Tips For Getting Started In Meditation

There are many benefits to practicing meditation, especially for those who practice it on a daily or regular basis. Some people like to practice meditation to evoke calm and serenity, and others want to practice it to calm the conflicting voices within them, or to get to know themselves better, or as a kind of spiritual practice. Whatever the reason you want to practice meditation, here are some tips that may motivate you and help you start practicing meditation.

Getting ready for meditation:

1-The first thing to keep in mind is patience.

Don’t try to become a meditation pro. You will progress step by step, learning to meditate takes a little time, be patient! Start the practice of meditation slowly. There is no rush.

Start with 2 minutes, then 5 then 10, and so on. Hopefully, increase just a little each week, but start small.

2-Think about what you want to achieve from meditation.

There are many reasons for people to meditate, whether to improve their creativity, support their ability to visualize specific goals they want to achieve, to evoke inner calm, or as a kind of spiritual practice. To worry about anything else is reason enough. Try to take it simple and don’t overthink and complicate the reasons why you should meditate. The main goal of meditation is to relax and stop the daily cycle of anxiety.

3-Find a place that is free of any distractions.

It is important – especially at the beginning – to remove any distractions from the space where you want to practice meditation. Turn off the television and radio, close the windows to get rid of street noise, and close the room door to eliminate the rest of the sounds in the house. Having roommates or family members with you in the same house can make it difficult to find a quiet space where you can focus your mind. You can ask your family or roommates to calm down a bit during the time you want to spend, and reassure them that you will let them know as soon as you are done with the meditation so that they can return to their normal activities.

• You can use scented candles, a bouquet of flowers, or incense to help set the mood.
• Turn the lights off or down to help you focus.

4-Use a meditation pillow.

They are circular cushions that help you sit on the ground in a meditating position without getting pain from sitting on the hard ground and have no back so that you do not lean on it and lose your focus, and if you are not available to use such cushions, you can use any old pillow or one Your couch cushions.

If sitting without a chair is painful for your back, you can use a chair. Try to feel your body and keep your back straight as long as it is comfortable. You can lie down a bit to rest until you feel like you can get the ball back.

5-Wear comfortable clothes.

Try to avoid clothing that is tight or that can distract you while meditating. Think about the types of comfortable or loose-fitting clothing you can use for sleeping or exercising.

6-Choose a time when you feel comfortable.

When you get used to meditation, you may rely on it to get rid of anxiety or stress at any time of the day. But if you are a beginner, you may find it difficult to focus if you do not conjure up the appropriate atmosphere before, and at first you should choose a time when you feel relaxed, such as the beginning of the day, or after work or school, and get some rest.

Try to get rid of all the distractions that you may think of while meditating, you can eat light food if you feel hungry, or go to the bathroom, or other distractions that you need to get rid of so as not to distract your mind.

7-Keep a stopwatch on hand.

The timer will help you to take the time to meditate, and avoid distractions by watching the clock every once in a while. Set the timer or stopwatch for how long you want to meditate.

Whether it is an hour or ten minutes, your mobile phone may often have a timer, or you can find websites that allow you to use the timer directly from them or applications on your mobile phone to perform the task.

Meditation:

1-Sit on a pillow or chair and try to keep your back straight.

Because straightening the back helps you focus on your breathing as you inhale and exhale, and if you are sitting in a chair with a back, try not to lean on his back and stay as straight as possible.

Put your legs in whatever position is comfortable for you, you can spread your legs in front of you or cross them under you if you are sitting on a pillow, the most important thing is to keep your body in a straight position.

2- Don’t get caught up in what you have to do with your hands.

Usually we see people in movies and TV shows put their hands on their knees in a certain way while meditating. But if this position is uncomfortable for you, do not worry.

You can put them in front of you over your legs, or put them at your side, or whatever position is comfortable for you. The important thing is to focus on your breathing.

3- Bend your chin slightly as if you are looking down.

It doesn’t matter if your eyes are open or closed, although most people prefer to close their eyes to avoid visual distractions around them, in any case, placing the chin in this position helps to expand your chest and facilitate your breathing.

4- Set the timer.

When you are in the most comfortable position for you and ready to start your meditation session, set the timer for the length of time you want to meditate. to five minutes, then gradually increase the duration to half an hour or more.

5- Close your mouth while breathing.

You should inhale and exhale through your nose while meditating. But at the same time, make sure that your jaw muscles are relaxed and that you do not press your teeth against each other even if your mouth is closed. The important thing is to make sure that you are completely relaxed.

6- Focus on your breathing.

Because the key to proper meditation is to focus on breathing properly. Instead of putting all your energy into trying to avoid thinking about everyday things that stress or worry you, try to focus on one positive element, which is your breathing. Focus on your inhale and exhale, and you will find that your focus on your breathing may Help you ignore other negative thoughts without trying to do so on purpose.

• Try to focus your mind on breathing in the way that makes you comfortable. Some people like to focus on the way the lungs expand and contract, and others try to focus on the way air is passing through the nose.
• You can focus only on the sound of your breathing, the important thing is to reach a state of mind where you think of only one characteristic as you breathe.

7-Notice your breath, but don’t analyze it.

The goal of noticing breathing is to be present with each breath. Not the important thing is to be able to describe the way you breathe. Don’t tire yourself trying to remember how you feel during meditation and don’t worry about being able to explain the experience later. Try to experience the moment with each breath. And when the inhale or exhale is over, try to live the experience of the next breath. Do not try to think of your breath with your mind, and rely only on your senses.

8- If you lose focus, bring your attention back to your breathing.

Even if you are very experienced in meditation, you may lose your focus from time to time, and start thinking about work, bills, and tasks that you have to do, and when you notice that you have lost your focus in such thoughts, do not panic and try to calm down and ignore the outside world again, and regain your focus on Breathe and your body, until such stressful thoughts go away from you.

• It may be easier for you to focus on the inhale than the exhale. Remember this tip and note if you are doing this, and try to focus especially on the sensation of your breath leaving your body.
• If you lose your focus and can’t get it back, you can try to hold your breath.

9- Don’t be hard on yourself.

It can be a little tricky to get your focus completely right the first time. Don’t feel bad because all beginners suffer from distractions and strained voices within them. Some consider this return to the real world and the noise of self-talk as part of the same meditation practice.

In addition, do not expect meditation to change your life overnight, because reaching this calm, meditative state of mind may take time to show its impact on your life, try to make meditation a daily habit, even if only for a few minutes, and gradually increase the time of sessions if It was possible.

If this is helpful to you, you can very well start by following guided meditations using audio, video or course materials.

There are many smartphone apps that offer to help you relax and meditate. You can find some of them here.

Breethe (click here)

Headspace (click here)

Calm (click here)

You can also take help from YouTube videos of guided meditations. Here are a few examples:

Finally, there are courses or workshops to learn how to meditate. It may be interesting to start with a teacher, who can guide and advise you.

Hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful. comment down below if you meditate, and share with us your experience.

Looking forward to reading your comments, sending you love and positive vibes!!!