The world is currently braving a pandemic in different ways. While some are on the ground, like medical professionals, sanitisation workers and other essential service providers, the rest stay at home to contribute their bit to slow down the coronavirus outbreak. However, it is taking a toll on everyone's mental health. There is no denying that the COVID-19 outbreak does come with some amount of fear and anxiety. But it is how you deal with all the feelings that make you strong. Meditation is a great way to bring in mental peace and better focus.

It has been proven to be an easy and effective way of dealing with fear and anxious feelings. It is also a great mental exercise and if combined with breathing tactic can also help you burn calories. If you have never meditated before, here's is a step-by-step guide for beginners.

1. Understand What is meditation

Meditation is about aligning your thoughts to regain focus and improve your concentration skills. Meditation is being used as a practice to improve mental health since the beginning of time. It is less about the posture more about controlling your mind, thoughts and feelings. It has been linked to spirituality to induce feelings of compassion, love, patience, generosity, forgiveness, etc.

2. Select Suitable Time and Place

To concentrate is not easy. Right time and place play the most important role. Choose a time when your mind is not diverted with other responsibilities and a place that seems really peaceful to you. It is said that you must meditate in places that have dark colours on the walls.

3. Select the Posture

You can choose your own posture that is best suitable for you to meditate. Meditation can be done while sitting, lying, standing. But all these states have their own advantages and disadvantages:

  • Standing posture: Many people believe that meditation cannot be done while standing. But it is not so. For some people who cannot sit properly, this state of meditation works the best. You have to stand up straight and meditate. You can also join your hands in the prayer pose.

  • Reclining posture: To meditate in this pose, you must lie on one side. If you lie on the right side, then your right hand must be under your head and left hand over your body in a straight position and vice versa.

  • Seated posture: Seated meditation posture is the most common. From Padmasana to Vajrasana you can choose any seating posture to meditate.

4. Your Eyes

It is important that you relax your eyes. Keep your eyes closed and start the whole process of relaxing your body from your eyes. Don't scrunch your eyes or put any kind of pressure.

5. Body

It is important to relax your body parts one by one. There should be no tension in the muscles and you shouldn't be extremely stiff.

6. Meditation (Relaxation)

This is the main process where you use all your mental power to bring all your thoughts in one place and stop all thoughts that are diverting your mind in any way. Leaving all confusion and troubling thought behind you must calm every part of your body.

7. Practice

Meditation is a practice. It is not a one-day thing. You won't reap any benefits if you do not practice it for a longer duration.

How To Meditate At Home For Beginners (Watch Video):

Meditation is not a technique, but it slowly turns into a way of life. It all boils down to restraining your power of thinking power to improve focus. While meditating, one is said to get rid of all kinds of negative thoughts. A few important things to keep in mind are that you must keep your stomach slightly empty and sit comfortably. You can also start with some warm-up/exercise and deep breathing.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 04, 2020 05:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).