Meditation and Mindfulness

I'm using my experience from meditation practice of different kinds. Started decades ago with Zen-Meditation, followed by Thich Nhat Hanhs' Mindfulness practice, Meditation on the Energy Centers and working with Imagination. Right now I am practicing the Light and Sound Meditation, which is also known as Surat Shabd Yoga.

For the guided Online Meditation, the Inner Smile Meditation is in main focus right now, but also others from time to time will be practiced. 

There are many forms of meditation and all have one thing in common, they draw our attention to something outside or something inside of us. 

For people with trauma, meditation of silence can be very challenging, to impossible. Closing your eyes and listening inwards, can have a trigger potential, so forcing yourself doesn’t make sense. In the best case, meditation should be effortless, so that the attention can be directed where you want to. If it does not feel good, then attention goes to the place of malaise. 

Basically, the choice of meditation type is completely individual and you can try it out. Meditations can also take place in motion. The crucial thing is that there is enough time and space to focus on something with the attention and thus the ability to train attention.

Why is it good to be attentive?

Attention is expressed through our ability to react calmly to circumstances, as we can go into observation. This in turn gives us security, as we are then not sucked into events and can make decisions with inner distance.

From my experience, it is crucial in what state my nervous system is, to perform a certain type of meditation. So sometimes, it is possible for me to go into silence and sometimes it is better to meditate in motion.

Exercises to regulate the nervous system, to perform at the beginning of a meditation, as a preparation, can help to get into meditation more easily.