Meditation: Three Easy Ways to Meditate
Meditation refers to focusing on a single objective and eliminating all other thoughts crowding the mind. It is a set of techniques; as in, there are various ways to meditate. For instance, guided mediation is one of the best ways to relax the mind.
Regular meditation practice can offer benefits such as reduced stress, better sleep, improved mental, physical, and emotional health, and is good for general well-being. Meditation guidance is available in the form of classes via in-person training or apps. You can refer to videos or audios of guided meditation; or learn it from a teacher while attending online or physical classes.
If you are keen to start a meditation practice, here are three easy ways to do it.
1.Find a comfortable position for meditation.
In order to meditate, you need to be in a comfortable position. The common practice is to sit in a position that can be relaxing for you. Choose what is best for you. You needn’t sit cross-legged or in a lotus position. You can sit on a chair, bed, or sofa. You don’t have to be on the floor.
You can even lie down on a mat or a bed if that is what works for you.
Try to be as comfortable as possible. Support your back with cushions or pillows. Wear comfortable clothing. Wrap yourself in warm clothes or a comforter if the weather is cold.
You may need to try different positions to find what is best suited for your mediation practice. This is perfectly all right. Within a few days, you will know what works for you.
2. Focus on the breath.
Meditation aims to eliminate the chaos of thoughts from the mind. It is all about settling it and feeling peaceful. One of the easiest ways to do it is by focusing on your breath. You can check meditation guidance videos available from reliable teachers to learn how to do it.
To begin, pay attention to each intake of breath and also as you exhale it. Take slow and steady breaths. To increase your focus, you can slowly count to 3 as you inhale and again as you exhale. Each count should be the same. The breath should be slow, deep, and focused.
As you grow into your practice, increase the count. You should be able to take deeper breaths as you successfully continue on your meditation journey.
If your mind begins to wander from the breaths (which it will); slowly bring your attention back to each inhale and exhale. There is nothing wrong with you if your concentration is not as it should be for meditation. The idea is to feel relaxed and increase your focus. Each journey is unique. Just keep practicing.
When you are able to focus properly on the breath, you can add chants or mantras to your practice. But until then meditate just by keeping your breath as the focal point.
If it helps, add calming music in the background. Keep the volume low though.
3. Be patient with your practice.
It can take days or even months to master even a simple meditation technique. The key is to not be discouraged by your slow progress (if that is the case).
Begin slowly. Start by investing 5-10 minutes into your meditation practice. Once you are able to sit and center your breath for this amount of time; slowly increase it. Give your mediation practice as much time you can and need. It is ideal to sit for at least 20 minutes for any type of meditation. You can increase it to an hour also; if needed.
If you don’t have much time for your meditation, even a few minutes of mindful breathing can do wonders for you. Some meditation is better than no meditation at all.
If you are able to focus on your breath for a specific amount of time, you can seek expert meditation guidance to further bolster your practice. There are various forms of guided meditation available via trained teachers.
Find a class that focuses on the benefits you are seeking. Master it before trying a new one. If a technique doesn’t work for you, feel free to replace it.