"Calm is from God and Haste is from Shaytan" - Prohphet Muhammad (SAW) 3 Steps to Meditation

A loud mind can be heavy to carry around all day. So when they said meditation could help you quiet the mind and experience silence, I jumped at the opportunity. My first attempt, however, was a very restless one - ironic right?

Months went by trying to master this spiritual practice. That made me more frustrated. Turns out, I was doing it wrong. Meditation begins with the most subtle, yet powerful force: breath.

Here are 3 steps to follow:

A quiet place to sit: It’s important that you sit in a quite place without and distractions. You could sit on the floor on a mat or on a chair. Sit up, in an upright position. Make sure you are comfortable to hold this position for the complete session. The more you practice meditation you will be able to improve your posture as well.

Every breath counts:  Once comfortable, close your eyes to draw your attention within. Breathe in slowly through your nose. Feel the air move down and your belly expand. Do this slowly and nor forcefully. Allow 3-5 seconds to pass. Then exhale slowly through the mouth and you will notice the belly being pulled in. Again, do this slowly and not forcefully. The muscles should relax themselves through the breath work.

Raising the states: We have become a specie of two extremes - very relaxed or very alert.Through the use of breath-work and focused attention, meditation brings delicate balance between the two. With continued practice you will find that yourself in a higher state of consciousness. You can go from experiencing stress and worry, restlessness and irritability to being calm and collected, feeling ease and peace. All this, with the power of your very own breathe.