each part of your body.

2. Sitting Meditation: Find somewhere where you can sit comfortably, with your back straight, feet flat on the floor, and hands in your lap. Focus on your breathing and be sure to breathe from your nose. If any thoughts or sensations interrupt you, note them without judgment or attachment, and focus back on your breathing

3. Walking Meditation: Find a good quiet place like a park or forest and begin to slowly walk around. Focus on your experiences while you are walking, being aware of how your body walks and how it keeps you upright and balanced. When you reach the end of the path, turn back and continue walking and maintaining this form of awareness. You can also engage your senses to smell, touch, hear and see nature around you.

Are you curious about how long you should practice mindfulness? It’s a common question, but the answer varies based on your individual preferences and circumstances. However, experts recommend practicing mindfulness for at least 10 to 20 minutes every day for maximum benefits. Don’t worry too much about the duration, though! Consistency and frequency in your practice are more crucial than the length of time you spend on it. Remember, mindfulness is a skill that needs to be honed over time to truly gather its rewards. So, keep practicing and enjoy the journey!

How do I become more mindful?

Whether you are new to mindfulness or meditation, or if you have been practicing for years, there are many resources available to help you deepen your practice and experience its benefits. One of the best ways to develop and deepen your mindfulness journey is through meditation. At Samavira our 6-week meditation trainings are designed to support you in creating your very own unique style of meditation that works for you, so why not give it a try and see for yourself what Samavira can do for you?

Enjoyed this article? Share it!

Keep reading!

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice

May 17, 2023 No Comments

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice Are you feeling overwhelmed by stress and anxiety? Do you

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present

April 30, 2023 No Comments

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present Mindfulness has gained significant popularity in recent years. It has become a buzzword in health and wellness

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more

April 21, 2023 No Comments

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more What is Meditation? Meditation can be defined as an age-old practice that has been used

The Maharishi Effect

April 12, 2023 No Comments

Beyond Meditation: The Maharishi Effect and the Quest for Inner and Outer Peace You may have heard about the many health benefits of meditation at

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor

March 30, 2023 No Comments

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor Are you a regular meditation practitioner and feel deeply passionate about the practice and its

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far?

March 21, 2023 No Comments

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far? Meditation is a technique that’s been practiced for thousands of years, it can be dated

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/self-reflecting-through-meditation-3f04032.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/self-reflecting-through-meditation-158dc12.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more

What is Meditation?

Meditation can be defined as an age-old practice that has been used for thousands of years by various cultures and religions around the world. Its origins can be traced back to ancient civilizations in India, China, and other parts of Asia, where it was used as a tool for spiritual and personal development.

Simply put, meditation’s meaning can be defined as a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. Few of the popular meditation techniques are Dhammakaya Meditation, Guided meditation, Vipassana Meditation and more.

The ancient significance of meditating varied depending on the culture and context in which it was practiced. In Hinduism, for example, meditation was seen as a path to self-realization and a way to connect with the divine. In Buddhism, meditation was used as a means of achieving enlightenment and escaping the cycle of suffering. In Taoism, meditation was used to cultivate inner peace and harmony with nature.

Benefits of Meditation

Now that we have clarified what meditation is, you can also read about the numerous benefits of meditation for both the mind and body below:

1. Reduced stress and relaxation: Meditation can help reduce stress and promote relaxation by calming the mind and slowing down the body’s physiological responses to stress. This can result in reduced levels of anxiety, fatigue, and an overall increased sense of calm and well-being.

2. Self-awareness and self-reflection: By knowing how to meditate and regular practice, individuals can become more self-aware and introspective, gaining insights into their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This self-reflection can lead to personal growth, increased self-esteem, and improved relationships with others.

3. Physical benefits: Meditation has been shown to have physical benefits, such as reducing blood pressure, improving sleep quality, and boosting the immune system. It can also help alleviate symptoms of chronic pain and improve overall physical health.

4. A pause from daily hustle: Meditation provides a much-needed break from the daily hustle and bustle, allowing individuals to step back and take a moment to quiet their minds and connect with the present moment. This can lead to increased focus, creativity, and productivity.

Overall, knowing what meditation is and incorporating it into your daily routine can have a profound impact on both mental and physical health, providing a sense of peace, clarity, and overall well-being. To help you understand meditation’s meaning some more, read about the various meditation methods and processes below.

Various Meditation Methods And Processes

Meditation is practiced in a variety of ways, with different techniques and traditions emphasizing various aspects of the practice. Here are some of the most common methods of meditation:

1. Dhammakaya Meditation: Dhammakaya meditation is a traditional Buddhist practice. It involves visualizing a crystal or a bright light at the center of the body, with the aim of developing concentration, awareness, and inner peace.

2. Guided Meditation: Guided meditation involves a teacher or recording providing verbal guidance. The focus is on guiding the meditator through visualizations or other techniques intended to cultivate relaxation, concentration, and inner peace.

3. Vipassana Meditation: Vipassana is a traditional Buddhist meditation technique that involves observing the breath and bodily sensations, with the aim of developing mindfulness and insight into the nature of reality.

4. Transcendental Meditation: Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a popular form of meditation that involves the use of a mantra, a word or sound repeated silently, with the aim of quieting the mind and achieving a deep state of relaxation.

5. Zen Meditation: Zen meditation, or Zazen, is a form of seated meditation that emphasizes stillness, concentration, and the cultivation of awareness. It often involves focusing on the breath, as well as on the present moment and the body’s sensations.

6. Present-Moment Meditation: Present-moment meditation is a technique that involves focusing the mind on the present moment, without judgment or distraction. It can be practiced while engaged in a variety of activities, such as walking, eating, or simply sitting and observing the present moment.

While the specific techniques and traditions of meditation vary, the common goal is to cultivate a greater sense of inner peace, awareness, and well-being. By practicing and mastering a meditation technique, you will understand the significance and meaning of meditation deeply and reap its wide benefits.

Common myths related to meditation

The widespread appeal of meditation has led to the spread of myths and misunderstandings surrounding this practice. These misconceptions may serve as obstacles, deterring individuals from starting a meditation routine. Even those who already practice meditation may feel inadequate if they fail to attain certain unrealistic outcomes often depicted in fanciful stories. Knowing what meditation is and what it is not is essential for practitioners and teachers. Here are some common myths related to meditation:

1. Meditation means escaping thoughts: Meditation is not about stopping or escaping thoughts altogether, but rather learning to observe them without getting caught up in them. The goal is not to eliminate thoughts, but rather to cultivate a state of awareness and detachment from them.

2. The point of meditation is not just to clear or empty your mind: While some meditation techniques may involve focusing on a particular object or clearing the mind, the true aim of meditation is not to empty the mind, but rather to develop a greater sense of awareness and focus.

3. Meditation should be effortless: While meditation can be a relaxing and rejuvenating practice, it is not always easy. It requires discipline, patience, and a willingness to confront and work through difficult thoughts and emotions.

4. I have a lot on my mind, meditation won’t work for me: In fact, meditation can be especially helpful for individuals who struggle with racing thoughts or anxiety. Through regular practice, it is possible to develop greater control over the mind and cultivate a sense of inner calm.

5. Meditation is for the mind, not the body: While meditation is primarily a mental practice, it can have numerous physical benefits, such as reducing blood pressure, improving sleep, and alleviating symptoms of chronic pain. This makes sense given the mind-body connection: it has been shown there is a link between a person’s thoughts, feelings and behavior and their physical symptoms.

6. Isn’t meditating just relaxing?:While meditation can be a relaxing practice, its benefits go far beyond relaxation. Regular practice can lead to increased focus, creativity, productivity, and overall well-being.

7. Meditation takes too long: While some meditation techniques may involve longer periods of practice, it is possible to incorporate short, focused meditation sessions into even the busiest of schedules. Just a few minutes of meditation each day can make a significant difference in overall well-being.

Meditation vs. mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. Here is a comparison of the two practices:

Meditation

Meditation is a mental practice that involves training the mind to focus and achieve a state of calm and relaxation. There are many different forms of meditation, including focused attention, open monitoring, and transcendental meditation. Some forms of meditation involve using a specific object or focus point, while others aim to cultivate a state of awareness and detachment from thoughts and emotions.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice that involves being fully present in the moment and observing thoughts and sensations without judgment. It is often practiced through focused attention on the breath or on bodily sensations, with the goal of developing a greater sense of awareness and acceptance.

While meditation and mindfulness share some similarities, such as the goal of cultivating a greater sense of awareness and inner peace, they differ in their techniques and focus.

Meditation encompasses a wide range of practices, while mindfulness is a specific type of meditation. Meditation may involve focusing on a particular object or visualization, while mindfulness involves observing thoughts and sensations in the present moment.

In popular culture, meditation and mindfulness are often used as the definition of meditation, leading to confusion about their differences. However, it’s important to understand that while they share some similarities, they are distinct practices with different techniques and approaches.

Conclusion

Knowing what meditation is is the first step to understanding how beneficial and impactful the practice can be. By dedicating a few moments every day, you can have an impact on your stress reduction and overall health.

Training the mind to help achieve a state of calm and relaxation, with the goal of cultivating a greater sense of awareness and inner peace has become necessary in the present where we are always ‘plugged in’.

The different forms of meditation, each with its own unique techniques and goals can be a challenging but rewarding practice that requires patience, discipline, and a willingness to confront difficult thoughts and emotions.

Through regular practice, it is possible to cultivate greater awareness, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve overall well-being. Learn how to meditate with Samavira meditation sessions.

Enjoyed this article? Share it!

Keep reading!

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice

May 17, 2023 No Comments

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice Are you feeling overwhelmed by stress and anxiety? Do you

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present

April 30, 2023 No Comments

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present Mindfulness has gained significant popularity in recent years. It has become a buzzword in health and wellness

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more

April 21, 2023 No Comments

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more What is Meditation? Meditation can be defined as an age-old practice that has been used

The Maharishi Effect

April 12, 2023 No Comments

Beyond Meditation: The Maharishi Effect and the Quest for Inner and Outer Peace You may have heard about the many health benefits of meditation at

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor

March 30, 2023 No Comments

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor Are you a regular meditation practitioner and feel deeply passionate about the practice and its

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far?

March 21, 2023 No Comments

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far? Meditation is a technique that’s been practiced for thousands of years, it can be dated

The Maharishi Effect

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/collective-consciousness-of-society-through-the-Maharashi-effect-8a92da0.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/collective-consciousness-of-society-through-the-Maharashi-effect-7970002.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

Beyond Meditation: The Maharishi Effect and the Quest for Inner and Outer Peace

You may have heard about the many health benefits of meditation at an individual level, but did you know that group meditations may also be able to fill the world with more positive energy and create global peace? This scenario has been studied as the Maharishi Effect. Keep reading to learn more about this phenomenon!

The Maharishi Effect is a proposed phenomenon in which a large group of people practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM) or other advanced meditation techniques can create a measurable and beneficial effect on the surrounding environment.

Moreover, the significance of the Maharishi Effect lies in its potential to promote peace and harmony on a global scale. When a group of individuals practices Transcendental Meditation or other advanced meditation techniques together, it creates a powerful field of coherence that can positively affect the surrounding environment, including reducing crime rates, improving social indicators, and promoting peace.

After knowing what the Maharishi effect is, let’s dive deeper into the concept.

History of the concept

The concept of the Maharishi effect was first introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of the Transcendental Meditation movement, in the early 1970s. Maharishi believed that by practicing TM in a group, individuals could tap into a “unified field of consciousness” that could influence the collective consciousness of the world, leading to a decrease in negative social and environmental factors.

In 1974, Maharishi organized a group of 1,000 TM practitioners to meditate together in a small town in Iowa, known as the “TM-Sidhi program”. During the course of the program, the crime rate in the surrounding area decreased significantly, leading to widespread media attention and popularizing the concept of the Maharishi effect.

Maharishi Effect Research

Research on the Maharishi Effect suggests that individual consciousness is not isolated, but can influence and be influenced by the collective consciousness of society, which can have profound implications for our understanding of the nature of consciousness and the power of human potential

There have been several scientific studies conducted on the Maharishi Effect, including both experimental and observational research. Here is a brief overview of some of the key studies:

1. The Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Program in the Prevention and Control of Crime in Washington, D.C.

This Maharishi Effect study, conducted in the early 1990s, involved a group of meditators practicing the TM-Sidhi program in Washington, D.C. Researchers found that during the time that the group was meditating, violent crime rates in the city decreased significantly, compared to the same time period in previous years.

2. A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of Transcendental Meditation on Blood Pressure

This study, published in 2006, involved a randomized controlled trial of Transcendental Meditation (TM) of a group of African American adults with high blood pressure. The study found that those who practiced TM had significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to a control group.

Overall, these studies suggest that group meditation, particularly the TM-Sidhi program, can have a positive effect on reducing crime rates, promoting peace, and improving health outcomes.

Practical implications of the Maharishi Effect

The practical applications of the Maharishi Effect are vast, and its potential as a tool for promoting peace and well-being in society is significant. Below are some of the areas where it has been applied:

1. Education

The Maharishi Effect has also been applied in the field of education. Studies have shown that schools that incorporate the Transcendental Meditation technique into their curriculum have lower absenteeism rates, increased academic performance, and reduced behavioral problems among students.

2. Health and Wellness

The Maharishi Effect has also been applied in the field of health and wellness. Studies have shown that meditation can reduce anxiety and depression as well as stress reduction and improve overall well-being.

3. Conflict Resolution

The Maharishi Effect has also been used as a tool for conflict resolution. A study conducted in the Middle East in the early 1990s found that a group of meditators practicing together was associated with a significant reduction in the number of terrorist attacks in the region.

Organizations and Initiatives that have utilized the Maharishi Effect

Here are some organizations and initiatives that have utilized the Maharishi Effect:

1. The Global Country of World Peace (GCWP)

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the creator of TM, founded this international organization. The GCWP promotes the practice of TM and the Maharishi Effect as a means of creating world peace. They organize Global Peace Assemblies, where large groups of people practice TM and the TM-Sidhi program together to create a positive influence on the world’s collective consciousness.

2. The World Peace Assembly

This is a series of large-scale TM-Sidhi programs organized by the GCWP. The first World Peace Assembly was held in Iowa in 1979 and was attended by over 1,000 people. Since then, similar assemblies have been held around the world with the aim of reducing global violence and conflict.

3. The Institute of Science, Technology, and Public Policy (ISTPP)

This research institute studies the effects of the Maharishi Effect on society. They have conducted numerous studies that suggest that large groups of people practicing TM and the TM-Sidhi program can reduce crime rates and improve social indicators such as unemployment and poverty.

Overall, these organizations and initiatives have utilized the Maharishi Effect to promote global peace and improve social indicators.

Conclusion

The Maharishi Effect has significant potential as a tool for promoting peace and well-being in society. Its practical applications in areas such as crime reduction, education, stress reduction, and conflict resolution are just a few examples of its potential benefits. With continued research and implementation, the Maharishi Effect may become a powerful tool for creating a more peaceful and prosperous world.

Your Next Step

Would you like to experience the effect of group meditations for yourself? Join our free, live-guided Inner Peace Sessions!

Enjoyed this article? Share it!

Keep reading!

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice

May 17, 2023 No Comments

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice Are you feeling overwhelmed by stress and anxiety? Do you

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present

April 30, 2023 No Comments

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present Mindfulness has gained significant popularity in recent years. It has become a buzzword in health and wellness

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more

April 21, 2023 No Comments

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more What is Meditation? Meditation can be defined as an age-old practice that has been used

The Maharishi Effect

April 12, 2023 No Comments

Beyond Meditation: The Maharishi Effect and the Quest for Inner and Outer Peace You may have heard about the many health benefits of meditation at

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor

March 30, 2023 No Comments

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor Are you a regular meditation practitioner and feel deeply passionate about the practice and its

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far?

March 21, 2023 No Comments

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far? Meditation is a technique that’s been practiced for thousands of years, it can be dated

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor

Are you a regular meditation practitioner and feel deeply passionate about the practice and its benefits? Then it is time for you to advance your passion to an impactful profession that can effectively offer a better quality of life, to you as well as your students. As a meditation instructor, you create the opportunity to have a positive impact on people’s wellbeing and yourself.

Teaching meditation is a nourishing and fulfilling activity as it involves sharing a meditative process that offers calm and relaxation. It can create a lasting impact on both the teacher and student and provide benefits in more ways than one. If you are passionate about meditation, a career as a certified meditation instructor can offer you immense personal growth, mental contentment and professional growth.

Pursuing a meditation instructor career is likely to humble you and provide you with a personal value alignment like no other. Supporting and guiding your students through a process that’s rooted in goodwill and serves a higher purpose is a wonderful path to take on professionally and move forward in life. With an ever connected world that provides constant stimulation, the demand for meditation services for individuals and companies is only increasing and a simple training could guide beginners towards a proper meditation practice.

If these values feel like your calling, here is simple guide on how to become a meditation instructor:

1. Develop a consistent practice

The first step to becoming a meditation instructor is to develop your own practice that’s consistent. This will help you deepen your understanding of meditation and you can try different meditation techniques to become familiar with different types of practices. Experience with different techniques will add skills to your teaching practice and help you discover the technique that you most resonate with. For a consistent practice, you should commit to a regular meditation routine, ideally on a daily basis, in order to cultivate a deeper understanding of meditation and its benefits.

2. Know the importance of a meditation teacher education

If you are wondering why you need a meditation teacher course in the first place, you are not alone. It is important to know what exactly a training provides before opting for one. Through the meditation teacher training and certification, a practitioner gains in-depth knowledge of meditation techniques, principles, theories and facilitation.

This expertise helps you provide the best possible guidance to your students. Also, a certification will help you build trust and credibility with potential clients, students, and employers. It demonstrates that you have gone through a rigorous training process and are committed to your profession. A certification can also enhance your opportunities, helping you make an impact and also earn an income.

3. Choose a meditation teacher certification program

Gaining a professional certification to work as a meditation teacher is more common than you may know. You can start by looking for a meditation teacher training program that’s reliable and fits your goals and timeline.

Do your own research online and look for a program that meets your needs and schedule, and also check out the qualifications and experience of the program instructors. Consider the program’s training format, cost, length, schedule, location, and any additional requirements, such as books or materials.

Not all meditation teacher training courses include certification, so opting for one that does would add another feather in your professional cap. Training formats vary in every course as they can be held in-person, live online or through pre-recorded videos. In-person classes could be a hindrance if they are not locally based but can also provide an experience that is impactful. An online live class would be much more accessible in comparison and can have the same effect on your learning if facilitated well.

4. Attend the meditation teacher training program and gain necessary skills

This step would be the most important one in your journey to becoming a meditation teacher. A training typically lasts for a few weeks and it can help you learn various meditation techniques, hone your teaching and guiding skills and build your confidence to become a meditation instructor.

The training program will also teach you how to design and deliver effective meditation classes and workshops. You’ll learn how to structure classes, create lesson plans, and guide students through different meditation techniques. Training can also hone your communication skills, where you become an active and empathetic listener and know how to offer effective feedback.

Meditation teachers often work with individuals or groups from diverse backgrounds and with different needs. A training program can help you develop your interpersonal skills, such as emotional intelligence, supporting students with their challenges, and cultural sensitivity.

5. Gain teaching experience

Once equipped with important skills, you can begin to facilitate meditation classes for students or clients. You can offer one on one classes or host groups online,or at a studio, community center, office space or gym. There are many possibilities for teaching meditation.

6. Pursue your practice, build your community and stay updated

As a meditation teacher, it is important to continue your education and stay up to date on new developments in the field. You can attend workshops, trainings, and conferences, and read books and articles to deepen your knowledge and skills.

As you gain experience and build your reputation, start building your community of students and fellow teachers. Connect with other meditation instructors, participate in online forums and groups, and create a website or social media presence to promote your classes and services.

About the Samavira Meditation Teacher Certification Training

The Samavira training program offers a supportive training over a four-week duration during which aspiring instructors will be taken through the A to Z of teaching meditation. With the Samavira meditation teacher training, you get access to various meditation techniques and a connection with a global community that shares the same passion.

At the end of the four-week meditation teacher training, you receive a certification that will highlight your skills and experience as a teacher. You will be able to develop your own style and gain confidence about your career as a meditation instructor. The program is great for every meditation practitioner and also experienced wellness facilitators, coaches and trainers.

Samavira also has a special ambassador program for those who want to extend their teaching practice into a business. This program offers additional marketing training and ongoing support on your professional path in the wellness and meditation industry.

The ambassador program also gives you licensing rights to use the Samavira brand and teach the signature 6-week meditation training to students. The program prepares you for a growing and in-demand industry that impacts and transforms lives of millions.

Does this sound like your dream job? Would you like to know more about the process?

Enjoyed this article? Share it!

Keep reading!

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice

May 17, 2023 No Comments

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice Are you feeling overwhelmed by stress and anxiety? Do you

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present

April 30, 2023 No Comments

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present Mindfulness has gained significant popularity in recent years. It has become a buzzword in health and wellness

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more

April 21, 2023 No Comments

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more What is Meditation? Meditation can be defined as an age-old practice that has been used

The Maharishi Effect

April 12, 2023 No Comments

Beyond Meditation: The Maharishi Effect and the Quest for Inner and Outer Peace You may have heard about the many health benefits of meditation at

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor

March 30, 2023 No Comments

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor Are you a regular meditation practitioner and feel deeply passionate about the practice and its

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far?

March 21, 2023 No Comments

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far? Meditation is a technique that’s been practiced for thousands of years, it can be dated

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far?

Meditation is a technique that’s been practiced for thousands of years, it can be dated as far back as 5000 BC. Ever since the growth of meditation’s popularity, a lot of research and studies have taken place. The very first piece of scientific research took place in 1936, and in 1955 with the first study to use an EEG (Electroencephalogram).

Numerous scientists have been looking into the impacts and the benefits of meditation on the brain, which left many scientists amazed. Therefore, additional studies in this particular area of practice are still being conducted.

What do we know (so far) about the brain and meditation? In this article we will go through how meditation affects the brain, how the brain changes from meditation and the many brain benefits meditation can have.

How Does Meditation Affect the Brain?

First, let’s dive into what actually happens in your brain when you meditate. Spoiler alert – it is a fascinating phenomenon!

If you’re new to meditation, the part of the brain responsible for decision-making scenarios (prefrontal cortex) is switched on during your first meditation session. This part of the brain filters experiences through a form of self-reflection.

Did you know that meditation can also help you to focus your attention better? And when you are able to control your attention, the area of the brain in charge of planning and problem-solving becomes activated – which is the frontal lobe. During this state, your thoughts are more clear, more sensible, and more balanced, which helps you to see in a more neutral way.

If you were to meditate for about 12 weeks, the areas of the brain responsible for generating and regulating emotions will turn on. During this phase, empathy can be developed and levels of compassion can increase. All these effects can become stronger, the more (and longer) you practice meditation.

The brain itself is a complex organ, and this can get very scientific! If you want to know more about what exactly happens to your brain when you meditate, a great video from Beautiful Science further explains the brain changes from meditation. Or, if you want to read a more in-depth way be sure to check out the exact science of what happens to your brain when you meditate by Neurohacker.

Meditation and Brain Activity

Meditation can also affect and change parts of the brain’s activity. Studies have found that over time meditation may lead to an increase in gray matter density.

Gray matter starts to shrink with age and it contains most of the brain’s nerve-related cell bodies. Gray matter includes parts of the brain involved with muscle control, our senses, memory, and emotions.

Meditation can also physically change the brain’s neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to reorganize and change throughout your life. Your behavior and lifestyle are significant forces on the brain. Whatever you do in your life, your brain will create new and adjust cell connections.

What else is interesting is meditation has also proven to have helped to increase the white matter. This white matter is responsible for helping us think and stay balanced.

Our brain waves can also be altered and changed through meditation. There are five recognized brain waves that we have and they can change depending on what we are doing and how we are feeling.

Research has shown that meditation can lead to an increase in the production of both alpha and theta waves.

When meditating for a longer period of time, research has found that the alpha frequencies can become the brain’s dominant brain wave. A 2020 article review of the various effects meditation has on patients found with a dominant alpha brain wave are have:

1) Improved quality of sleep

2) Decreased anxiety and depression

3) Improved memory and learning

4) Lower stress levels

Meditation can also impact our gamma brain waves. These are the fastest brain waves we have, which aid us in processing information, memory, and awareness. A particular study that measured the brainwaves of those advanced meditators showed that they had higher levels of gamma waves due to their dedication and long-term practice of meditation.

Not only can meditation change parts of the brain. It can also affect how we handle stress, our emotions, and our thoughts – thereby creating clearer and calmer minds.

Benefits of Meditation on the Brain

The human brain is the most powerful organ, it controls and regulates our actions and reactions, but it also allows us to think and feel. That’s what makes us individual humans, and as we can get sick and wounded, so can the brain.

There are many different kinds of illnesses and disorders that affect the brain. Different forms of mental illness, migraines, and as well as Alzheimer’s – to name a few. These can all affect our quality of life, our relationships, as well as decline our health.

Today meditation has created a pathway to help and aid those in their everyday lives. Often advised by doctors and specialists to make it part of the patient’s daily routine.
So how can meditation help with brain health?

An article from the Dana Foundation, explains the four ways to prevent Alzheimer’s, which include yoga and meditation. Explaining that “stress has a detrimental effect on genes” and that even a 12-minute simple meditation benefits the brain.

In a 2013 research article, a 2-week meditation training was conducted. The results showed that those who were addicted to smoking tobacco had a 60% reduction in smoking. As well as scans showing increase of brain activity. Improving a person’s self-control and minimizing addictive habits.

What else is very interesting is the effect that meditation has on our brain chemicals. Meditation helps us to naturally release certain chemicals (or Key Neurotransmitters) and helps control the balance of hormones. There are over 40 of these neurotransmitters and practicing a form of meditation can positively impact their levels, such as:

1) Serotonin: Controls our attention, behavior, and body temperature

2) Melatonin: Helps with timing the 24-hour internal clock (circadian rhythms) and sleep

3) Cortisol: The main stress hormone. Restricts what would be non-essential or harmful in a “fight or flight” situation

4) Endorphins: Help to relieve pain, and stress and improve our mood

5) DHEA: Helps to produce other hormones (including testosterone and estrogen)

6) GABA: A chemical messenger in the brain, also produces a calming effect

7) Somatotropin: Replaces the growth hormones produced in the body (also known as the Growth Hormone hGH/HGH)

As we age, so does our brain. In our 20s our brains will naturally begin to deteriorate, then shrink in our 30s and 40s. A study of an 18-year analysis of the mind of a Buddhist monk, published in 2020, revealed that the monk’s intense meditation practice has slowed down the aging process of the brain by eight years.

What we know so far about meditation and the brain are still being studied, with researchers finding out more amazing things about meditation and the brain, and the benefits of meditation on the brain.

As you see from the studies in this article how the brain changes from meditation and how we can all find time to use this amazing tool to benefit our mental health and overall wellbeing.

You don’t need to be religious to start meditating and to gain all these brain benefits. It is a practice that needs time and dedication, like a lot of other things. There are many different meditation methods out there, you just need to find the one that works for you.

Your next step

Would you like to continue exploring all these benefits of meditation in practice? Join our (free!) live guided Inner Peace Sessions!

Enjoyed this article? Share it!

Keep reading!

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice

May 17, 2023 No Comments

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice Are you feeling overwhelmed by stress and anxiety? Do you

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present

April 30, 2023 No Comments

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present Mindfulness has gained significant popularity in recent years. It has become a buzzword in health and wellness

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more

April 21, 2023 No Comments

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more What is Meditation? Meditation can be defined as an age-old practice that has been used

The Maharishi Effect

April 12, 2023 No Comments

Beyond Meditation: The Maharishi Effect and the Quest for Inner and Outer Peace You may have heard about the many health benefits of meditation at

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor

March 30, 2023 No Comments

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor Are you a regular meditation practitioner and feel deeply passionate about the practice and its

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far?

March 21, 2023 No Comments

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far? Meditation is a technique that’s been practiced for thousands of years, it can be dated

7 reasons why people meditate and why you should start today

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/meditation-improves-mental-health-bb9a5b3.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/meditation-improves-mental-health-5484672.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

7 reasons why people meditate and why you should start today

Do you also wonder why people meditate? In the words of the Dalai Lama, “We can think of meditation as a technique by which we diminish the force of old thought habits and develop new ones”. He provides a perspective that makes meditation powerful. When you think about meditation, a few words come to mind. You think of inner peace, calmness, balance, and well-being. It is a transformational practice. The benefits of meditation are many. Yet, there are a lot of questions about what it is and why people practice it.

Understanding meditation

Meditation is a range of practices that involve clearing your mind and focusing on the present using a combination of physical and mental techniques. It calms the mind and improves well-being. Some forms of meditation involve mentally focusing on a sensation, breathing, focusing on a visual image, or on a repeated word known as a mantra.

Overall, there are 4 main types of meditation, all with proven benefits. These benefits form the basis for why people meditate. We will look at a few of them in more depth in this article.

7 Proven Reasons Why People Meditate

1. Meditation helps improve concentration

One of the main benefits of meditation is that it improves concentration. Meditation trains the mind to live in the present and focus on one thing. By doing that, people can boost their mental focus. And this helps them in task completion and relaxation.

A study evaluated the impact of meditation training on cognitive functions. It concluded that practitioners improved their self-reported mindfulness, rumination, and sustained attention (Chambers et al., 2008). Meditation helps people maintain calmness and emotional balance, resulting in better concentration.

2. Meditation improves mental health

Meditation is not a silver bullet for mental health issues. Yet, regular meditation reduces stress, anxiety levels, and depression symptoms. Meditation practitioners reported improvements in their self-esteem, mental focus, and mood.

A clinical trial evaluated the effect of a 12-week meditation course on participants. The study concluded that meditation improves the mental health of young adults. Another study found that daily meditation enhanced mood, emotional regulation, and attention.

3. Meditation improves physical health

Apart from the mental health benefits, physical health is also at the top of the list of why people meditate. To give you some examples: regular meditation introduces a lifestyle change that can trigger fatigue reduction and weight loss. Many studies also show that meditation stabilizes blood circulation, regulates blood pressure and improves metabolism.

Researchers at the American Heart Association Scientific stated that meditation increases mental and physical relaxation. And that would lead to better outcomes after a cardiovascular incident. They further analyzed the data of over 61,000 participants from the National Health Interview Survey and concluded that meditation also helped reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular disease.

Research also shows that meditation reduces the effects of dementia and improves cognitive health (Russell-Williams et al., 2018).

4. Meditation improves self-awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to look inwards and assess how your thoughts, emotions, or actions align with your purpose. Practicing meditation gives you clarity of thought. As a result, you can take stock of your feelings and actions. Meditation takes you to a place of inner peace and calmness. And when you get there, you connect with your inner self.

The world is fast-paced. Work and family. Distractions from social media. Then there is technology. Life serves us an endless stream of activities. With these distractions, losing track of your true self is easy. To become more self-aware, you need to stop doing, stop thinking, and focus on yourself. Meditation helps you do this.

5. Meditation can help overcome addiction

In 2020, the United Nations reported that over 284 million people aged 15-64 struggle with drug addiction. And every year, 11.8 million people globally die from the effects of drug abuse. Drug use and addiction are soaring.

People are turning to meditation to help them recover from substance addiction. People recovering from addiction usually complain of anxiety, stress, pain, and poor sleep. These complaints often become triggers that make them go back to substance use. Research has found that meditation reduces the effect of those trigger symptoms.

Meditation also increases emotional stability and reduces post-acute withdrawal symptoms. This stabilizes recovering addicts. Studies show that mindfulness meditation helps in preventing relapse and treating addictive disorders. The benefits of meditation help manage symptoms of withdrawals, cravings, and triggers (Wani & Singh, 2019).

6. Meditation helps to reduce stress

According to a recent survey, 41% of adults reported some form of stress. It is an alarming number. Hence, it is no surprise that people turn to meditation for stress and anxiety relief. It is one of the main reasons why people meditate.

Meditation gives the body the opposite of what stress does to it. Stress leaves the body in emotional, physical, or psychological discomfort. But meditation ushers a state of peace and tranquility. In that state, you can organize your thoughts and decide what to focus on. Meditation also trains your mind and increases your mental fortitude. That way, you control your internal feelings and reduce stress.

According to Gamaiunova et al. (2019), meditation practitioners adapt to stress through acceptance and positive reappraisal. In other words, when they find themselves in challenging situations, they are able to remain calm and adapt their minds to see the positives. These adaptive emotions amplify quicker recovery from stress.

7. Meditation improves sleep

Sleep is essential for good health and well-being. And like St. Thomas Aquinas once said, “a good sleep can ease sorrow”. But, how important is sleep?

Insufficient sleep is an underlying cause of many negative social and health outcomes. In the United States, insufficient sleep accelerates 7 of the 15 major causes of death (Chattu et al., 2019).

Yet, 44% of people report worsening sleep quality, and 37% struggle with insomnia. Many adults are at risk of the adverse effects of poor sleep quality. Meditation improves sleep. It triggers the body to ramp up natural melatonin production. Melatonin is the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. The more your body produces it, the better you can sleep.

Overall, meditating before sleep also helps. Researchers conducted a mixed-method study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The result supports the efficacy of meditation for better sleep (Desai et al., 2021). Several other studies also conclude that meditation promotes better sleep (Kanchibhotla et al., 2021; Amarnath et al., 2017).

Conclusion

You asked the question. Now you have the answer. Generally, people practice meditation for mindfulness, emotional balance, inner peace, better sleep, and well-being. The list of benefits is endless and backed by research. And the best part? It is accessible, easy to start, and anyone can practice it.

Samavira Community Survey

We ran a survey amongst the students of our Samavira Meditation Training, to learn more about the reasons why they meditate, and hence the reasons why they signed up for our training!

50% of our students started their meditation practice to reduce stress and increase self-awareness. In addition, almost 40% of our students use meditation to let go of negative emotions, reduce overthinking, and reduce overwhelm. Others meditate because they want to feel more grateful, be more focused, and receive more inspirational ideas and insights!

As you can see – for us, meditation is more than just a stress-reducing tool. What is your main reason to start your practice? 🙂

Your next step

Want to start your meditation journey after reading about all these powerful benefits?

Join our free live-guided wellness sessions!

Enjoyed this article? Share it!

Keep reading!

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice

May 17, 2023 No Comments

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice Are you feeling overwhelmed by stress and anxiety? Do you

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present

April 30, 2023 No Comments

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present Mindfulness has gained significant popularity in recent years. It has become a buzzword in health and wellness

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more

April 21, 2023 No Comments

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more What is Meditation? Meditation can be defined as an age-old practice that has been used

The Maharishi Effect

April 12, 2023 No Comments

Beyond Meditation: The Maharishi Effect and the Quest for Inner and Outer Peace You may have heard about the many health benefits of meditation at

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor

March 30, 2023 No Comments

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor Are you a regular meditation practitioner and feel deeply passionate about the practice and its

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far?

March 21, 2023 No Comments

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far? Meditation is a technique that’s been practiced for thousands of years, it can be dated

Meditation, Mindfulness, and Focus – An Interview with A Monk Part 3

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/Monk-Pasura-listening-to-a-young-lady-speak-cf8e119.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/Monk-Pasura-listening-to-a-young-lady-speak-28699bc.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

Meditation, Mindfulness, and Focus – An Interview with A Monk Part 3

We hosted an interview with a Buddhist Monk Pasura from Thailand. Monk Pasura is one of the Monks who trained Samavira’s founder Lauren when she lived in a Buddhist monastery in Thailand. We spoke about meditation, mindfulness, focus and more. Enjoy the read! 🙂

My question was really about our emotional regulation. So like when you are overly avoiding a particular emotional state or overly focusing on a particular emotional state, or you are in it rather than observing it, you can be quite dis-regulated. I think a lot of what you said already answered some of this with the filtering, process, and acceptance, but I wondered if you had any more wisdom to that and I wondered if you had any posture tips, I would like to sit for long there, I’ve tried all kinds of positions and my legs are always dead, so, yeah.

So, two questions. The first one, we usually let our emotions consume us and become victims of our own emotions. And then that’s actually not focusing on the emotions, we actually become sort of a victim of our own emotions. So every emotion needs to flow because that’s essentially the word emotion, which means it is movement.

So as long as you’re still part of that movement, you are still being consumed by the emotion. Which means in that movement, you have to be still. Whenever you are still, that movement slowly turns until it runs out until it no longer has that effect on you. But the moment you are part of that movement, of that motion, it continues to accelerate because you add a few, you are the guest.

So first thing first, whenever you notice that your emotions are starting to consume you, you’ll notice that your state of peace is changing. So then, take a break, a mental break, a step back because that stillness will help you to notice the emotions. And it’s not about trying to recollect it, because the moment you try to control it is the moment that you actually input more acceleration into the emotion itself.

So instead you should watch it flow until you understand what is happening in that situation. And then when you resume the action, the action itself will not be a part of that emotion. But if you try to regulate the emotions, you’re gonna jump right back in and stir it up again.

Imagine this, you’re upset, and you know that you’re upset. And you try to recollect yourself by focusing on what you’re upset about. But the human mind doesn’t work that way because whatever we focus on, gets bigger. So if you focus on it more, you get more upset, not less upset. So instead I should take a step back to notice what is happening to me at that moment. And identify it, for instance, it might be a problem at work. Maybe there are some people who keep acting like they don’t understand what I’m saying.

So, maybe the way I explain it doesn’t make sense to them. Let me lay it out differently to see if that will work out. Meaning, if I turn that into a different action, and step out of that motion, I can find a better resolution to the problem.

About the sitting posture, first of all, don’t get caught up with this perfect/ideal posture that we have seen, because it’s more about your body. Meditation is about finding that balance between awareness and comfort. With too much awareness, you’ll be tense. Too much comfort, you’ll be sleepy. So most of the time people tend to get lost in wanting to focus on keeping their mind still.

But you can’t force your mind to stop thinking. You can only slow it down by sitting back, waiting, and watching it until it slows down on its own. This means you need to sit the longest you can and that requires you to sit as comfortably as you can while you remain aware. So it doesn’t matter if you sit on the chair, couch, bed, floor, whichever style, legs up pointing forward, it’s up to you as long as you can sit there and feel like I don’t have to worry about my body anymore.

That’s the first part. Secondly, accept that your body has limits. It doesn’t require you to meditate by sitting still completely for three hours straight up because even I move. The human body has limitations, and that means we can’t be in the same position for too long. Human teachers will not be able to stand the pressure. So at a certain point, you will notice it, but there’s something about it.

Have you ever enjoyed reading books or watching a movie that was so fun and you stayed there for a few hours without noticing? The moment that you capture something, you tend to withdraw from perceiving the physical sensation.

So same thing with the mind, with meditation. If you really enjoy that entire time of meditation, you don’t really pay attention to the body. When you actually meditate longer, it’s not that you erase the pain, you don’t perceive the pain. So the thing is you just ignore it. If you tell yourself if I’m feeling some pain, gently adjust, or start again. Come back to where you sit back, relax, and enjoy the meditation.

Put it this way. When you go to the cinema, what do you do? You find the best seat where you can sit back, relax, and watch the movie. Here you are not an actress, director, or commentator. You just need to shut up and watch the movie while you sit back, relax, and enjoy it.

Whenever you feel that your seat is becoming uncomfortable, you adjust yourself and keep watching. Anytime you get wandering thoughts, it’s like you jump to the screen, come and access it then return to your seat where you can sit back, relax, and watch it.

A question regarding meditation and healing. How do you see, how can we heal ourselves and others and the world as a whole through the practice of meditation?

The process of healing depends on many aspects, but meditation allows us to reflect on what’s happening within ourselves. In the past, people thought mindfulness is about being in the present, but it also actually means being aware of what happened to you in the moment.

So that you can be aware when you are looking at the past and you can be aware of it as you look into the future as well. So that’s actually part of mindfulness. And when you do so, you create a next step, which is introspection or retrospection. Which means you are able to kind of review the whole thing. But what would happen is then you start to make sense of it, this is actually a lesson to learn, something that I understand happened to me, except if that’s on my part so I can move on from it.

So all of this is related to the process of healing because at the end of the day, we can’t erase anything in our life, even though we want to forget something, we won’t. The human brain doesn’t work that way. But we try to pretend that it doesn’t hurt anymore because we can’t forget about it. At the end of the day, you can’t! You can only learn to live with it and understand that it already happened so it’s something that you are not victimizing yourself anymore and you can move on from that.

And that is a process of healing that really comes, including other things that you have been, traumatized with different experiences in life. Those are things that we can reflect on and study to accept as who we are, and that’s when we can move on. Otherwise, we keep rejecting ourselves all the time and when everybody starts doing that to themselves it actually helps them to see other people from different perspectives too.

That everybody has this sad story of pain that they don’t even know about. And that sometimes becomes the behavior that people act in a certain way. And when you feel that sense of understanding that brings kindness and compassion in your actions towards others and that makes the whole world a lot easier.

How do you see trauma and meditation? Would you say that meditation can help or should it come in the healing process a little bit later on?

It actually comes automatically. The moment you’re meditating, you might settle down your memory that has been suppressed or slowly kind of unwinds it. And it will pop up. Sometimes we pop up just the feelings or kind of power like images, but it’s for you to deal with.

It’s like when you open the carpet and the dust comes out and you are like, ‘no, there’s the dust.’ And try to convince yourself it’s not there. So you sort of notice that now this is the dust and you can now put the dust aside. Now I’m just gonna put it in that corner or the dust bin where I no longer need to think about it anymore or at least you get to deal with it rather than just every time you look at the carpet, you know it’s under there, but you pretend it’s not there and it’s haunting you.

So those can really help you heal. But it takes time. It depends on how deep the scar is, the deeper the scar, the longer it takes. But eventually, it’s said that thinking about it and reliving those experiences will slowly transform you into living with those experiences. And that’s the big change and basically reintegrating it.

You stop judging and victimizing yourself from those experiences, and start to move on from it. It can take quite a while, but in the end, obviously, it’s worth it. I mean, that goes without saying, but also, Finding the support of practices like meditation or finding the support of meditation, finding support of, of course, also people around you.

What I wanted to ask was, introspection is beneficial but people still tend to avoid it or are afraid to go deeper within themselves. Why do you believe, or why do you think that people might be afraid of introspection, or why do people avoid it?

For a number of things though, people look for validation from others. So throughout a lifetime of that, means that the person is always feeling insecure to embrace themselves and accept how vulnerable and flawed they are.

Everybody has flaws, but it’s not everyone can accept that. They have a flaw to move on from that. And because of that, a lot of people are afraid of accepting who they are. And that’s why everyone creates this image that’s an illusion of liking themselves and everybody thinks of this image as you. Then you try to protect that image so hard instead of accepting who you are and that makes an introspection of realizing yourself and the other worlds very hard because they don’t want to embrace who they are. Yet life is not picture perfect as we tend to create it.

Secondly, there are two types of people in the world. Those that don’t know that they don’t know and those that know that they don’t know. The first one doesn’t know that they don’t know anything. So they don’t know that. They don’t even know themself. So that’s why they don’t bother taking time to look inside themselves or to introspect at all. They think they know what it is about themselves already. So that’s actually what makes it really, really hard, as are the people who know that they don’t know anything about themselves, so they want to know more about themselves.

And that is actually the second stage. That’s why, for them to open up to it, it takes a lot of time and moments for them to look inside until they start to see a glimpse of it because the moment they see within is not as scary as they believe it would be, they actually become more accustomed to it, as friendlier rather than being hostile to that and then they start to accept it.

Because in order for you to solve a problem, you have to admit that you have a problem, accept the problem, and realize that you have it in order to, to resolve it. But if we keep rejecting it, we never really face it. Meaning we are always in flight mode, running away. It’s very important to acknowledge the issue before you can learn to accept them.

What do you believe consciousness is? If you have an answer to that?

In our context, consciousness is the mind. And the mind is not the body, not the brain, and not the heart because the mind is different. For us, we explained it as this different element that has the ability to think, memorize, perceive, and know. So when you are conscious of something, the mind perceives and goes through everything, every thinking process until it becomes the realization of something.

That’s consciousness. It needs to work with the body because the brain is like an office for the mind. So it’s a kind of software and hardware. The mind, and the consciousness is software and brain is hardware. So they kind of connect to each other, but not exactly the same things.

That’s how we explain it. The key point is we can always upgrade the software, which is the consciousness of the mind, but the hardware tends to stick to the way it has been ever since we grew up. So it’s not easy to upgrade the hardware, but we can always focus on upgrading the software with the hope that it will stimulate, enhance or optimize the hardware.

For someone who wants to meditate and for some reason, their region does not allow/ holds them back from meditation, how can that person learn/practice meditation? Asking this because I intend to train/provoke others to at least start meditating to reap the benefits of that. Is there any kind/alternative method like walking meditation, or anything like that, that people or even children can start with?

That’s a very good question, but first of all, let’s go back to the meaning of the word meditation itself. Meditation is a skill that enhances the ability to stay conscious and be aware of the present moment, basically.

So now, the problem is that people have this perception and idea that meditation is a religious practice. Let me go back to the 1960s in the US, back then, people still thought of meditation as a religious practice. So they didn’t call it meditation, they referred to it as ‘attention enhancing techniques.

My point is that, for instance, ‘chicken’ is an English word. In Thai, we call it ‘gai’, in Chinese it’s called ‘iro’. It doesn’t matter what you call it. It is that thing, that poetry meat that you eat anyway. It’s good when you fry it. That’s all.

So what matters now is that if you just say, ‘I’m gonna be gonna practice meditation together’, it’ll be an issue. But probably, if you paraphrase it and use other words, for example, say this is ‘we are gonna do a little workshop about enhancing our focus’. You don’t have to call it meditation because it’s just a name and you can create a name for it in different ways.

That doesn’t refer to the connotation because at the end of the day, if you ask someone to focus on their breathing, to visualize something bright within themselves, repeating the word that they come up with, there’s nothing religious about it at all. So whether you choose walking, meditation, sitting down, or breathing, it doesn’t really matter as long as you don’t call it meditation.

That way, people won’t get that weird idea of it. You just have to explain it. For instance, we can say a workshop for reducing stress, enhancing attention, awareness, consciousness, or healing process. There are many ways that you can call it. I was just teaching kids meditation in Austria last week, and what I did was simple.

I told them, ‘Okay kids, I want you to sit down. Imagine that you’re sitting in the nighttime. Now I want you to pick a star, the brightest one in the sky. Just pick it. You got it. And then eat it like candy. Now let’s play a game. The game is very simple. The game is called Guardian. So I want you to keep looking at the star inside yourself.

Okay? As long as you can see it, you can guard it. If you lose sight of it, something will take it away. Don’t let the monster take it away. Okay? Now let’s look at it from the top. Now turn this time to a moon. Now let’s turn this time to the sun. Now imagine you are flying.’ And that’s it.

It’s more of the name that some people get caught up with, instead of what it is. Because they’re just hearing things without getting the experience that this is not about religion.

And it doesn’t matter what religion you practice. Meditation doesn’t change what you believe in. It actually helps you to understand what you believe in a lot better. So to go back to the core of what meditation actually is, without calling it a meditation so that people are more open to the practice.

If you’d like to read the other parts of the interview as well, you can find them here:

Enjoyed this article? Share it!

Keep reading!

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice

May 17, 2023 No Comments

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice Are you feeling overwhelmed by stress and anxiety? Do you

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present

April 30, 2023 No Comments

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present Mindfulness has gained significant popularity in recent years. It has become a buzzword in health and wellness

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more

April 21, 2023 No Comments

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more What is Meditation? Meditation can be defined as an age-old practice that has been used

The Maharishi Effect

April 12, 2023 No Comments

Beyond Meditation: The Maharishi Effect and the Quest for Inner and Outer Peace You may have heard about the many health benefits of meditation at

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor

March 30, 2023 No Comments

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor Are you a regular meditation practitioner and feel deeply passionate about the practice and its

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far?

March 21, 2023 No Comments

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far? Meditation is a technique that’s been practiced for thousands of years, it can be dated

Negative self beliefs, positive thinking and compassion – An Interview with A Monk

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/Lauren-listening-to-Monk-Pasura-1b8f1e4.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/Lauren-listening-to-Monk-Pasura-b8e62c8.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

Negative self beliefs, positive thinking and compassion – An Interview with A Monk

We hosted an interview with a Buddhist Monk Pasura from Thailand. Monk Pasura is one of the Monks who trained Samavira’s founder Lauren when she lived in a Buddhist monastery in Thailand.

We spoke about negative self beliefs, positive thinking, compassion and more. Enjoy the read! 🙂

First of all, I’d like you to introduce yourself a little bit and say who you are, what you do in life, which is quite obvious, but nonetheless. And what should we know about you?

Well, my name is Monk Pasura and I’ve been a monk for 17 years. I became a monk at 28, but I also had the chance to practice meditation at a very young age and ongoing until I became a monk. But after I became a monk, I also got the chance to conduct meditation sessions in many countries across the world, more than 70 countries so far.

So generally, my part would be to introduce and also explain how meditation really works so that everyone can benefit from the practice of meditation, regardless of their race, religion or belief. Because it emphasizes how to develop the state of mind for being conscious and more aware.

The mind versus the body. Some people say that our minds are more tired than our bodies are. Would you agree or how do you see this? And what do you say about this?

Actually, I totally agree with that statement because you use your mind and when you feel tired, you just sit down and rest. You just watch Netflix, YouTube, and you think you’re resting, but your mind doesn’t rest at all. In this case, you’re actually still using your mind.

Not to mention, when you have a lot of stuff in your mind and you go to sleep, you actually have this crazy dream that makes you feel even more excited because your mind keeps on working all night long taking all of those thoughts into account, into working all night. So basically your mind doesn’t learn to rest or to slow down at all. So that makes your mind even more tired.

But our bodies when we feel exhausted, you can decide to take a deep breath to kind of settle it out a bit, take a shower, take a hot bath and that’s a lot easier. But as for the mind, we tend to forget it. The thing is that we don’t see the mind, so it’s easy for us to neglect taking care of our mind because we don’t see it. Then you forget we have it.

The body is kind of easy to feel, but the mind, the hard part of that is we don’t see it and it becomes a habit to have an exhausted mind. When you have a lot of troubles and you just keep adding them up without resolving them, it’s kind of like suppressing and pressing them in a can.

So it keeps adding up until you become unhappy. Some people think it is normal for us to be stressed out, depressed, or unhappy. While it’s actually not. We are supposed to be happy. This becomes easier when we establish a mind-body connection.

So would you say that the actual natural state of the mind is to be calm, content, happy, peaceful, right?

Yeah, exactly. That is the spiritual state of mind when there’s nothing involved or interrupting. It’s just like when you stay still, you don’t really do anything. You feel relaxed, at ease. That should be the normal state of the mind. Whenever the mind gets tense, that means that the mind has woken up.

Then the mind starts to jump around, catching stuff and grip on things without letting go. So that’s what happens with the mind. It now acts like an octopus rubbing all these tentacles, and holding on to things and never letting go. So it becomes tense the whole time.

Whenever you meditate, you start to feel like everything’s kind of unwinding. You notice that you’re feeling like your insides are loosening up, feel kind of hollow and kind of broaden it within yourself, that is actually the sign that your mind is already sort of like releasing the grip.

But we can’t do it consciously at first, and as days go by, we have more responsibilities and more things to do, and whenever you let go of one thing, there’s still something else to grab on anyway. So you, you kind of need those kinds of practices in order to tell the mind, ‘hey, this is the time. I just want to lay it down, let it go’, so that you can place them all up front and then see whatever needs to be worked on later.

When you face a challenge, what do you do? How do you go about finding a solution for that?

Pause first. A lot of the time we like to react. You know, reaction is like when you throw a ball against the wall it just bounces right back. So the harder you throw it, the harder it bounces back. So that’s the reaction. And it tends to come back with a lot of strength, a lot of emotions, a lot of energy going right back at the problem.

And that doesn’t really solve it, it’s more like you’re just pointing an arrow straight into the problems. So what I really do when things really get rough is to sort of pause and step back a bit. So, just instead of it becoming a wall, it’s like you have a perforated wall, something that’s softer and it really softened the impacts.

Then things tend to bounce back a bit softer. When you’re no longer part of the puzzle, you start to see things in a different perspective. That way your thoughts become more logical. You start to see the answer in different ways. Things become more responsive rather than reactive. And that for me, is really helpful.When things get really, really rough.

Sometimes, some problems actually don’t need to be solved much at all. We just need to wait a bit more for things to resolve themselves. A lot of times, we want to take control of every little aspect and want everything to turn out the way we expect it to be.

And that’s tough because we end up being overworked unnecessarily and sometimes we make it even worse.

In other words, if you want to have a better idea, you have to think outside of the box. But as long as you’re in the box, you can’t think ‘outside of the box’. So if you want to think outside of the box, you’ve got to step out of the box first.

You know, as long as you’re part of the things in the box, you won’t see anything else. You’ll still see the frame, so you have to step away and look at it from the top. And be like ‘I’m not in the box now. I see all the players in the box’.

And it’s also like sometimes we try to really convince someone of our viewpoints, but we talk to them while they are still in their box as well. So it’s the same principle.

Would you say that meditation is, for most people, the most powerful modality that can help with this? Or would you say meditation and other modalities, or does it depend on the type of person that you are? How do you see that?

I know that meditation sounds kind of like a serious practice. I want us to think a little bit back to the days when there wasn’t much technology. Every culture around the world had these kind of silent moments to yourself. In every culture, in every civilization, you’d pray, chant, meditate and have some silent moment before you go to bed.

You know, like when you tuck your kid in bed, you read a nice story for them to focus on something positive. That should be the time that we have for ourselves. Basically, in the old days that was what we had. But these days, we are bombarding ourselves with a lot of media, from the phones or the tablets, televisions, until we don’t really have a silent moment for us to reflect.

And when we don’t reflect on what happened to us or what we should do in future, or what am I standing for right now at the moment, we can’t let go. So we can just keep adding it up and it never gets resolved because we have to reflect on what we have been putting out.

And we think that by just putting it in the back of our own mind, just like under a carpet, we pretend it doesn’t exist and everything will be just fine. But it’s not! Because I know that it’s right there in the back of my head.

Whenever I’m down, whenever I’m vulnerable, that’s when it comes back and that’s when it hurts me the most. So if we get that chance to have that silent moment to look inside to, just to make a little reflection of things that need to be let go, things that need to be resolved, that need to be dealt with later on.

We categorize them. Now I’m settled. I know where I stand. I know where I need to go next. And that makes life more stable and peaceful.

What do you believe are the biggest causes of negative self-beliefs? Where do you believe it comes from, that negativity?

It’s just like when you were born, there’s already a lot of bacteria in your stomach. There’s a lot of fungus, bacteria on your skin. If you put it into a microscope, you can see them. So it has always been something that we accumulate over a lifetime and it’s there waiting for when we are weak.

Whenever we are weak, it means that our immune system is low, which affects us. It makes us sick. Same as our mind. It has this for a long time throughout our lifetime, we keep adding up and each time we let our mind wander, be affected by people, situations, circumstances, until our anger, our frustration, our jealousy, egos start to stir up, we’re adding up more and the more that we make a stir up, the more we cash on them, we are adding up more. It leads to having low compassion for oneself.

So that’s how we accumulate and carry it to the next life. That’s the thing. Whenever our mind is negative and we have negative self-beliefs, let’s say if the water is blue, everything I see will be blue, right? Which means I perceive the world in a blue color, instead of seeing the world according to reality.

So basically if the blue color is anger, that means I will see the world based on my anger. So my thoughts, my words and actions will be based on my anger, which is going to be a bit more violent, more hurtful, more spiteful.

And that will of course create a negative effort on me. When they say something bad to me, like they don’t like me, instead that will stir up my mind even more. Then it can generate more negative actions. So it’s kind of a vicious cycle, it keeps going on and on.

That’s why we focus on going back to the source. How can we actually keep our minds all steady and become more aware so that we can keep ‘the ink’ intact. And then when that ink is intact, it starts getting clearer. Now I can have clear thoughts and that leads to better words and better actions, which means it leads to more positive thinking, more positive consequences and a more positive self-image, so I kind of reverse the cycle with that.

Basically meaning that it doesn’t really matter as much where it comes from, because we are actually born with it. What matters more is what you do with it. It’s like you try to complain that you have fungus on your body and be like, ‘who put it in my body?’

It doesn’t help you if you know who put it in there, but it matters if you know a way to kill it.

So how should we deal with it mind-wise?

Technically, each time you’re meditating those things (the ink) get filtered out. We call it the purification process. You actually get to filter out each time you’re meditating. But the problem is that the moment you open your eyes after meditation, the mind tends to go out and capture more. So this leads to the next part, which is the lifestyle I was talking about. Because a disciplined lifestyle will help you keep your mind more mindful, by becoming more aware and at least making it less distracted.

Which means, let’s say you have a hundred percent of ink and you filter out, let’s say 5%, so when you go on the day, that 5% is already added back. But if you become more mindful, you probably add back like 2%. So when you meditate again, you reduce under the five and then you add more tools.

So it’s kind of reducing overtime. But if we don’t do this, we’ll keep adding up just like before, or even more. But if you keep meditating, eventually you’ll eventually win. That’s actually what it is. And of course it is going back to the way your lifestyle is. That’s why meditation is one part.

It helps you get deeper and become more aware. And then if you carry that awareness outside, your interaction with others will be from a place of peace, kindness and compassion. And eventually, there will be no more ink added as you continuously clean out the ink.

What about negative habits, like bad habits, impulse, all those things? How should we deal with those? Is it a similar process? Is it different?

Similar, but a bit more action oriented because all habits come from repetitive actions. Everything that we say, do or think repeatedly becomes a habit, and the moment it becomes a habit, it’s kind of an automatic program that we already install.

So the moment it is triggered by the stimuli it’s activated. Just like when you see someone that you don’t like, you just get irritated automatically. Even if that person doesn’t do anything, they’re just sitting right there. Their breathing is enough to make you irritated, which doesn’t make sense at all. Right? And that’s because it’s the habit of the mind that we have already developed.

Which means I have to consciously change the cause of the action when I have been in contact with that trigger. And if I keep changing that direction repeatedly, it will create a new part of the habits or a new part of the program that will be activated the moment I see the triggers. So that will change.

Actually, there’s a science behind that. Habit is basically created by two neurons in our brain. So whenever this neuron is triggered, it will send some sort of connection to the other neuron for action, so they become a path. And the more often you trigger, the more often you will create the path and they become more liquidated.

And this moment that we created in our brain is there for a lifetime. It doesn’t get erased, that’s the thing. So, you can never erase your old habit. You can only create a new path. And you just need to make this new path become more liquidated than the first one until the neuron’s signal will automatically jump to some other one instead of this initial one.

Which is quite interesting because some people say that you can weaken that path but you have to replace it instead so that it still weakens, but more because the new one becomes stronger than the initial path.

That’s actually research from people with alcoholic associations, shows that even people who are sober for like 10 years, when they hit a really big bomb that they can’t solve, they can go back to drinking because that old path is still there. So basically it means we have to be really careful with which bad habits or negative habits we fall into because they may bite you in the ass.

They can come back anytime and certainly when the trigger is very strong. But it doesn’t go away. It means that if you become more mindful about what’s going on, you can always stick to the new path.

Why do you think that people these days mostly seek quick fixes? To improve, get better, get rid of things. Why is that?

Generally, humans love to have quick fixes because that’s easy. But what my master explains is that now we live in the world of everything industrialized.

So it’s not like in the old days where you lived in an agricultural society and you didn’t have a lot of facilities, where you just had to learn how to wait. You learn to wait for the season to come, for the rain to fall, for the crops to grow. So you cannot speed up the process. But these days we tend to rely so much on everything around us that we want the outcome to happen immediately, and life’s getting more comfortable and we create a new habit as well.

Like I remember back then, I had to use the old telephone which, unlike today, took quite some time to dial in the numbers to make a call. So, I learned to be patient. But now when I see a text loading as the circle is running, I get frustrated, because of all these advanced technology around us that slowly developed into a habit of wanting the result immediately.

So that means we just have to reverse the habit in order to learn to wait, because everything in life does not happen spontaneously. There are things that we have to plant the seed and wait for it to grow.

Everything around us is speeding up, so we are trying to speed up as well, including when it comes to wellness and introspection, reflection.Which is tough because people confuse information, knowledge, skills, and wisdom.

They’re not the same. People tend to believe that information they search on the internet is everything. As long as it does not transfer into who you are, it will never become your wisdom. If you cannot practice it, it will never be your skill. So information is something that anyone can get, but wisdom and skills are individual.

If you’d like to read the other parts of the interview as well, you can find them here:

Enjoyed this article? Share it!

Keep reading!

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice

May 17, 2023 No Comments

How to meditate: 6 effective and practical steps to help you start your meditation practice Are you feeling overwhelmed by stress and anxiety? Do you

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present

April 30, 2023 No Comments

What is Mindfulness? The Art of Being Present Mindfulness has gained significant popularity in recent years. It has become a buzzword in health and wellness

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more

April 21, 2023 No Comments

What is meditation? Its true meaning, common myths and more What is Meditation? Meditation can be defined as an age-old practice that has been used

The Maharishi Effect

April 12, 2023 No Comments

Beyond Meditation: The Maharishi Effect and the Quest for Inner and Outer Peace You may have heard about the many health benefits of meditation at

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor

March 30, 2023 No Comments

An easy guide on how to become a meditation instructor Are you a regular meditation practitioner and feel deeply passionate about the practice and its

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far?

March 21, 2023 No Comments

Meditation And The Brain: What Do We Know So Far? Meditation is a technique that’s been practiced for thousands of years, it can be dated

How To Control Your Inner Voice

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/how-to-control-your-inner-voice-a5d5f00.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

Warning: getimagesize(/home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/jupiterx/images/how-to-control-your-inner-voice-f0f4ba0.jpg): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/u480398769/domains/samavirameditation.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/jupiterx/lib/api/image/class-image-editor.php on line 144

How To Control Your Inner Voice

The mind is an incredible phenomenon. It has the power to innovate and make new paths in life for us to follow. But the mind can be as frightening as it is creative. There is one factor of the mind that displays this dichotomy of scary and interesting. This factor drives all of the mind’s decisions and influences your thoughts and actions. It can promote people’s ambitions, or keep you stuck in limiting beliefs.

But the good news is – you can control this one factor and establish a robust and stable mindset. You can maintain a positive attitude towards life and change your perspective on the nature of the world. The more you understand this one concept, the more self-control you can build.

Today, we are going to be talking about the inner voice – also known as self-talk – and how it can affect the mind if not controlled. We’ll also discuss how to control the inner voice and use it to your advantage to prevent harmful things such as mind viruses, which we will explain later on.

The Inner Voice

What is the Inner voice?

The inner voice is a constant stream of thoughts that we carry throughout our minds that influences how we think. We listen to our inner thoughts more than anything else.

Your inner voice acts as a bridge to connect the mind and body. It’s the mind’s way of communicating with you through your thoughts. And those thoughts usually reflect how you feel about your life at the current moment.

What Causes Inner Voices?

Our inner voices are the loudest during positive or negative events that happen throughout our lives.

Let’s take a job as an example. You walk into your job and ask for a promotion – in one scenario, you get fired, and in the other, you get promoted. The time you get fired may bring out some negative self-talk. Your inner voice may tell you things such as “I’m not good enough” or “I’ll never be successful”.

When you get promoted, it may inspire some positive self-talk. Your inner voice may instead sound like “I’m great at my job” or “I am a huge success”.

The experiences we have and have had dictate the way our inner voice speaks to us. If we incorporate positivity and seek goodness, we can develop a helpful inner voice that guides us in the right direction. Research from Mayo Clinic has shown that incorporating positive self-talk can help reduce stress and improve your health.

If you spread negativity and disregard the truth, you can create a harmful inner voice that distracts you. A negative inner voice endorses chaos for you and everyone around you. It builds an illusion by deceiving you into accepting limiting beliefs that keep you from being your best self. Studies from Very well mind have found that constant negative self-talk can lead to feelings of depression, increased anxiety, and lower motivation.

Why Controlling Your Inner Voice Is Important

Most people tend to ignore the inner voice which allows it to become wild and impulsive. We must understand and manage our inner voice so it does not get out of hand. A lack of control can generate all sorts of harmful things such as internal conflict, limiting beliefs, faulty perceptions, and mind viruses.

Mind viruses can build a foundation for bad habits. We all know how tough it is to eliminate a bad habit.

Mind viruses also disrupt the natural state of the mind – peace. Peace and tranquility are our natural states of being because humans make the most progress when they are aware and relaxed. Anything that gets in the way of these states can lead to a loss of focus, stress, and a clouded mind.

One effective way to control your inner voice and bring it over to the good side is to identify and remove the viruses of the mind. Our favorite method to clean the mind is a consistent meditation practice. But before we get into any of that, we have to know what these viruses are.

The Viruses Of The Mind

1) Craving

Craving is the most influential virus of the mind. This craving feeling awakens your impulses, temptations, and desires. It also leaves you unsatisfied with life, always wanting more.

“What I have is never enough”.

Craving comes from the constant unfulfillment and lack of contentment that someone feels from everyday things or events. The unfulfilled feeling provokes an urge to try to fill that void with more of whatever the mind wants.

They desire more and more until there is either no more to give – or no more of them to ask.

The mind of a craving person is detached from reality and is extremely clouded with their temptation. All they see is what they want – and they will do whatever it takes to get it. It could be money, items, power, sex, or whatever else can distract them from real life. They feel the need to attach themselves to unimportant things to continue the facade that these distractions promote. Research from Medical News today shows that more materialistic people are more likely to be miserable, depressed, and unsatisfied with life.

2) Anger

Anger is a very forceful virus of the mind. When we are clouded by anger, we are blinded by our emotions – especially frustration. Frustration causes us to act in irrational ways if we are not careful. You become upset with the world around you as you blame everything else for your faults. The Harvard Business Review also supports these findings by mentioning how angry people impair their decision-making by relying on cognitive shortcuts.

“I want a solution now, the world owes me one”.

The virus of anger stems from impatience. We want the world to cater to us as we are, so we do not have to change.

People living with anger in their hearts walk this world with unrealistic expectations. That is why they become so upset with the world. They create false expectations of how everyone should be under their worldview. An angry person assumes that the world owes them something – while the world owes them nothing.

We all create our paths and earn the lives we live. The world does not owe anyone anything – but YOU owe yourself the best possible life YOU can reach.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

3) Ignorance

Ignorance is the most subtle virus of the mind. Ignorance occurs when we misunderstand the difference between truth and falsehood. This causes a strand mentality shift. This new mentality is arrogant and clouds the mind to believe that you are always right and everyone else is always wrong. The line that separates fact and fiction begins to disappear in the mind of someone that grows in ignorance.

“I know everything and you know nothing”.

There are two types of people in this world:

People who know that they don’t know – and people who don’t know that they don’t know.

Ignorance usually arises when someone avoids or misunderstands the truth. There are always three sides to a story: your side, the other person’s side, and the truth. A person that shows ignorance tends to only view the world through their subjective lens rather than an objective one. They ignore facts and logic – resorting to personal biases and judgments for every decision.

Ignorance is stronger than we realize. This is because ignorance can affect your moral foundation. Not only do we misunderstand the world around us, but the world within us becomes confusing as well. We lose a sense of right and wrong and create shaky morals. These morals can be unstable because they are made from ignorance and false perception. A study from Carnegie Mellon University has shown that information avoidance and will-full ignorance can lead to selfish or immoral actions.

Your morals can remain resilient to ignorance by engaging your mind, learning, and seeking truth. The more we learn, the more we can understand and put lessons into practice.

Awareness Can Cure The Viruses Of The Mind

All of the viruses of the mind have one thing in common. They can all be cured with one simple thing that you can practice daily.

Awareness.

When you develop awareness, you can easily notice the things that damage your mind and eventually your body. In this sense, you can identify the viruses before they become too overwhelming and clear them for good.

Remember, our original mental state is peace. When our harmony is disrupted, it leaves room for psychological or physical troubles. Awareness helps us maintain that state of serenity and relaxation for the mind to stay balanced.

So, how can you increase your awareness? Well, the most common way to do so is through meditation.

Why Is Meditation Helpful?

Meditation is a self-reflective practice that allows you to focus on whatever aspect of life you choose. A proven benefit of meditation is that it helps you to stay present. Research from the EOC Institute also supports this – they show that meditation helps improve awareness, boost sensory perception, and contributes to other things that positively impact your consciousness. Sometimes we can have trouble staying present when we are constantly distracted by everyday events and have no time for ourselves. We love meditation because it helps you relax, slow down, and establish a starting point for harmony within the mind. The inner peace we develop through meditation practice can lead to a clear mind. It’s important to recognize the difference between a clear mind and a clouded mind and what comes along with each one. They can both affect your life in interesting ways. Let’s explain these with a simple analogy.

Clear Mind vs. Clouded Mind

Imagine your mind as a glass of water.

Initially, the water should be clear and we can see everything that is going on in the water. The water is transparent, as our minds should be. With a clear mind, we see our problems, goals, challenges, and dreams. We also see the solutions and best directions to follow for a fulfilling life. This is where meditation comes in – it is the key to maintaining the clearness of our mind.

Now, envision your mind as a glass of cloudy water.

This glass of water has been injected with ink. The ink clutters the water and makes it cloudy. When the water is clouded, nothing is visible but the dirty surface that blocks everything out. We cannot see anything so we assume everything is okay underneath. We have to rely on assumptions to guide us in decision-making, which can lead to faulty perceptions. In this instance, the ink is made from the negative experiences that alter your perception of the world. The link is your biases, judgments, stereotypes, and negative beliefs.

Meditation Purifies The Mind

A good meditation practice can help clear the mind of the black ink that stains our perspective. Think of meditation as a life dye that cleanses the mind. This is because meditation can build curiosity and creativity – these things can encourage you to ask questions about your life and what you believe. A clear mind is one full of curiosity and drive.

So, how does one incorporate meditation into their life? With some help of course! And Samavira Meditation is here to help you.

Meditate with Samavira

Samavira is a global community of people just like you. People are interested in meditation and want to learn more or start practicing. Samavira hosts beginner-friendly training that is built around the style you desire. Yes, you create your meditation style. At Samavira, we promote creativity and flexibility. Meditation doesn’t have to be boring or difficult – it should be fun and relaxing!

We want to help you maintain calmness and clear your mind of its defilements. You do not have to go through hardship alone – join an uplifting group of other individuals who love wellness! Samavira has been an effective starting point for so many people looking to start mediation. It can be for you too!

If you’d like to know more about Samavira and how we can help you get started with your meditation practice, visit our website. Also check out our Instagram: @samavira.meditation, for daily inspiration and wisdom.

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.