The Mind Illuminated

The Mind Illuminated is the definitive guide to meditation and consciousness, as it teaches its readers how meditation works, and how to navigate the ten stages of conscious breathing and intentional practice of mindfulness, all while highlighting why meditation is so crucial in everyone’s lives.

Meditation is a mental exercise that involves focusing on one’s breathing or a specific word or phrase, which can be used to help the person achieve an altered state of consciousness. It has been shown to have many benefits, including improved focus and memory.

To start meditating, you need to find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. While there are many ways to meditate, some people prefer sitting cross-legged on the floor, while others prefer sitting in a chair, with their hands resting palms up in their laps (this is called “seiza”).

Once you’ve found your preferred position, close your eyes and begin focusing on your breathing. A good way to do this is by counting each breath as it goes in and out. If thoughts come into your mind—and they will!—don’t try to push them away. Simply acknowledge them and let them go.

Now, as you practice meditation, you’ll notice that your mind is running places because focusing on your breath gets tricky. Breath isn’t an object to focus on. It’s just..breath! The author suggests that you focus on how it makes your body feel in detail as you inhale and exhale.

Find that feeling to focus on and discover the joy in it. Then, focus on the joy. Now, that’s a wrap—you’ve successfully meditated. In time, you’ll notice how this mind-body exercise has a powerful effect on you. Focusing and living in the present without zooming out gets easier. You’ll remember things more easily and make order in your thoughts, all because you’ve decluttered your mind by meditating.

The difference between attention and awareness is an important one to understand. Attention is the ability to focus on a particular thing, whereas awareness is being aware of what’s going on around you at all times. The two are closely related, but they’re not identical. For example, if you’re keeping your attention on your breath while meditating, you can still be aware of other things like a neighbor ringing your door. But when you notice something in the periphery of your awareness—like a thought arising—you have to gently push it away without shifting your attention from the breath. Essentially, that’s how you know you’ve got a handle on this whole mindfulness thing. In time, you’ll notice how attention improves without altering awareness. In fact, you’ll declutter your brain in a manner that serves your short memory. By learning to deal with thoughts…