When hearing people talk about meditation they will often say that the goal is to silence your mind when practicing. This takes practice and time, but with this simple exercise you will learn how to slow down the mind and get to a peaceful state.

Often if you are new to this practice it may be a bit uncomfortable to let the mind be at rest or quiet. So as you start this practice begin with 5-10 minutes and when this is comfortable move to longer periods of time if you like.

Once you have developed this skill you can use this anytime and anywhere. Maybe you need to focus before a big presentation or are feeling anxious or maybe you are having difficulty sleeping this exercise will give you the tools you need to find the needed relaxation to accomplish what needs to be done.

How to silence your mind:

In the beginning a comfortable sitting posture is best. Make sure you have good alignment with an erect upright posture and are relaxed.

Next take a few deep breaths and establish a smooth consistent rhythm with your breath. You want to breathe deeply, but not so deep that you build tension by taking in too much air.

Breath training is essential for gaining control of our bodies ability to relax and guiding the mind to settle down and be still. We breathe all day long, but how aware of your breath are you? More often than not we are bombarded with distractions and stress through out our day.

Without training and conscious effort our breath will be disrupted by these distractions, which will lead to tension, anxiety and more stress.

In this exercise we will focus on controlling the breath and increasing our awareness of every sensation that comes with each breath as it enters and leaves our bodies.

Now bring your focus to the inhale. Feel every ounce of the breath as it enters your nose, travels down your throat and fills your lungs. Notice how the torso will expand with each breath and where you feel movement.

At the completion of the inhale notice the natural pause at the end of the breath. The natural pause at the end of the inhale and at the end of the exhale are essential for building deep relaxation and finding peace and quiet in the mind.

While these pauses are important to experience let them be natural and do not try to hold your breath with this practice.

When you exhale notice every sensation you feel as the breath leaves the body. What changes do you feel in the torso, across the chest, back and shoulders? Also follow the sensation of the air as it is leaving the lungs and traveling up and out through the nose.

After you have established a smooth relaxed breath and are intently focused on your breathing bring your attention in the center of your mind and focus on the upper dan tien which is located in the pineal and pituitary glands in the middle of the brain. This trick will help to bring down the activity in the mind and it will begin to slow down.

Then start to count your breaths. Count from one to ten while keeping focus on everything we have discussed up to this point. When you reach ten start over at one and do this for as long as you like. Just remember to start slowly and build up the length of your practice over time.

As you are counting the breaths do not try to control the breath let it be natural and relaxed. When thoughts enter your mind do not try to control the thoughts and force them out. Just acknowledge them and let them go. Eventually they will slow down and the periods of silence will become longer and longer.

Maintaining a quiet mind is difficult so embrace the small successes and learn from them. It is only through time and effort that you will be able to silence your mind and experience this peace that comes with the practice. So remember to take time and enjoy the process there is no failure with your efforts unless you quit.

If you continue to practice daily you will gain control over your mind and experience deeper levels of relaxation and peace.

As you become more proficient with this practice you will be able to use these tools more throughout your day.

Have fun with the practice.

For more great lessons teaching you how to build a meditation practice that fits your life style leave your name and email to the right.