Meditation has long-lasting and a multitude of benefits to your life. However, meditation can be a daunting task when you are a beginner. How exactly do you meditate as a beginner?
Taking the time to learn how to meditate is the first step to meditation as a beginner. It is normal if your mind wanders when you first begin your meditation journey. Beginners to mediation may find it challenging to sit in silence. Therefore it is helpful to have a list of things to meditate on to make the experience less daunting.
Meditation is one of the simplest and easiest ways to reduce your stress and calm your mind. Meditation has the ability to clear your mind and provide clarity in ways that promote ultimate happiness, relaxation, and peace of mind.
What is meditation?
Meditation is a way of relaxing and bringing peace to your mind and body by taking deep breaths and being present with your thoughts and feelings.
Meditation ranges from simple breathing and thinking to more complex meditation techniques that you could explore as you familiarize yourself with meditation.
The benefits of meditation?
Meditation has benefits for your mind, body, and soul.
There are many benefits to meditation. Meditation can help reduce your stress and manage your anger and is also a valuable coping mechanism to maintain your mental health by relaxing you. Many people have found mediation helpful for managing their grief and coping with unwanted negative thoughts and feelings.
Meditation could be helpful to you if you are trying to understand your trauma and connect better with your thoughts and feelings. It is also helpful if you are trying to be a more focused person and reduce the clutter in your brain to make way for more productive brain processes.
How do you start meditation practice as a beginner?
Meditation is a simple practice with basic guidelines to follow for ultimate self-transformation.
Before you meditate it is important to prepare a suitable time outside of your busy schedule which would allow you to switch off without any distractions. Ensure that you have a quiet environment for a rewarding meditation experience.
Turn off all your electronic devices to ensure that you are able to meditate uninterrupted. You would want to avoid calls and messages in the middle of your meditation as this will hinder your experience.
Wear comfortable clothing so that you can sit and relax more easily. However, if you happen to be meditating outside of your home and you are wearing tight clothing try to loosen them and get comfortable.
Some stretching would be beneficial before you start meditating to unwind your body from any tension and restlessness.
Try to meditate on a relatively empty stomach. Ideally, your meals should occur two hours before or after meditating as a full or completely empty stomach could distract you from constructive thoughts during your meditation.
Meditation apps are helpful to get you to start meditating quickly and effectively. They provide guidance to meditation and direct you onto a productive thought process with their prompts and keynotes.
Meditation music is useful when you first start out. However, as you develop your meditation skills you may find that meditation music is no longer required.
How do you meditate as a beginner?
Meditation mostly involves breathing and thinking.
Breathing is connected to your mind and emotions. Take alternate breaths through your nose and mouth. Ensure that your breaths are slow and steady so that it brings you into a peaceful and quiet state.
It is better to sit down while meditating because it sends signals to your brain that you are intentional about meditating. When you sit up straight your mind is alert and conscious of your goals during the meditation process compared to when you are lying down and your brain sends signals to your mind to shut down.
You can sit on a chair or use pillows if that will make you more comfortable, as long as you are sitting in an upright position. Open your palms and rest them on your knees to allow the energy to flow freely.
It is important to keep your eyes closed at all times because the goal is to reflect inward and not engage outwardly. Keeping your eyes closed helps you keep your attention within and keep your body in a restful state and your mind still.
Try to keep a gentle smile as it will help you stay in a restful and peaceful state.
What should you think about while meditating?
It is easy for your mind to wander when you are sitting still in silence. It is important to understand how your mind works when it comes to your thoughts.
Your mind will constantly alternate between the past and present moments and is more likely to fixate on negative instead of positive thoughts. It is best that you do not resist the natural processes and thoughts of your mind and allow these thoughts to occur without redirecting it so that your mind can fully relax.
Some productive ideas might come up during your meditation. You may end up planning the rest of your day or find a solution for a problem you have. Allow this creativity and thought process to flow as this is completely normal to occur. ‘Clearing your mind’ through meditation involved working through these thoughts and getting them out of the way.
How long should a beginner meditate?
As a beginner, you should try to meditate for between 5-10 minutes at a time. You can gradually increase your meditation time to 20 minutes or longer depending on your preferences and lifestyle. It is helpful to set a soft timer until you familiarize yourself with your meditation times.
It is best to set a certain time to meditate daily so that you can develop a routine. Your meditation should take place at the same time and place as often as possible so that you can build a routine and become comfortable with your meditation practice.
The best time to practice meditation depends on your preferences and lifestyle. However, the recommended time to meditate is twice a day, preferable mornings and evenings before and after sunrise as this is when the world is most quiet and peaceful. Although, if these times are not convenient you should choose a time that is most quiet for you.
Take it one day at a time. Meditation is a journey because you are becoming one with your thoughts and feelings and this takes time. The best progress is made and seen when you have put in the time and effort.
