Time, patience, discipline, breathing: these are the ingredients for a good meditation session, mental practice imported from the East.

Why to meditate?
Meditation is a journey in stages. The beginning strewn with obstacles. Meditation is in fact made to soothe the mind by concentrating on getting to know oneself, virtues and lacks, to get to harmony with one’s mistakes ... well, no an easy task at all! The mind is accustomed to think and to maintain control. When we try to empty it to facilitate the meditative state, it clings to memories, commitments, external noise to distract us from our goal. Patience and discipline are therefore needed to be able to refocus each time the mind distracts us from the necessary concentration.

Without pursuing mystical issues, the daily meditation is an effective means to alleviate the emotional and physical stress. Focusing on the body and breathing already helps to relax the muscles, acting on the same breathing rhythm, slows the heartbeat and affects the blood pressure and other physiological functions of our body. There are several meditation techniques.

The Meditation Anapana-sati (originated in India with Buddhist roots) fixes attention on the breathing as attentive and loosening exercise which aims to clear the mind. In other words, during this type of meditation one simply "observes" the breathing rhythm and the sensations it produces, without trying to control it, to achieve greater mastery of the mind.

For beginners it is advisable to be followed by an instructor, guiding the meditation session makes one aware of how many times your mind has to concentrate to resume control. It is of great use to fix the attention on a precise point of the body, such as the area between the nostrils and lips, to feel the contact with the exhaled air.

How to meditate: sitting, with crossed legs, arms resting comfortably on the thighs, with the back straight to let energy flow along the spine. For those who have difficulty in maintaining this posture the alternative is sitting on a chair, still, with your back straight, feet firmly on the ground.
Avoid lying down for meditation ... you risk falling asleep! If the environment in which to meditate is in the shade, keep the eyelids ajar. Also this device will help you understand whether you're dozing off.

When to meditate: better in the morning upon awakening, it would be enough 10/20 minutes too. With practice you will feel the need to extend the time for meditation without encountering difficulties. The daily constancy is necessary for governing the mind and body.