A Beginner’s Guide To Meditation

If I say meditation, what comes to mind? Someone sat crossed-legged on the floor, hands resting on the knees, with their finger and thumb making a circle and going, ommm? You’re not wrong, but there is a lot more that goes into it.

Many people assume that meditation means you have to empty your mind and control your thoughts. Clear your mind, don’t think about anything, and ignore everything else around you. However, they couldn’t be more wrong! Actually, it’s completely the opposite! With mindful meditation, you allow all thoughts to come and go and flow through your mind being aware of them but WITHOUT judgement. 

Don’t get me wrong, it does take practice, but you don’t have to be perfect at it. It’s not something that you need to master. Just practising for a few minutes every day is beneficial.

Benefits of Meditating

There are so many benefits to starting a meditation practice, such as:

• Improved focus and concentration
• Reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Lower blood pressure
• Reduced stress
• Boosts memory
• Improved self-awareness

Plus loads more!

Getting Started

Sometimes just getting started can be the difficult part. You might wonder if you need a special mat to sit on? Or if you need to light incense or a candle or play special music?

No, is the simple answer. All you need is yourself. Here are some pointers to get you started:

1. Pick A Time That Works For You

Maybe you’re a morning person and can meditate before starting work. Perhaps you’re more of a night owl and would prefer to meditate in bed. Do you ride the bus or train to work? Perfect opportunity to get some meditation time. Do you work from home? You could pop outside and meditate in the garden. Find a time that works for you and your schedule.

2. Sit Somewhere Comfortable

Find somewhere comfortable, away from noise and distractions, preferably but not a necessity! You can sit directly on the floor if you wanted, or on a cushion, a blanket, or on the edge of the bed. You could even lay down if you wanted to – wherever you are comfortable.

3. Close Your Eyes And Relax All Your Muscles

If you’re struggling to relax all your muscles, try tensing them for a few seconds, then release.

Start with your feet – wiggle your toes and feet a few times, then relax. Move onto your calves. Tense and release a few times. Keep moving your way up through your thighs, bum and tummy.

Move onto your shoulders, roll them backwards and forwards, shrug them a few times, and then release. Now tense your arms a few times and relax. Don’t forget your hands.

Finally, your face – scrunch your face up, open and close your mouth a few times, then relax.

4. Take Some Nice Deep Breaths

Your body should be completely relaxed and loosey-goosey by now. Put your hand on your belly and take some nice deep, slow breaths in. In through the nose, out through the mouth. You should be able to feel your belly move up and down with each breath. 

5. Allow Thoughts To Come And Go

Sit quietly for a few minutes and relax. Allow any thoughts to come and go. No judgement. Just acknowledge them and allow them to flow out. If you find yourself holding onto a thought, simply acknowledge it and allow it to move on. 

6. That’s It!

Stay like this for as long or as little as you like. Once you’re ready, slowly blink your eyes open and have a nice big stretch. All done.

Don’t you feel so much better?

Body Scan

If you find that you struggle a little bit with just allowing the thoughts to come and go, you could try doing a body scan. This is a great meditation to notice where you might be holding tension in your body. And it’s so simple!

Start at either your head or toes – you decide! Next, just notice without judgement how that body part feels. When you’re ready, move on to the next body part. Continue going through your whole body – toes, feet, legs, tummy, arms, hands, shoulders, face, head – don’t leave anything out. Go along and just bring attention to that body part.

That’s the whole meditation. It’s amazing how good you feel after completing a body scan. It’s actually one of my favourite meditations to do!

Conclusion

Follow these tips, and you’ll be a meditation expert in no time! As you can see, you don’t need anything special to start, just 5 minutes to spare. You don’t even have to meditate every day if you don’t have the time. Once a week, before a big meeting, after a stressful day or before going to sleep. Pick what works for you and relax.

Do you enjoy meditating? Or are you planning on starting? Let me know in the comments!

Cover Photo by Artem Kovalev on Unsplash