Meditation is a practice of calming your mind and body. It helps you take a break from worrying and learn to pay attention to the present moment without judging it. And by practicing mindfulness and meditation, you will improve your self-awareness. As it's about noticing what's going on around you and what you're feeling, without getting upset or stressed about it.
How to Meditate
Meditation is a great tool that is available to everyone. That's why we want to share the basic steps of mindfulness meditation for beginners.
Find a Quiet Place
Find a place where you can relax and not be interrupted during your meditation. It is especially important to avoid any external distractions. It is better to turn off noisy appliances. At the same time, the meditation space does not have to be completely silent, so you will not need earplugs.
Take a Comfortable Position
Sit comfortably. Don't worry too much about how you sit, what you are wearing, what you are sitting on, etc. You don't have to go out of your way to sit cross-legged unless you want to. You can sit on a chair, on a pillow on the floor, or a couch. The essential thing is to keep your back straight, but not strained. And promise to devote the allotted time to meditation, regardless of whether it is difficult or easy for you.
Set a Timer
By setting the timer, you won't need to check your watch and thus distract yourself. Just delegate it to a timer or meditation app.
Start with a few minutes. This is very important. Most people think they need to meditate for 15–30 minutes. But we are trying to form a long-term habit and relax. Thus, start with a few 2–5 minutes. It will be much easier for you to start, and forming a habit from a small beginning is a method with a much higher chance of success. Over time, gradually increase your practice time.
Focus on Breath
Feel your breath. Watch your breath go through your nostrils, then down your throat, then into your lungs and belly. Try to feel the inhale and then the exhale. You can keep your eyes open, but look at the ground and with a soft focus. Or close your eyes to help you focus.
Count your breath: start with 1 and work up to 10. If you lose track, start again.
Essential Tips for Beginners
Now, that you know the basic steps of meditation, we want to share some tips to help you improve your experience. You don't have to apply all the tips at once, try one or two during your next meditation. Then come back to the article and choose other tips to try.
Just do it. Focusing on the “perfect” execution of a practice is a common obstacle when we want to start doing something new. We worry about where to sit, how to sit, how long to sit, etc. However, the main thing is to just start. And over time, you will realize how you feel more comfortable meditating.
Meditate every day. It’s much more important than the duration of the session. Additionally, the more you do it, the better you get at dropping into that calm and focused state whenever you need to (not just during meditation).
Don't be afraid to be alone with your thoughts. It's natural to have thoughts or feelings when you meditate. Don't push them away, try to stay with them for a while. And then return to concentrating on the breath.
Use the meditation app. There are plenty of best meditation apps. It's like having a meditation teacher in your pocket, ready to help you focus and relax anytime, anywhere.
Smile at yourself. Be grateful to yourself that you had this time for yourself, that you kept your promise, and that you took the time to get to know yourself and make friends with yourself.