When someone mentions meditation my mind has always conjured up a person sitting quietly making some “ommmm” noise while wearing flowy clothes and earthy scents wafting through the air. I’ve always been equally intimidated and intrigued by meditation. As I age, I like to research things that will help me age gently. Meditation is something that comes up as a suggestion in any area of wellness. The types of meditation are many. There is prayerful meditation and there are many other types of meditation that focus on other parts of your wellness. The benefits are numerous. Some benefits are reducing stress, controlling anxiety, promoting emotional health, enhancing self-awareness and deepening your faith. Here are the 3 best meditation techniques for beginners.
Step 1
Don’t worry about how, just do it. Find a comfortable position and go for it. Don’t get caught up in the how-to techniques. Although it’s said you can be in any position to meditate, it’s recommended to sit. The point is to be in a relaxed alert state. This means not falling asleep and not straining in an uncomfortable position. There are a variety of tools you can use to help you get comfortable such as sitting pillows or a yoga mat. We’ve found a sturdy meditation cushion and durable yoga mat here to buy on Amazon. There are also tons of YouTube videos for demonstrations on proper positioning as you progress.
The other thing is to make sure you have a peaceful quiet place to start. This space can be in your home or it can be somewhere outside if you need to find peace away from the house.
Step 2
Start with a few minutes. Two minutes is the suggested amount of time to begin with when you first start. As you master the time you set, you can move on to longer periods. As you begin to meditate, choose something to focus like your breathing or a flickering candle. Count your breaths as you follow them out for a count of 1 and as you draw your breath all the way to your lungs for a count of 2. As you move to longer periods of time, you can incorporate sounds or scents that encourage you to have a peaceful mind. Candles and meditation music or sounds can help you stay checked in. Other tools such as beads also help to focus mentally and spiritually if you are so inclined. Many meditation apps can also help guide you.
Step 3
Develop a loving attitude and then smile when you are done. As you progress in your meditation your thoughts will wander. Let them. Don’t be harsh on yourself. If they are negative thoughts. Just let them flow and bring yourself back to your focus on your breaths during meditation. Make peace with the fact that ALL of your thoughts are part of you and that less than peaceful happy thoughts are normal and okay. With this in mind, remember to smile as you complete your meditation. Compliment yourself for sticking to your plan. Be grateful for the opportunity to do so and for the opportunity to go forth with a bit of peace and re-centering to help you better focus.
The steps above are very basic, but beginners will find these meditation techniques useful. Meditation should be peaceful and without stress so it’s best to start with something simple in mind. As with any practice, you can go deeper as you master the simple steps. You can keep yourself on track by setting goals as you progress with time spent meditating by rewarding yourself with tools to make meditation easier. See yourself as less stressed and happier and you will be. Use meditation to help you get there. Let your thoughts wander to your trendy new self doing an age-old practice aimed at mastering loving yourself and loving others.
