The Beginners Guide to Meditation
Meditation Basics
Meditation has many benefits that we’re aware of. Some of these benefits include lowering our stress levels, improving our focus, reducing our brain chatter, connecting better to ourselves and adopting a kinder relationship with ourselves and others. So why do we resist meditation so much if we know the benefits?
It can be challenging in the beginning, you might feel like you’re meditating wrong or maybe you can’t stop your racing thoughts, maybe you are having a hard time focusing on the meditation and rather thinking about what you have to do afterwards. I promise you that once you establish a routine, it will become a part of your everyday life and it will get easier. As with most things, the hardest part is starting.
Meditation can provide us with some much needed space in our lives. This space allows us to make better choices for ourselves and our families. It allows us to be best version of ourselves to be a better partner, parent, sibling, worker, you name it!
How to meditate?
I recommend that all beginner’s start with a guided meditation app which helps you to direct your thoughts and focus on your breathing, my personal favourite is Headspace.
Meditation Basics:
Take a seat or lay down, find a place that feels calms and quiet to you, find a comfortable position.
Set a time limit, for beginners I recommend starting with 5-10 minutes per day.
Notice your body, how it feels and any sensations.
Feel your breath as you inhale and exhale.
Notice when your mind has wandered, this is inevitable, when you notice that your mind has wandered other places return your attention to your breath.
Be kind to your wandering mind, acknowledge this is normal, don’t obsess over the thoughts you may be lost in, just do your best to come back into the meditation and focus on your breath.
Close with kindness, take a moment after your meditation to notice how your body feels and any thoughts or emotions you may have.
Here is my favourite analogy on how to deal with wandering thoughts during your meditation.
Written by Dr. Kendra Zamick, Naturopathic Doctor