Meditation is one of the most amazing habits you can pick up in life, but also one of the vaguest. Everyone always has the same question about meditation – “what am I supposed to do?!” Nothing.
Meditation is about taking time out of your day to sit in silence and listen to your thoughts come and go. It’s not forced or awkward or, as some say, “brutal.” It gives you a sense of bliss like no other.
All you have to do is learn how to start meditation to feel its wonderful benefits. These include a better sense of ease and peace of mind throughout the day, less tension in the body, and a stronger sense of purpose/connectedness in life.
If you’re interested in discovering these benefits and more, keep reading to find out how to begin meditating on a regular basis.
1. Find a Comfortable Space to Meditate
First things first, before you can go inside your mind, you have to go somewhere you feel at peace. This can be an indoor or an outdoor setting, but it should be somewhere readily available to you.
For instance, it’s better to try meditating in your backyard than to have to drive across town and sit in a public park. The more personal your meditation space is, the better. Personal spaces are comfortable and motivating.
The ideal spot for you may be the loveseat that’s sitting in the corner of the living room or the rocking chair on the back deck. Maybe the most peaceful place in the house for you is the reading nook in your bedroom or the windowsill overlooking a beautiful nature scene.
Wherever it is, go there. Sit in the chair you like or bring a soft cushion and come to a comfortable position on the ground. This will help you get into the meditation mindset; as the body starts to relax, the mind follows.
2. Set a Timer for Your Meditation Practice
Once you have your ideal meditation spot picked out, it’s time to actually give it a go. Set a timer for 5 minutes and close your eyes.
Sit in a comfortable, upright seat. You can have crisscrossed legs or sit between your legs, but your back should be straight. If you don’t think such a position will do it for you, find a place to meditate where you can lay down. Lay down on the ground, though, not the bed or the couch!
The right position is key for good meditation, but it’s not something many people can bear to sit in for more than a few minutes. At least, not at first. A few minutes is good, though. It gives you the practice to turn your 5-minute meditation practice into 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and so on.
Keep in mind there are going to be days when it’s easy to sit and meditate and days when it will be hard to quiet the mind. Even those who are comfortable with 20-minute meditations may only do 10 or 15 minutes from time to time, and that’s okay, too.
3. Try Listening to Guided Meditation
What if you’re having trouble understanding the whole meditation thing? Find a guide to help you.
There are endless online written meditations available to help people realize the beauty of this practice. Don’t be afraid to go looking for the one that’s right for you. Some people enjoy meditation apps like Headspace or Smiling Mind, while others prefer reading a meditation book before they close their eyes and breathe.
Try incorporating these resources into your practice. You could even burn incense or candles or use crystals to help you find your center. At the end of the day, what matters most is your breath, but having a few tools to help you find it doesn’t hurt.
4. Focus on the Breath
Since the breath is the foundation of a good meditation practice, you should learn about what meditative breathing is like. This isn’t you saying “OM” at every single breath. In fact, meditative breathing is quiet and simple.
All you have to do is draw deep, steady inhales and let them out slowly through the exhale. Every breath should come in through and out of the nose, and the inhales and exhales should match in length. So, if you take a 4-second inhale, take a 4-second exhale and repeat over and over.
Some people guide their breath through pranayama. This is a form of meditation in which you close one nostril and breathe through the other, “hold” the breath, then exhale out the other nostril. You go back and forth between the right side and the left side to find your center.
5. Let Go of Your Thoughts
Whether you breathe as usual or you start practicing meditation with pranayama breathing, just breathe. Quieting the mind doesn’t mean that you won’t have any thoughts at all. Instead, it means to let your thoughts come and go like a breeze of wind. Don’t hold onto them or place judgment on them.
This is arguably the hardest part. Meditation makes you face all your best and worst thoughts, and it’s up to you to watch them pass like cars on the highway. It’s not good to act on a thought or try to make sense of it during meditation, because that takes you away from your center.
The best thing you can do is let your thoughts be. The good, the bad, the cluttered and the messy will come as you breathe and they will go, too. All you have to do is stay in your seat and keep breathing; the rest will work itself out.
How to Start Meditation: Give It a Try!
It’s one thing to read about how to start meditation and another to discover the joy of this practice for yourself. It’s time to stop making excuses and start working on your breath. Try meditating before you go to bed tonight for five minutes, or wake up ten minutes earlier tomorrow to see if you feel anything.
If you’re not sure about how to get started, do yoga.
A meditation practice and a yoga practice go hand in hand. They support each other and teach you so much. To learn more about yoga, click here.