THE OPC

What is Meditation?

 

I like the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition: to engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness. The thing is that it and the other definitions I looked at do not do the practice of meditation justice.

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For our purposes we are going to say that meditation is the practice of mindfulness and that there are a wide variety of ways in which to meditate. Many religions use meditation, but it has become a tool for both physical and mental health practitioners as well since the practice of meditation has shown evidence to reduce medical issues like depression, anxiety, heart disease, and pain reduction just to name a few.  

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What is Mindfulness?

 

Now this is a really tricky question to answer because mindfulness can be as simple as learning to ground in any given moment or as complex and commitment oriented as becoming a lifestyle change that affects every waking moment in a persons life.

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In the spirit of The OPC3 - education - we recommend learning anything and everything you can or want to about meditation and mindfulness. A simple way to begin is by trying a variety of versions and including them into your daily life and by participating in a group meditation. Check out our group meditation on Sundays at 6. Learn more.