Meditation is a practice that can bring many benefits to your life, from improved mental clarity to physical health. But how do you know if your meditation practice is working? Here are some signs that you are meditating correctly and getting the most out of your practice. One of the main signs of progress in meditation is not worrying so much about making progress. Our meditation practice never changes linearly and constantly. There are always ups and downs.
One day you're sitting there and you unexpectedly realize that you're happily happy and almost completely distraction-free. The next day your mind is everywhere. This is normal, and it's good to relax and not get hung up on “getting somewhere”.As you continue to meditate, you will find that you automatically react to things and situations more consciously. Visceral and hasty reactions give way to reflective responses.
By doing so, you realize that you are more compassionate and empathetic to yourself and to others. You don't just talk nonsense and blab. Instead, you think carefully and understand the importance of your words. Taking time to the basics can provide you with abundant rewards that will last a lifetime, in the form of spontaneous access to peace, joy, ease of being, greater focus, and more. Too often, when doing your practice, you may overlook the fact that you feel deeply at ease.
Maybe there are thoughts that flood your mind. That doesn't matter, because you can still be relaxed, even if your mind is active or agitated. Pay close attention and don't stumble up here. Once again, you can be relaxed and calm, even if your mind isn't. The profound ease of being (while alert) is a sure sign that you are on the right path.
So a great sign that you're actually meditating is when the presence of thought doesn't move you. There may be a lot of thoughts or just a trickle of thoughts, but you really don't care. None of this touches you because you are ignoring the current of thoughts. When you successfully ignore your thoughts, that's called freedom of thought, and it's a natural quality of meditation. As your practice deepens, you enter a state of greater awareness. As a result, you're more sensitive to stimuli in your environment, such as sounds, smells, etc.
And as you sink into this expanded state of consciousness, the boundaries between you and everything else begin to crumble. In this increase in consciousness, I discover that my hearing expands. I notice distant sounds such as birdsong, car horns, church bells and more. These sounds resonate within me and expand my consciousness even more. Another important factor that alters sleep is the tendency for invasive or stressful thoughts to arise just as you fall asleep. Even if you don't experience any of the signs that Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has hinted at, that doesn't mean that your meditation has been ineffective or isn't good. When I started meditating, I certainly had these kinds of questions, and I'm sure you have them too.
So what do deep meditation experiences really feel like? Is there any way you can tell that you like deep meditation? When I started meditating, I certainly had these kinds of questions, and I'm sure you have them too. If your thoughts move but you don't care and don't move then it's a sign that your meditation practice is working for you. Consciously decreasing and deepening breathing indicates to the body that it is safe to relax which activates the parasympathetic nervous system or the “rest and digest” mode. Meditation has been shown to have significant physical benefits such as a healthier heart a stronger immune system and even a less painful menstrual cycle. But what exactly does that mean? When I started meditating I certainly had these kinds of questions and I'm sure you have them too. When you realize that you can only remember something while meditating when your body is relaxed and forgetful then it's a good sign that your meditation practice is working for you. If your thoughts move but don't care, then it's a sign that your meditation practice is working for you. These are some signs that indicate good progress in meditation: not worrying about making progress; reacting consciously; understanding the importance of words; feeling deeply at ease; freedom from thought; greater awareness; increased sensitivity; deeper breathing; physical benefits; remembering something while meditating; not caring about thoughts; relaxation; increased focus; peace; joy; ease of being.
