It is very important to note that with any new undertaking, there will be questions and adjustments, and your mind will probably want to talk you out of it as well.
If you persist and experiment, you will get to where you need to be with your daily meditation practice.
Understand that meditation is not something that will happen overnight or something that will be automatic from the onset. It takes time and it takes practice.
Take the time to read through some books or get some audio/visual mp3s to acclimate yourself with the art and practice of meditation for beginners. In this way, you will know what to expect.
Beginner Daily Meditation Techniques
Start to focus on your breathing throughout the day. When you are hurried and rushed, do you notice that your breath is shorter and more labored? If so, begin by focusing on each breath, taking deep breaths in through the nostrils and releasing through the mouth. You should also notice the rise and fall of your stomach as you focus on your breathing.
Be intentional about your meditation. Meditation is a practice and a learned skill. It needs to be practiced intentionally in order for it to work. It does not just happen to you.
Dress appropriately for meditation. If you are trying to sneak in ten minutes of meditation in your lunch hour, dressed in your business skirt and heels, chances are you will be rushed and harried. Set aside a time that is appropriate where you can wear loose-fitting clothing and where you can concentrate.
Begin with the practice of releasing tension in all your body parts. Focus on the feet first and release tension in that area; move up to your ankles, etc. Do this until you have reached the top of your head. For some practitioners, tightening and releasing muscles as they go along makes for greater awareness of the release.
Practice your breathing techniques together with the release of tension in your body parts. At first, this will seem difficult; however, it will become easier as time goes on. You will be able to tighten and release your muscles and breathe in and out to release that tension.
Stretching your muscles a bit before sitting to meditate is a great way to get blood circulating and get in the moment. Choose a focal point, if you wish. For some, meditation is only done with their eyes closed, while others need a focal point. Yours could be a picture on the wall of a serene setting.
Let others in on your new-found desire to learn meditation. If those around you know you need quiet time, they will respect your solitude – especially if it will give them a happier and healthier you.
Let everyone in your household know that you will be taking on the practice of meditation and when, how, and where you will begin this process of transformation. Let everyone know that you are committed and disciplined in maintaining this goal and that your health and his or her happiness depend on it, as well.
Let your family in on a little secret. Tell them that meditating will be good for you and create a happier more relaxed and healthier you. This will have a trickle-down effect on all of your family members and it is in their best interest to support you as you go on this newfound journey.
Be consistent with your meditation practices. Do not let circumstances take over control of your meditation practice. Before you know it, you will become a pro – just stay consistent.
Tips for Successful Daily Meditation
Many individuals think of sitting on top of a mountaintop with legs folded and fingers poised when thinking about successful meditation.
Meditation does not, however, have to be that extreme. As a matter of fact, meditation can be quite simple if you follow a few tried and true tips for successful meditation.
Set Aside an Allotted Time – When it comes to meditating successfully, make sure that you have an allotted time set aside each week for this purpose. If you choose to start meditating, it is best, to begin with, a once per week practice until you are more comfortable with the art of meditating.
Even if you have to put it in red pen on your calendar, put it on your calendar. Use your smartphone to schedule a reminder or even send yourself an email reminding you of your date with rest and relaxation. The rewards of being intentional about meditating are worth their weight in gold.
Pick a Location
Find a soothing, relaxing, and out of the way area for your meditation practice. Set up the area with a few comforting photos, some scented candles, a comfy pillow, and a nice throw rug. Even if it is just a corner of your bedroom where you can go and lock yourself in and not be disturbed, it is very important to claim your private space for your meditation retreat.
Educate Yourself
Educate yourself on the art of meditation so that you will have a base knowledge before you begin. Get some educational materials to view, watch some videos online, and gather some reading material on the subject.
Arming yourself with knowledge before you begin will allow you to have a more peaceful and results-oriented experience.
By educating yourself, setting aside a quiet location, letting your family know of your intentions, and securing a quiet spot to meditate in, you can float into a meditation experience that is successful and peaceful all rolled into one.
Three Tips to Quiet Your Mind
Meditation For Beginners Guide – Harness The Power Of Your Mind
If you are not overachieving and extremely busy in today’s society, you are the exception and not the norm. We are all guilty of this; we overextend, overachieve, and overstress ourselves to the point of breaking. Little do we realize, however, that we are hurting our body by hurting our mind.
The Art of Gratitude
It is so easy to be upset when things do not go our way. From the moment we spill our coffee, lock our keys in the car, and forget our lunch, a spiral of circumstances can set us off into a tailspin of negativity. However, we can choose to stay in a state of discontent and let that dictate our day, or we can be grateful for the other things in our lives even if they are not present in front of us right now.
Did you ever notice that when something nice happens, we tend to smile for a moment and then move on? However, when something goes wrong, we feel the need to tell everyone and anyone that will listen. It is in those exact moments of discontent that we need to focus on what we are grateful for, and it is then and only then that we will pull ourselves up from discontent.
Keeping the focus on gratitude offers your mind something to smile about, regardless of outside circumstances. Focusing on people, places, and even things that make you grateful gives your mind the quiet respite that it needs to stay active and healthy in the future.
A Time for Nothingness
Everyone has a busy schedule; that is a known fact. We all set our schedules to overflowing and then complain that we do not have time for ourselves. Take a good hard look at your schedule and see what you can delete and what you can delegate. If you are going to have a healthy mind, you need to take care of it just as you would your body. One cannot function healthily without the other.
The best tip for quieting your mind is to put that on your schedule. Put it in big red pen on your calendar, text yourself a reminder, and place it on your list of things to do this week.
Take a Moment
Being in the moment has become a cliché; however, if you really take the time and trouble to learn what that means, you will learn how to quiet your mind. Focus on what you are doing at the exact moment you are doing it.
In this way, you are focused on the moment at hand and not two days from now when something big is arising. These are just three helpful tips for quieting your mind.
Easy Breathing Practices For Daily Meditation
While a part of meditation is getting in touch with your awareness, another part has to do with relaxing and clearing your mind. Breathing is an important tool to get to both those places. Breathing may seem as simple as breathing in and out; however, this is not entirely the case.
For mediation to be successful, you will need to read up a little, listen to some CDs, and most of all practice a bit of breathing properly. Here are a few easy breathing practices to make your beginning mediation experience an enlightened one.
Proper Sitting for Proper Breathing
First and foremost, make sure that you are comfortable. Sitting upright with a straight spine will help the energy flow and prepare you for proper breathing exercises. Do not sit too rigidly, or you will be uncomfortable and unresponsive to the proper breathing format.
Relaxation of the Body
Once you have gotten into a comfortable seated position, it is important to relax your body to prepare it for breathing techniques and meditation. No matter how well you practice your breathing, if your body is tense, you will not have success. Begin by relaxing the muscles in your toes, moving to your ankles, and work your way all the way up to the top of your head. Once your body is in its relaxed position, then it will be time to begin your proper breathing techniques.
Pay Attention to Your Breaths
In the beginning, simply pay attention to your breaths. Be attuned to the rhythm of the breaths, focusing on the in and out of those breaths. Do not try to control those breaths; just be aware of them. It is very important to be aware of how you are breathing in the beginning before trying to learn any new technique on how to breathe. Being aware is an important part of the process.
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Pay Attention to Your Body
Once you are acutely aware of how you breathe, it is important to pay attention to your body. If you are not experiencing your stomach rising and falling with each breath, you may be tense at the moment. It is important to have your breath enter into the nostrils and leave through mouth naturally.
Establish a Rhythm
It is very important to establish a breathing rhythm. Once you become aware of your breathing, you will notice that it is easier to establish a rhythm. Once that rhythm is established, you will find your meditation to flow easily and you will get the most benefit out of that meditation.
When and How to Meditate Daily
Once you have decided to invest your time and effort into learning how to meditate, it is also important to decide on the when and the how of meditation. Meditation will offer many benefits in the areas of health, concentration, stress, anxiety, and joy.
Setting aside a committed time is a very important component of meditation. Making sure that everyone respects your commitment is also vital to the success of your meditation experience.
Make a Strong Commitment To Meditate
The first and probably the most important aspect of beginning meditation is to commit wholeheartedly from the outset. When you speak of meditation, let everyone know that you are going to meditate as part of your routine. Do not say that you are going to “try” meditation; that will only set you up for an easy escape from the beginning.
Make sure that your words and actions are aligned with the commitment to meditate.
Pick a Time For Meditating
Pick a time of day or night and make a commitment to stick to that time and date. Make sure that you choose a time that will always be convenient for you without any disruptions. If that means locking yourself in your room for a period of time before bedtime, get a sign that says that meditation is in practice and do not disturb.
If you choose to practice meditation in the morning, get up a few minutes earlier every day to begin meditation.
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How Often To Mediate
When you first begin to meditate, keep your expectations in check. Start off slowly and increase the time gradually. In this manner, you will not start off on too high a level with too many expectations and then you will not be disappointed. Give it some time.
Start off with 15-minute intervals each morning. Morning is best because your body has not fully awakened to the stressors of the day. Thereafter, when you begin to see the rewards of meditation, you will be able to increase and adjust your schedule accordingly.
Meditation Posture
Another important aspect of meditation is your posture. A pose that is too rigid or too loose will diminish the meditation experience. Sit with your spine upright, but not too stiff. Sit on the floor on a comfortable blanket or mat.
Make sure that your neck is straight and your shoulders are not slouched, but remember to relax your arms and legs.
It may take some time to adjust your position, but over time, you will realize what the right position is once you have experimented.
Do not expect to be miraculously transformed in the beginning. Meditation – just like anything else – takes time, patience, and practice.