by John Cottrell, PhD, CYT, E-RYT500, Sunshima blog writer
Meditation has wonderful benefits. It can help ease your mind, reduce stress and anxiety, and relax the tense muscles in your body. Whatever your intention, you can engage in meditation practice and experience these positive outcomes.
For some though, practicing meditation especially if you’re new to it, may seem quite intimidating. The thought of meditation often raises one’s anxiety! The act of sitting absolutely still for an hour or more completely void of thought seems inaccessible to the average person. Reaching such a level of meditation does take a lot of practice and it may take years to develop this type of discipline. But this shouldn’t dissuade you from trying it. In fact, meditation is very approachable and even if you’re new to it, you can enjoy the practice. Here are a few meditation tips for beginners.
What Is Meditation?
Before you dive in, it is important to know what meditation is and how it may be able to help you. It is an exercise or practice in which you use a technique like focusing on a singular object, thought, or activity to obtain better awareness, gain mental clarity, reduce muscle tension, and even increase your self-esteem.
Start With a Short Practice
In order to experience the full benefit of meditation, you do not have to sit absolutely still for more than an hour. You can start a meditative practice with shorter exercises. It only takes a few seconds to a minute to start developing the skills to meditate.
Find a Quiet Location
If at all possible, find a quiet room or space in your home where you will not be distracted for a few minutes. Ideally, there will be no other sounds or people that could potentially interrupt your self-care moment. If this is not feasible, try sitting in your car or even find a quiet spot outdoors. You can even do this in a library!
Set a Timer
As you start your meditative practice, you may want to set a timer for one minute so you can get an idea of how long you are practicing. As you get used to meditating for this single minute, try adding 30 seconds. Keep adding time to your practice; this will help build your comfort level as you meditate.
Simply Breathe
So what do you actually do while you meditate? Some believe that you are emptying your mind of all thoughts. Yes, you could potentially reach this goal, but it does take time and practice. A simple way to engage in a meditative practice for the first time is to close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Take slow steady breaths; ones that you can hear and feel. This will keep your attention on one task while the other distracting thoughts dissipate.
Wear Comfortable Clothing
Meditation is about reducing and perhaps eliminating distracting thoughts and worrisome feelings. You want to be as comfortable as possible when you meditate. If possible, wear soft comfortable clothing like joggers and a t-shirt. Tight clothing could misdirect your thinking away from your breath to the distracting clothing.
Sit on Something Soft
In addition to wearing comfortable clothing, find something soft to sit on. This could be on the edge of your bed, a comfortable chair or sofa, or even on a cushion on the floor. So, if you’re thinking about starting a meditative practice, try these tips to help get you going. You will find that with a consistent meditation practice, you will see lasting results in your mood, mental capabilities, and self-awareness.