By now we all understand the center of our Buddhist practice is presence or mindfulness.
The foundational practice behind Buddhism is mindfulness or present-moment awareness. Mindfulness meditation involves sitting comfortably with a straight posture, closing one’s eyes, and paying attention to the inflow and outflow of breaths. The aim is to cultivate detachment from all thoughts, emotions, or body sensations and be an impartial observer.
Research shows that regular mindfulness strengthens neural pathways related to emotional regulation, willpower, and focus. The simple act of becoming more aware of thoughts without identifying with them builds the muscle of discernment—allowing one to navigate challenges with composure.
People also use the practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns, and even increased pain tolerance. What’s more, some research suggests that a variety of mindfulness and meditation exercises may reduce anxiety levels.
For example, yoga has been shown to help people reduce anxiety. This is likely due to benefits from both meditative practice and physical activity People practice many different forms of meditation, most of which don’t require specialized equipment or space. You can practice with just a few minutes daily.
If you want to start meditating, try choosing a form of meditation based on what you want to get out of it.
There are two major styles of meditation:
- Focused-attention meditation. This style concentrates attention on a single object, thought, sound, or visualization. It emphasizes ridding your mind of distractions. Meditation may focus on breathing, a mantra, or calming sound.
- Open-monitoring meditation. This style encourages broadened awareness of all aspects of your environment, train of thought, and sense of self. It may include becoming aware of suppressed thoughts, feelings, or impulses.
