For people who are new to meditation, the practice might make you feel awkward and uncomfortable. Meditation tips, for example, will make you do certain breathing exercises and poses that can seem strange for beginners. However, once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you will be able to experience the benefits of meditation in your daily life.
By using different meditation tips, you will be able to attract positive energy that will help you function better daily. If you need some help on how to start meditating, here are a few tips to guide you.
Top Meditation Tips for an Improved Practice
TIP 1: Be patient
If it’s your first time meditating, you probably won’t feel the benefits of meditation right after your first session. Beginners often have a hard time doing the most basic — yet essential — things, such as sitting quietly for a few minutes and staying focused. You will need some time to adjust because meditation can be a very unfamiliar concept to many. As long as you are trying to consciously tune out everything around you and listen to what’s within, you will eventually find peace.
TIP 2: Find a peaceful place to meditate
Finding a good place to meditate is a huge factor that can improve your practice. If you’re learning meditation tips at home, it is best if you start by looking for a place where you feel peace and stillness. This could be in your backyard, your garden, or your bedroom. Though it is possible to meditate anywhere, finding a place where you can let go and connect with your mind and body can be really helpful, especially for beginners.
If you meditate in your room, try to light some scented candles, play calming music, and use essential oils to help you get in the zone. There will be instances when it can be very difficult to focus and find a peaceful state of mind, so you can add these ‘tools’ to help you transition. You can also use crystals and other stones that can help you relax.
Aside from adding things to help improve your practice, you must also get rid of anything that hinders you from it. Put away your phone and other electronic devices that could distract you. Keep your environment clean from any to-do lists, textbooks, and other stressors — you can work on them later.
TIP 3: Begin by meditating a few minutes every day
Meditation for beginners doesn’t have to last for hours. If you are new to the practice, it is okay start by doing only 5-20 minutes of meditation daily. Remember that yoga and meditation are a personal journey. It is not a race on who can practice the longest. Just follow your own pace, and do whatever feels comfortable for you. What is important is that you spent some time relaxing your mind and developing a stronger relationship with yourself.
TIP 4: Treat meditation as a tool that helps you grow, not something you are obliged to do
You will never enjoy the full benefits of meditation if you only see it as something that you must check from your to-do list. Meditate because you are longing for spiritual growth, and when you feel that you need it to get the energy to start your day.
TIP 5: Pay attention to your breath
An essential part of meditation is the breath. It represents an individual’s life force. It helps you channel energy all throughout your body. Take long and deep breaths, focus on how it flows through your belly and allow it to heal you. With a deeper practice, your breathing and focus will both improve drastically.
TIP 6: There are no good or bad thoughts
Allow your thoughts to start entering your mind and avoid labeling them. Observe these thoughts and let them move freely in and out of your mind. Putting labels on them would only lead to judgments that can trigger certain feelings. By simply observing your inner thoughts, you become free from the duality of good and bad.
TIP 7: There is no wrong or right way of meditating
Beginners often get discouraged to pursue their practice because they feel like they simply cannot get the hang of it. Silencing the mind feels difficult, they get bored, and they don’t feel any changes in their body or their life after meditating. But just because you weren’t able to achieve the state of nirvana, it doesn’t mean that you have failed at meditation. Focus on your own pace and don’t be too conscious about doing things perfectly. Let the energy flow freely through you, and you will soon find peace.
TIP 8: Try different types of meditation
Sitting calmly in the lotus pose isn’t the only way to meditate. There are also other forms of meditation, such as yoga. In yoga and meditation, you do breathing exercises, flow through different movements, and hold poses to help connect the mind, body, and soul. Walking meditation is another type, which simply lets you focus your mind on the act of walking. This helps develop mindfulness both internally and externally. Not everyone enjoys the same style of meditating. Therefore, not everyone applies the same meditation tips in their practice. It is best that you take the time to explore meditation and find which one best suits you.
When starting out, meditation tips won’t only calm you down. In fact, you might even feel uncomfortable. However, once you have grasped the practice, you will notice the amazing benefits it provides.