The meditation practice involves turning inward, quieting the mind, and being fully in the present moment—a skill accessible to anyone willing to try it. It’s not necessarily about silencing your thoughts or sitting cross-legged on a mountaintop; it’s about cultivating awareness, managing emotions, and building inner peace.
As you'll discover in this beginner's guide, basic meditation isn’t shrouded in mystery or a cure-all. It’s a tool that can bring mental clarity, emotional stability, and deeper self-awareness into our often hectic daily lives. Books like 'The Power of Now,' 'Think Like a Monk,' and 'The Untethered Soul' offer profound insights on living mindfully, but this guide will help you start with practical steps to simple meditation and debunk common myths.
Step 1: Simple meditation techniques for beginners
There are many things in life that we cannot control. However, we can take responsibility for our state of mind and change it. According to Buddhist teachings, this is the most important thing we can do. Buddhism teaches that it is the only natural antidote to anxiety, hatred, dissatisfaction, delusion, and the half-asleep life we lead in human incarnation.
What is Buddhist meditation? It is a means of transforming your mind. There are many different forms of meditation. Here are examples of techniques for various purposes that can become a starting point for you.
Use guided meditations
Guided meditations can be a great way to start meditating, especially if you are new to the practice. They are recordings that guide you through a meditation session, providing guidance and instruction by a meditation teacher. As you learn and feel more comfortable with guided meditations, you can gradually progress to silent meditation or learn different meditation techniques. Guided meditations can be podcasts or meditation apps on your iPhone and can help you relax and open up. Another exciting way to start a meditation practice or get a new experience is the meditation center and group sessions with a teacher who can lead you or even a wellness trip for some days or weeks. Meditation centers are taught by members of the Triratna Buddhist Order, who are experienced in meditation. A teacher can guide you on how to use the technique and deal with difficulties.
Mindfulness meditation
This technique is thought-stopping. You need to sit down, relax, and focus on body sensations. Some people prefer to focus on an external object. The main goal of meditation is to concentrate until you stop thinking about something; that is, you stop the flow of thoughts and move to sensations. This is how a person falls into a deep trance state, reloads, and rests.
"When you resist life, you feel tension. By letting go, you let life and energy flow naturally through you." – Michael A. Singer, 'The Untethered Soul'
How to meditate
Choose a quiet place where you will not be distracted. Turn off your phone, TV, and other distractions. If you want to turn on music, choose something calm.
Set a time limit. Set a timer. It will take you five to ten minutes to get started.
Create space. In addition to choosing a time, you also need to find a place to practice.
Your meditation space should not have any special decor or distractions.
Pay attention to how your body feels and get comfortable cross-legged on the floor or in a chair.
If you can't sit on the floor, that's okay too. Find a chair to sit straight up in with both feet flat on the floor.
Focus on your breathing. Try to take a deep breath and then exhale slowly. Pay attention to the sensation of each breath.
When your mind begins to wander, which it inevitably does, notice your thoughts and then let go of them.
Hand position. You may have seen pictures of people meditating with their hands in various positions. Choose one that is comfortable for you.
You can try any pose you've seen or put your hands on your knees.
When your timer sounds, open your eyes. Analyze how you feel after the practice. If you're stuck after sitting, stretching can help you relax.
"Awareness is the first step toward freedom. When you focus your awareness on any part of yourself, you start the process of letting go and healing." – Michael A. Singer, 'The Untethered Soul'
Breathing meditation
Sit in a comfortable position on a chair or a meditation cushion. Try to take a meditation posture that is comfortable for you and allows you to keep your back straight. Close your eyes to avoid external influences and better focus on the inner world. Begin with listening carefully to your breath. Notice the air coming through your nose or mouth as you breathe in and out. Try to breathe evenly, inhaling and exhaling air calmly and evenly. You can count breaths to keep the rhythm. Deepen your attention to the process of breathing. Observe the sensations in your chest, diaphragm, and nasal passages. Feel free if your thoughts start to distract you. Just bring your attention back to your breathing.
"When we control our breath, we control our mind. Through breathing, we can move beyond chaos and find clarity." – Jay Shetty, 'Think Like a Monk'
Use the breath as a fixation point for attention. Start with a short five-minute meditation, then increase the sessions' duration over time. You can gradually go to 10, 15, or even 20 minutes. This breathing meditation technique will help calm your mind, improve concentration, and reduce stress. Regular practice will contribute to your spiritual and physical harmony.
Body scan
This technique involves a careful analysis of your body. Start at the top of your head and gradually move down to your feet. Observe each body part, feel it, and release the tension. This technique helps you feel the connection between mind and body and removes physical tension.
"As you become aware of the energy within your body, you can let go of the mental patterns that create tension." – Eckhart Tolle, 'The Power of Now'
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Remove external influences and close your eyes. Think of the warmth and relaxation that permeates every part of your body with each downward movement. If you feel tension in a specific area, try to relax it, paying special attention to that area actively while out-breath. Gradually bring your attention back to your entire body, from head to toe. Feel the general state of relaxation and peace. The body scanning technique helps to reduce tension and stress and improve the conscious perception of one's body. Make this technique a daily practice, especially if you feel physically or mentally stressed.
Loving-kindness meditation
LKM is a respected self-help technique that promotes overall well-being and reduces stress. People who regularly engage in this practice typically develop a higher capacity for forgiveness, deeper connections, self-acceptance, and many other positive traits. When practicing loving-kindness meditation, one of the main actions is to direct good energy to yourself and others.
"When we meditate on kindness, we find compassion within and radiate it outward. This not only brings peace to others but enriches our own lives." – Jay Shetty, 'Think Like a Monk'
Provide a quiet moment for yourself and sit comfortably. Close your eyes, relax your muscles, and take a deep breath in. Imagine being surrounded by absolute physical and emotional well-being that radiates inner peace. Visualize yourself filled with unconditional love, expressing gratitude, breathing in love, and breathing out any tension. Say three or four encouraging affirmations out loud. Examples may include:
I am (grateful, open, strong, excited, worthy).
I love (myself, my partner, my body, my life).
Today, I will find joy in where I am.
My thoughts are peaceful and calm.
Step 2: Addressing common challenges in meditation
If you've tried meditation but never truly experienced it, you may feel a disconnect between the intended and actual effects of the practice. Perhaps you are facing obstacles in the meditation process that prevent its effectiveness.
'The Untethered Soul' by Michael A. Singer aims to help readers break free from their limitations and soar far beyond their limits to achieve inner peace, energy, and happiness. Singer encourages readers to focus less on the world around them and more on changing their relationship with their inner space to achieve these results. Once they detach themselves from their minds and souls, they can cope with all life's challenges.
Expecting a quick result
It's natural to begin meditation with certain expectations, but once you get into the habit, try to let go of those expectations and appreciate the practice itself. Enjoy the feeling of peace and clarity after meditation. Understanding that profound benefits develop over time helps you sustain the practice over the long term.
"If you stop expecting your mind to do anything in particular, you free yourself to simply experience each moment." – Michael A. Singer, 'The Untethered Soul'
Lack of preparation for a meditation session
Just a few minutes of light stretching, relaxation, or breathing exercises will deepen your meditation. Taking a few minutes to relax your body and calm your mind before you begin can significantly deepen your meditation experience. Simple stretches, deep breaths, and setting an intention can enhance your session.
"You don’t have to constantly be mulling things over in your mind. You can just stop. By letting go of your inner chatter, you are freeing yourself from it." – Michael A. Singer, 'The Untethered Soul'
Doubts about the correctness of meditation
Over-analyzing meditation can hinder your progress. Focus on the practice rather than questioning your technique. Clarity and understanding will come with time. Remember, the point of meditation is simple: maintain focus and gently bring your attention back when you get distracted.
"If you truly want to grow spiritually, you’ll realize that keeping your stuff is keeping you trapped." – Michael A. Singer, 'The Untethered Soul'
Emotional, informational, and mental overload during the day
Just as meditation affects the daytime mental state, daily activities affect the quality of meditation. Strive for mindfulness and organization daily to support your meditation practice. Information overload from various media can clutter your mind and affect meditation. Limiting and choosing the type of media you consume and occasional "media starvation" can greatly benefit your meditation practice and overall well-being.
"Eventually, you will see that the real cause of problems is not life itself. It’s the commotion the mind makes about life that really causes the problems." – Michael A. Singer, 'The Untethered Soul'
Step 3: Building a meditation habit
In 'Think Like A Monk,' Jay Shetty explains that regular practice is the key to successful meditation. Challenges such as a busy schedule or lack of technical knowledge should not stop you. Explore different meditation techniques until you find one that resonates with you. Remember that consistency is one of the fundamental pillars of meditation.
Consistency is the key to success
Consistent practice is more critical than prolonged practice. This means it is better to meditate for five minutes six times a week than thirty minutes once a week. Also, starting with short daily sessions will make you more likely to stick to regular meditation practice.
"You don’t need to meditate for hours. Start with a few minutes a day. What matters is consistency, not the duration." – Jay Shetty, 'Think Like A Monk'
Practice does not make perfect
Regular practice is more important than "perfect" practice. Instead of overthinking the best way to sit, what technique to try when you sit, and how long you should sit, you should just sit and meditate. Meditating has no "wrong" way; any meditation is better than none.
"The mind is like a muscle. It needs daily repetition to become strong. Every time you show up to meditate, you’re building that strength." – Jay Shetty, 'Think Like A Monk'
Mind wandering is normal
If you find your mind wandering, don't worry. Some people, especially perfectionists, can find meditation challenging. If you can't get rid of the thoughts even for a while, the psychotherapist advises you to contact a specialist who will teach you how to meditate.
"When we accept that the mind will wander, we can bring ourselves back to focus gently, without guilt or frustration." – Jay Shetty, 'Think Like A Monk'
Step 4: The benefits of meditation
Different types of meditation help reduce stress. Meditation activates the parasympathetic system, which is responsible for rest, and partially suppresses the sympathetic system, which governs the fight-or-flight response.
"Stress only happens when you resist life’s events. If you’re neither pushing life away nor pulling it toward you, then you are not creating any resistance, and you don’t experience stress." – Michael A. Singer, 'The Untethered Soul'
Improves sleep quality. Meditation, such as mindfulness—the practice of nonjudgmental awareness—can help enhance sleep quality. Meditative practices help one calm down through breathing and focusing on the moment of being "here and now."
"When you let go of the inner noise, you allow your entire being to rest deeply. True rest is not just sleep, but a peace that carries through all states." – Michael A. Singer, 'The Untethered Soul'
It can be a component of the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Elements of nonjudgmental mindfulness meditation can help alleviate symptoms of PTSD and depression. One study found that veterans with PTSD who practiced meditation experienced improvements in mood and quality of life.
Serves as an additional component in the treatment of mental health disorders. Elements from the practice of mindfulness meditation can enhance the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Therefore, these elements can be included as part of psychotherapy protocols not only for post-traumatic stress disorder but also for depression and anxiety disorders.
"When you release inner tension, the body responds with relaxation, creating space for true rest and healing." – Michael A. Singer, 'The Untethered Soul'
Meditation helps lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, improve memory, relieve muscle spasms, and more. Systolic blood pressure is the top measure of blood pressure and reflects the pressure in the blood vessels during the heartbeat. Three short minutes of meditation a day will protect against death from high blood pressure and heart disease. Deep breathing can dilate your blood vessels, allowing more blood to flow through them and causing your blood pressure to drop. People who practice mindfulness meditation are also generally healthier because they pay more attention to their sensations and what is happening in their bodies and the world at a particular moment.
Step 5: Incorporating meditation into your daily life
As with any habit, you need to give yourself time and include self-discipline. For example, setting the alarm 10 minutes earlier to meditate in the morning. And do it, not 1-5 times, but for several weeks. Many people now use phone apps that help build habits and remind them to meditate.
"Begin with a few minutes each day. As you become more aware of the present, you can gradually extend this practice." – Eckhart Tolle, 'The Power of Now'
Learning to do one action at a time is the easiest way to start practicing. For example, if you drink coffee, then only drink coffee. Don't check your phone or think about business, but feel the taste and aroma of the drink and the warmth that the cup gives to your palms. These few minutes of total awareness can sometimes relax and balance the mind more than a half hour of tossing and turning in a chair.
"You can practice being present at any moment. Even while washing the dishes, you can be fully aware of the sensations, the sounds, and the movements involved." – Eckhart Tolle, 'The Power of Now'
Any practice is better than no practice. Therefore, you should not be strict with yourself and evaluate your meditation "success." You can keep a meditation journal to record how you felt, whether there were many thoughts, what they were, and how much you managed to calm down. However, don’t use your journal for grading purposes; it is just to see where you are going more clearly and track your progress.
"Take a moment at the end of your day to observe how your awareness has changed. This reflection deepens your connection to the present." – Eckhart Tolle, 'The Power of Now'
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