Meditation is a very interesting way to calm your mind. It is easily performed and can be used by anybody, almost anywhere and at any time. The basic idea is to be able to fixate on thinking about as little as possible and just resting your weary soul. Some of us even meditate without even knowing we are doing it.

There are different methods to meditation. I was fortunate enough to get to know the Brahma Kumaris way which emphasizes sitting in an uncluttered room and concentrating your open eyes on a specific point in that room. The instructor then leads your meditation while playing calming music; his voice and the relaxing surroundings helping you reach a state of peace.

My instructor spent time before and after the meditation teaching us about the ways of the Brahma Kumaris. It was in my opinion very interesting, especially everything he said about positive thinking and teaching your mind to tread positive roads. He, along with many others, believes that our mind has a tendency to revisit familiar places and thus, if we think negatively, it will have the propensity to lead us towards negative thoughts. Depression has become more common in the Western countries and there are many theories behind that. Some say that we are exposed to a great deal of negativity in the news and other media, making us gradually also start thinking in such a way. Others say that social media is at fault with their fake perspectives on life where we‘re constantly being told that other people are living a more interesting and a more fun existence than we are.

Even others would say that our lives aren’t as difficult as they were before and therefore we have the time to feel sorry for ourselves. Some might also say that because of the increased awareness of psychological diseases means that depression hasn‘t increased but only become more apparent. These are just a few of the theories trying to explain why we are constantly becoming increasingly displeased, but whatever the reason is, there are also many ways to fight it. One such way is through meditation and positive thinking.

It is easy to take baby steps, for example by using the time spent waiting to meditate. The only thing we need is to find a point without any visual disturbance and stare at it while trying to not think about anything or thinking about a setting that makes us feel at ease. I sometimes visualize I’m sitting alone by the sea watching the slow movement of the waves, surrounded by beautiful majestic mountains. When starting out it’s important not to push yourself too hard. Meditating for even 5 minutes is a very good start, even if you can’t concentrate for the entire time but manage to keep calm and finish the session. If we force it too much it can quickly become tedious or even boring and we will eventually give up. Therefore I recommend starting slowly and increasing the time spent meditating little by little.

Mediation is important for gaining a peaceful mind, but positive thinking is also something we need to be constantly aware of. Whenever we’re beating down on ourselves we should stop and try to find the silver lining. Whenever we do something good we should take a second to praise ourselves. Don’t take whatever you accomplish for granted; linger on it, feel it, enjoy it.

Try to refrain from posting or sharing negative information on social media. If you’re into politics then only point out what is being done well and don’t participate in vindictive conversations where people are being scolded without anything really being discussed. Build yourself up to be a kind and just person and don’t let the vibes of negativity seep in. We’re all amazing people that do extraordinary things every day and we should greatly value the power we have within to be positive and surround ourselves with positive thoughts and people.