It takes dedicated practice sessions (20-30 minutes), a quiet place, proper posture, an object to focus, and a passive attitude to become proficient with meditation exercises.
There are 4 Basic Elements of Meditation:
- A Quiet place
- Proper posture
- A Mental device (object of focus)
- Passive attitude
The passive attitude is the most important element in meditation and also known as the “Let it happen” attitude. Davis, Eshelman, and Mckay (2008) stated that “…you will have many thoughts and relatively few moments of clear concentration. This is natural and to be expected. Realize that your thoughts are not really interruptions but are integral part of meditation. Without thoughts arising, you would not be able to develop the ability to let them go”. With this being said, meditation is supposed to be relaxation by reducing concentration. Thoughts should cross the mind during meditation because it meant to happen.
Some of the reasons people cannot move on from certain situations is because they have difficulty letting go. Most people will try to stay busy to stop thinking about the problem and hope that it will fade away in their mind. The problem with people doing that is that they might stop thinking of the situation but still bothered by it if it ever comes up in a situation or conversation.
The purpose of passive attitude is to let go of the situation that is irritating and move forward to the present or near future. The key is to focus mainly on the present and enjoy the life you live now. Trying to look far into the future can create some stress and meditation is supposed to be for relaxation. After having a passive attitude, it should clear the mind and calm the heart to beat at a steady, slow pace. Thoughts will cross the mind, but do not focus on them. Focus on the calm state that your body is, the words that you are repeating to yourself, and controlling your breathing.
An example of my quiet place:
I live in a pretty private suburb neighborhood. I sat on in the back of my house on the desk so I would not get distracted by people on the street. We have outdoor furniture set up on the desk and I decided to sit at the table. I made sure that both of my dogs were outside in the front yard so I did not have to hear them walking around on the desk or barking at me because I have not moved recently. They tend to get worried and think something is wrong when people are not constantly moving around them. The next day I decided to take my dogs for a walk and use the walking meditation. I focused my attention on the sounds around me and let my pets guide me into the direction they wanted to go.
Where is your quiet place?
An example of the posture I chose:
The posture I used for both times I tried to meditate was sitting and walking mediation. The sitting meditation, I sat in a chair, both feet flat on the ground, and hands on the table in front of me. I did move my hands down to my lap to make myself a little more comfortable. For the walking meditation, I swung my arms opposite of my legs and inhaled when my left leg was forward and exhaled when my right foot was forward.
What posture did you choose?
An example of an object I focused on:
When I was sitting, I focused on my neighbor’s pool in their backyard. They have a beautiful set up and one of my favorite activities to do is swim. This took me to a happy place. When I was walking my dogs, I focused my attention on both of them. How they would walk, sniff the ground, and try to go around each other. The walking mediation was a little difficult to focus on because of my pets, but I was able to redirect my focus after they proceeded to walk straight. I knew my dogs love to go for walks and seemed so happy to be out of the house which makes me happy as well.
What object did you focus on?
An example of the technique I used:
Both times I tried mediation, I used the mindful and present-moment awareness technique. This technique was chosen because I have been really focused on my future. I have been really anxious on getting more experience for my personal growth. I been so focused on the future, I forget to enjoy the present at times. I also think about the past and how I could have done certain things differently. I know I cannot change the past and need to move forward from it, but it seems to always cross my mind. I need to forget the regrets, the rejection, and anything additional that causes stress to me and this technique helped me do that.
What technique did you chose?
An example if the meditation did work, what I did differently:
The next time I try the walking mediation, I will not bring my pets or just walk one at a time. It was hard to stay focused because both of them were doing their own thing and kept getting tangled. I liked making them happy by taking them on a walk but they were more of a distraction and was a little difficult to relax. Additionality to that, I would focus my attention on how I am walking and inhaling and exhaling more.
What would you do differently for next time?
MENTAL NOTE:
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT! DON’T GIVE UP JUST BECAUSE IT DIDN’T WORK THE FIRST TIME. WOULD YOU JUST QUIET IF YOU MISSED A LAYUP? FUMBLED THE FOOTBALL? STRUCK OUT? MISSED A FLY BALL? NO! YOU KEEP TRYING UNTIL YOU GET IT RIGHT FOR THE NEXT TIME!
Written by:
Sarah Grippi
Director of Basketball Mindset
References:
Davis, M., Eshelman, E.R., & McKay, M. (2008) The relaxation & stress reduction workbook (6th ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Humphrey, J.H., Yow, D.A., & Bowden, W.W. (2000). Stress in college athletics: Causes, consequences, coping. Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Half-Court Press.