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Meditation for sceptics
A lot of people think that meditation isn’t for them, because they’ve heard it being described as some sort of spiritual or semi-religious practice. But I would say such a description is misleading; meditation, in its most basic form, is a method for improving your concentration. There is nothing mysterious about it. You practice concentrating, and as a result, you get better at it. As a byproduct, it might also help you calm down and relax. Sounds good? Yeah, I think so too — read on.
So why would you want to improve your concentration? I’m glad you asked! In my case, the main reason I want to improve my concentration is to make myself more resilient to being distracted when I’m working. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been sitting in a meeting, then suddenly realizing I’m lost in thought rather than paying attention to what is being said. It also helps me stay focused on what I should be doing, instead of going off to look at shiny things on the Internet (of which there are oh so many).
How to meditate
There are many different ways to meditate, but the basics are common to almost all of them. First of all, find a good time and place to meditate. It should preferably be where and when you’re unlikely to be disturbed, if at all possible. Sit on a cushion or a chair. Lie down if you want, but you risk falling asleep. Close your eyes.
