The practice of meditation is becoming more common for those who experience chronic stress, or mental illness or want to simplify their life. Meditation takes practice to truly change mindsets and behavior. When you start as a beginner, it can be frustrating to learn the ins and outs of meditation and find what technique is best for you. Here are some tips to help make meditation much more enjoyable at the beginner level.
1- Beginners Should Be Patient
When you are ready to jump into the world of meditation, it can be tempting to try lengthy meditation sessions, the most difficult technique, and expect to be perfect at it. Instead, you should start with shorter sessions, around 10 minutes a day. Be patient with yourself. If your mind wanders during a session or if you miss a day or two of meditation, it is perfectly okay. Don’t get discouraged before you have even begun to see the benefits.
2- Create A Sacred Space To Meditate
Having a designated space for meditation will help limit distractions. Choose a quiet clutter-free space to help promote tranquility. The space can be decorated and filled with comfy cushions or mats to help make meditation feel more relaxing. Research has shown that meditation is a great way to eliminate a stream of jumbled thoughts and restructure the neuropathways in the brain. This can help with mental illnesses like anxiety and depression as well.
3- Your Breath Is The Focal Point
The fundamental aspect of properly meditating is to control your breathing. Concentrating on your breathing can be hard to master when you first start with meditation. You have to stay in the present moment and keep a steady breathing pattern. Begin by taking slow deep breaths and notice how it makes you feel. As the air enters and leaves your body, notice any sensations you may feel. If your mind begins to wander, just gently refocus on breathing again. This simple technique, when mastered, can be used through daily activities or during the onset of a panic attack.
4- Try Out Different Meditation Techniques
There are many methods of meditation that you can try. Each one has similar fundamentals, but some different sessions and exercises exist inside each technique. If your stress mostly occurs at night, you might benefit from sleep meditation. If you are more interested in learning about aligning your body and channeling the power of the universe, Chakra therapy could be best. No matter what technique you choose, each method will take time to master.
Here are some additional meditation techniques:
- Guided meditation
- Samatha-vipassana
- Sleep meditation
- Samadhi
- Guided imagery
- Yoga
- Chakra
- Qigong
- Mindfulness
5- Embrace Mindfulness In Everyday Activities
Mindfulness and meditation often go hand in hand because mindfulness can help you push out distractions. Mindfulness means something different to different people, but it mostly helps individuals to live in the present moment. You can practice this while walking, working, shopping, at family gatherings, or while driving. You can use grounding techniques and focus on surrounding sensations to help create a sense of calm in a fast-paced world.
6- Establish A Consistent Meditating Routine
One of the hardest things for beginners is to establish a consistent routine of meditation. Drowning out the chaos of the world and slowing down enough to focus on meditation can be difficult. Setting aside a small amount of time each day is the best way to start forming a habit. A consistent routine of meditation can be a healthy coping skill to have when life gets a little more overwhelming. Once you start to condition your mind to follow a routine, it will be more effortless to enter a meditative state.
7- Let Go Of Thoughts
When you first start meditating, it is common for your mind to wander. All of our lives are filled with worries, concerns about children, health concerns, and other burdens, but meditation can help give our brains a break. If your mind starts to wander and focus on these things, you can work on not giving them as much weight as you have previously. The goal is to not eliminate these thoughts but to have a detached relationship with your thoughts. Using a mantra to help get your focus back can be helpful for beginners.
8- Seek Guidance From Others
Others in your life or even online could help you work past any roadblock you are facing. Seeking guidance can help you feel supported during your journey. A mentor or members of a Facebook group could help answer questions as they come up and prevent you from giving up on meditation. It is important to stay open-minded and realize that your meditation journey does not need to look like anyone else’s.
How Meditation Impacts Mental Health
Finding the building blocks of meditation can help you limit the symptoms of many mental health disorders. Meditation will limit stress and can help reduce physical symptoms of anxiety. Feeling connected to your inner self can improve your intellect while also giving you more control over your thoughts.
Research has shown that meditation can help reduce depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. Talk to your therapist about incorporating meditation into your mental health routine.
