Because all of us seem to grow up with a very specific idea of what it means to meditate, most of us approach the topic at the beginning with apprehension. We may find ourselves nervous or think that we will never really have what it takes to succeed at meditation. All of the information provided by this guide may also seem a little bit overwhelming to somebody who has never actually practiced meditation before, so here are some tips and tricks that will make meditation seem easy and accessible to anyone!
The first thing to remember is that meditation is all about comfort. Almost every form of meditation can be done just about anywhere, provided you are in a comfortable enough place to allow your mind to do some recharging. Some people meditate on pillows on the floor, some people meditate at their desks, some people meditate in the bathtub or even in bed! You can meditate anywhere as long as you have found a place that you feel is safe and comfortable. Once you have that part down, the rest can come pretty naturally.
It could be argued that meditation is a natural human instinct. Some of us may find ourselves zoning out throughout the day, thinking of nothing in particular as we go through the motions. That could be considered a natural form of meditation. Our minds are recharging and taking a break away from some of the more stressful sensory input that is constantly being fed to it by our environment. Thousands of years ago when the ancient vedas were made, there weren’t as many distractions surrounding humanity. We didn’t have as much noise pollution or technology or bustling city streets with thousands of people and cars honking. Even still, without all of those distractions, the gurus found meditation a beneficial and necessary practice in achieving both enlightenment and peace of mind.
Now, it is arguably even more necessary than ever for us to be able to take a break from the
overwhelming sensory input of the world around us and find a quiet place to recharge and center ourselves. It is crucial to get away from the hustle and bustle so that we can begin to create a more sustainable way of approaching the world around us. Rather than being overwhelmed as we go from situation to frustrating situation, we can allow ourselves the ability to really process things in a way that will help us to achieve our goals rather than being held back by our emotional attachments.
Neutrality is a big theme in Zen Buddhism. Something that many of us may find ourselves doing during meditation is controlling the way we breathe. It can be difficult to concentrate on anything else, and often times guided meditations or breathing meditations can call on us to breathe a certain way. But this can sometimes be counterintuitive if we are trying to do a zen meditation, for example, and it ends up with us stressing out because all we can do is focus on our breathing.
While it can be a great practice when done correctly, it can be detrimental to someone who is trying to detach from their thoughts and find a state of relaxation and objectivity. If your focus is going entirely on the way you are breathing, then you are probably causing yourself more stress as you attempt to gain control over something that usually works for us automatically. Sometimes, the key to a successful meditation is surrendering control. And attempting to control the way we breathe can make that difficult unless it is done in a constructive way, generally using the guidance of someone who knows a lot about breathing techniques. However, if you are already knowledgeable in breathing techniques and find them to be enhancing to your meditations rather than debilitating, feel free, of course, to use them as needed.
Another good piece of advice for someone who is new to meditation is to start off with small doses. Instead of meditating for large chunks of time before you have a handle on what you are doing or feeling the benefits for yourself, you should ease into it as you would with any other new habit. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself and have a counterproductive session. It is important that you are able to gain something out of your meditations, and if they are too long before you are ready then you are probably going to find yourself feeling agitated and restless, which is not a productive and stressrelieving thing to feel.
Keep your initial sessions short. Try not to go over three minutes at first. This will give you plenty of time to get acquainted with yourself and the way that your mind works. Three minutes can feel like a long time when you are embarking upon something that you have never done before, especially when it involves the quiet of your own mind. But it is something you can get used to with practice.
Beginners to meditation often benefit from focusing on different parts of the body during their initial
sessions. This helps to cultivate a relationship with the self so that the person meditating is able to really feel integrated and whole. This is also a good way to really get comfortable with the practice of meditation and shutting out the rest of the world to get a sense of balance and calm from focusing the mind intentionally on specific things. it is a great practice for those who think that meditation may be difficult, because it shows just how helpful meditation is in redirecting your thoughts and the power in finding serenity in the simplest of things.
The next thing that makes meditation most beneficial is to do it right after you wake up in the morning. Including meditation in your daily routine is a really amazing way to make sure that you are getting your day off to a great start. If you are hoping to hone a specific intention or energy, then morning meditations can be incredibly helpful in shifting your outlook of the entire day.
Whether you like to do meditations in the morning or the evening, or any time in between, it can also help a lot to make sure that whenever you decide is the best time to meditate, that you are doing it consistently. That way, you will always have it on your schedule and will be able to carve out a specific time in your life that you are dedicating to meditation. Meditation is most effective when it is done consistently, because you are always making yourself a priority. That can be incredibly important.
Especially in today’s age, when it can seem like even working two jobs isn’t enough to fully maintain a comfortable quality of life. Things can get very stressful, and it is always helpful to be able to help keep yourself on track and seek out peace of mind however you may be able to find it.
Some people may find that the stress they are experiencing in daily life simply will not go away. Maybe there is a specific thought that continues to come back to mind. Much of the time, the best course of action to take is to let the thought pass and refocus your attention on your breathing. However, there are times that you may find that it is helpful to let yourself consider the thought that won’t leave your mind. When this happens, there are a few things to consider.
Is there some form of insight that you can gain while you are in a calm state of mind that you may not have found when you were busy with the stresses of daily life? Is there some new sense you may have about the situation at hand? When people say they have to meditate on something to find a solution, this is literally the definition of that phrase. Sitting on a problem with a clear mind can sometimes really help us to gain a new perspective on that situation so that we are able to work through it with a more effective outlook. Not only can it help us to change our attitude about the issue, but it can also help us to change our approach, and that is often what is most necessary. something else that you can do is meditate on specific thoughts or questions you have. This can be especially beneficial if you find that you feel disconnected with yourself and are hoping to develop a more loving and friendly relationship with yourself as a person. Get reconnected with who you are and your thoughts, feelings, and goals. What are the things that you would like to accomplish? If you can’t answer that immediately, why not sit down for a while and meditate on that question?
What are the things that you can do to begin making progress toward your goals? Ask yourself questions that can truly help you hone your productivity. If you would like to, you can keep a notebook on hand so that you can immediately begin writing down the most important notes so you don’t forget them. Whether you record your insight before the meditation is over or after, it can be helpful to have a solid reference to your state of mind as you process ways to better your relationship with yourself and achieve your plans.
Something silly that a lot of people worry about when they begin meditating is that they are going to be doing it wrong. That is actually impossible. While it is true that there are certain techniques that you can master, such as yogic practices or special forms of transcendental meditation, the truth at heart is that meditation is meant to serve you, no matter how you use it. If you are doing something that makes you feel good, relaxed, and comfortable, then you are doing it right. If you are able to start to focus on the things that you want to do to make your life better, then you are doing it right. If all you want to do is lay in the bathtub with a clear mind and you have managed to accomplish that, then you are doing it right. There is really no wrong way to find enlightenment or to gain insight into yourself. All you really have to do is put forth the effort to disconnect from the stresses of daily life and give yourself a chance to relax and breathe.
Sometimes, people don’t enjoy sitting in silence because it provides insights that can be difficult to cope with. some people have had very difficult situations happen to them in the past, or they might find that they are making choices they would rather not be making. Meditation can force us to have accountability for our own actions and the mistakes that we are making. This can sometimes be very uncomfortable.
However, this is where loving kindness meditations can be the most rewarding. If we are able to embrace ourselves with compassion and forgive ourselves for the bad choices that we make, then it will be easier for us to begin to take the necessary steps toward correcting the behaviors that are holding us back from having positive, rewarding interactions. When we focus on giving ourselves love and compassion, we are less likely to resort to negative behaviors simply because they might feel good at the time. We are more likely to examine our motivations closely and weigh whether or not those behaviors will benefit us or hurt us in the long run, then make our choices accordingly.
It can take a little while for us to reach that stage of self- love, but it is an important step in the major process of learning ourselves. Meditation is meant to help guide us through life so that we are being as true to ourselves as possible without the limitations of our mistakes. While we may still make things we consider to be mistakes, with meditation, they can also benefit us as we learn more about ourselves. We can turn our foibles into learning experiences that can help us to get to where we want to be in life emotionally, spiritually, and even materially. And this is a great benefit.
When you first begin meditating, you should pay close attention to yourself. What are the things that you are feeling? What emotions are arising? How does your body feel? Is it comfortable? Why do you think you are having the emotional reaction that you are having? See how deep down in the rabbit hole you can go without becoming too emotionally wrapped up to consider the situation with objectivity.
This may be hard to do at first, as we tend to experience our emotions very fully. But with meditation, the benefit is that we are able to use the space we put between ourselves and our emotions to analyze them and address them with an analytical approach that allows us to learn more about the way we operate. With that insight, we are able to find ways to cope with our difficulties and tackle problems head-on, knowing that whatever path we have chosen to take, we have examined it from every angle and have the confidence in knowing that it is the best likely choice. And nobody can determine what is best for us except for us. And meditation can help us to figure out what that is. So always keep that in mind.
If you are having a hard time calming your mind and centering yourself at first, don’t be discouraged. You can try to focus on your breathing, as long as you are not trying to control it. Close your eyes and think about the way the air feels as it goes into your lungs and back out of your body. Feel the gentle motion of your body as your chest rises and falls. Consider the peaceful nature of breath. The way it is always with us, usually silent, always nourishing. You can take the opportunity at this time to do the body scan that was mentioned earlier in this chapter and think about all of your different body parts. From your chest, you could then focus on your shoulders, or your left arm or right. Maybe your fingertips or your torso. However you choose to approach this meditation, focusing on your breathing can be a great way to get yourself acclimated to meditation if you are new to the practice.
If focusing on the way your breathing feels isn’t enough, you could always count your breaths. This can be a useful strategy for falling asleep as well. Close your eyes and think about your breaths going in and going out. One, two. In, out. One, two. If you are in need of an easy meditation style that will help you to really relax, this makes for a very simple and very effective way to do so.
This is particularly effective if you are practicing while rested, otherwise you may find yourself having a hard time staying awake. Meditating with a sharp mind is usually a good idea, which is another reason that it may be best to begin your meditations in the morning as part of your routine.
Finally, remember that forcing your meditation is never going to work. If you aren’t feeling it, you simply aren’t feeling it. You don’t have to put a lot of pressure on yourself to do something like this.
The whole goal is to get yourself relaxed and re-focused. But if you find yourself fidgeting and restless and agitated, there is no reason to waste that energy sitting around and fighting something you are not fully committed to.
You can meditate when you are in the headspace to meditate. That will help you get a lot more accomplished. And if you find that you are always feeling restless and edgy when you are trying to make time to meditate, perhaps your meditation is lacking something that you would need to feel it is beneficial to your life. You can always look into other people’s thoughts on meditation and techniques that they have found work for them. Maybe you are the kind of person who would rather meditate with someone else. You can always speak with your loved ones and see if they might want to join you in a meditation. You can also get in touch with people who are passionate about meditation who may share their secrets and experiences with you and make it a little bit easier for you to succeed the way you are hoping to.
In either case, meditation is always going to take a small amount of effort. That effort is mostly spent in being able to carve out the time to actually sit down and face yourself, good thoughts, bad thoughts, and everything in between. If that is something that is intimidating, then maybe sitting down and meditating on why it is difficult to meditate would help you to find some answers.
While it may seem overwhelming to begin meditating, the truth is that it can be far more overwhelming to live your life without meditation as a tool to help you move forward. Everybody can benefit from gaining insight into themselves and learning how to clear their minds and approach problems effectively and objectively. All you really have to do is try!
So don’t hesitate. Include meditation into your daily life. You can start now, or you can start later. Whenever you decide to embark upon your journey, know that you are doing it for the best possible reasons. Improving your life, and the lives of everyone around you, is essential in promoting a peaceful community. We impact others with our energies and attitude, and if we are doing our best to put nothing but love and productivity out into the world, then that is what we are going to get back, guaranteed.
