A beginner’s guide to meditation that will surely turn your “OMG” into an “OM”.
Meditation Made Easy
If you’re like most people, meditation is kind of like taking your vitamins. You know you should do it, and there are tons of benefits to it, but you fall short every time. Not sure where to start? No worries! This guide will walk you through the ins and outs of all things meditation.
The Basics
Although some might assume that meditation is this all-encompassing, full-body experience that takes place on a rustic mountainside, it’s not. Meditation can be as simple as sitting down for five minutes and focusing on your breathing. Meditation isn’t about reinventing yourself to be someone you’re not. At its core, meditation is all about understanding your feelings better, in a more constructive and non-judgemental way. Although there are many different kinds of mediation, we’re just here to go over the basics.
Time to Make Time
Time is a crucial element of any meditation practice. Whether it’s five minutes, or forty-five minutes, carving out time to meditate each day is integral to the learning process. Ideally, you should try to meditate around the same time each day, in order to make meditation into a good habit. So what are you waiting for? There’s no time like the present to start getting present!
Get Comfortable
Not only is meditation all about getting comfortable with your mind, but with your body as well! Barry Boyce, Editor-in-Chief of Mindful, believes that bodily positioning is half of the battle. Learning how to sit properly, and position your arms and legs in a comfortable way is one of the first steps in learning how to meditate. Not sure how to set yourself up? Check out Meditation for Beginners: Taking Your Seat to get comfortable.
Just Breathe
What’s the connection between breathing and meditation? Focusing on your breathing allows you to be present, and focus on relaxing, instead of dwelling on negative thoughts or anxieties. This technique is known as mindful breathing, and it is in fact exactly what it sounds like. All you need to do is sit down, relax, and focus on each breath you take.
The Benefits
Not only does meditation benefit you in the short term, but in the long term too! Below are just a few benefits that are brought about by practicing meditation.
De-stressor
According to the Everyday Health report on the United States of Stress 2019, 57% of participants reported that they are “paralyzed” by stress. Meditation is the surefire way to alleviate your stress and pinpoint what it is that’s stressing you the heck out.
Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
Need to catch more z’s? Meditation is here to help. Meditating before bed brings about physiological changes that mimic the early stages of sleep, which will help you let go of those anxieties that keep you up at night.
Improve Your Focus
We all have those days when we just can’t focus. Practicing meditation will not only bring down your stress levels but bring you back down to Earth when you’re too distracted to stay on task. Why not check out meditation practices that are designed to recover your attention.
