Meditation has many rewarding effects for those who practice it regularly. Aside from gaining a higher sense of self-awareness, it also helps reduce stress and increase focus. However, there are many misconceptions around meditation and you may be wondering how to meditate yourself so you can benefit from its powerful effects. Whether you are sitting or standing you can utilize these meditation tips.

1

Pick the right setting

While you can meditate from anywhere, it is best to choose a peaceful environment that has little distractions whether this is inside or outside. Choose a place where you can meditate uninterrupted for the full duration of your meditation session. You don't need to find a place that is completely quiet but you do want a space that doesn't have external distractions.

2

Get comfortable

You want to be as comfortable as possible when you meditate which requires wearing the right clothing. Dress so that you are not too cold or too warm as the uncomfortable temperature will shift your focus. Wear loose clothing that is not restricting and keep your shoes off.

3

Meditation duration

Before you begin to meditate, you want to decide how long you want to meditate for. If you are just beginning meditation, you might benefit from starting with just five minutes once a day and then gradually increase to twenty minutes twice a day. Try to stick with meditating at the same time each day and set an alarm prior to beginning so that you aren't worried about checking the time while you meditate.

4

Stretch

Before you meditate, you want to stretch your body for a few minutes. Stretching will allow you to feel and remain relaxed while you are meditating. Focus on your neck, shoulders and the lower back, especially if your day involves sitting for a significant amount of time.

5

Meditation position

You want to find a comfortable position to be in while you are meditating. How to meditate doesn't mean you have to sit in the typical lotus position where your legs are crossed in front of you, you can meditate in any position that you are most comfortable being in. You, however, don't want to be in too comfortable of a position that you can accidentally doze off.

6

Eyes closed

Most individuals will meditate with their eyes closed and as a beginner, this can be the best way to meditate, but it can be done with the eyes opened too. If you are going to meditate with your eyes open, you don't want to keep them focused on anything in particular. Instead, you want to keep the eyes soft and avoid looking at anything that will put you in a trance-like state.

7

Breathing

Focusing on the breath is an important factor when meditating. By focus on your breath, you are able to more easily keep any thoughts out of your mind. The more aware you become of your breath, the easier getting you mind clear and your body relaxed will be.

8

Keeping the mind clear

Along with focusing on your breath to keep the mind clear, you might want to consider choosing a mantra to repeat while you meditate. A mantra can be a simple sound you repeat, a word or even a phrase. This will give you something to bring your attention back to the meditation when you notice your thoughts start to wonder. If a mantra isn't really your thing, consider have a visual in your mind to regain your focus. Using visualization can be great when you start to meditate with your eyes opened. How to meditate with visualization? Try to think about a candle flame or light.

9

Body scan

Utilizing the body scan technique at the end of your session can help your body and mind relax greatly. Begin focusing on your toes and concentrate on what they feel. If you feel tense, then focus on relaxing the muscles. Once the toes are relaxed, move on to the feet then move all the way up your body to the head. Once you have moved through you entire body, take a moment to enjoy the feeling of your entire body being relaxed.

10

Enjoy the process

When you are done meditating, you should feel calm and rejuvenated. It is important to enjoy the process of meditating and not get discouraged if you find your thoughts wandering or that it is more difficult to get control over your breath at first. Things will get better by practicing. 

11

Keep with it

While meditating seems to be an easy practice to begin, many people find it challenging at first. It is hard to sit still for even a few minutes, let alone for five or more minutes at a time because so many people live busy on the go lives. What's worse, most people tend to quit meditating after their first few attempts. However, meditation should be a long routine, which will benefit you a lot after being a habit. 

12

Try different types of meditation

There are many ways you can meditate, with the most common being breath meditation, but you can also do standing meditation, mindfulness meditations, chakra meditation and many others. How to meditate for different types may vary. And it will take some times to find out what meditation technique works best for you. Before you decide that meditation isn't really your thing, consider trying to meditate differently.

ANY IDEAS ABOUT THIS TOPIC?

Please Log In or add your name and email to post the comment.

NAME:
EMAIL:
View All Comments /Add Comment