With the constant demands and chaotic pace that life offers us, it is very common for anyone to feel stressed and a bit frantic. Between the daily chores, work, relationships, and even kids, it may seem that there are just not enough hours in the day. With so much to do and so little time, stress and exhaustion overcome us, which ultimately can change our mood in an instant. Fortunately, meditation can help you tenfold after just ten or fifteen minutes of the practice each day. While it may seem that meditating is just taking more time out of your day to complete a new task, you will soon learn that meditation will help you relax and even help you complete the tasks in the day that you never expected to get done. Meditation helps you transform your mind by finding inner peace, strength, and answers, and will even give you a new found energy. If this sounds at all intriguing to you, we encourage you to hop on board and learn how to meditate. These tips are your first steps to learning how to mediate to be on your way to a more peaceful and stress-free life.
Posture
Your posture while meditating is very important as it allows you to focus on your breath, ensuring that each one has a straight path to go in and out. Most importantly, you need to have your back straight throughout meditation. The most common way is to sit on the floor with your legs crossed and back straight. If you are doing this in a chair, such as at work, be sure that your back is not leaning against the back of the chair. As a beginner, sitting erect may not be the easiest task, so feel free to put a cushion under you to help prop you up straighter. Once settled, you will need to be aware of how the rest of your body sits.
Your head should be tilted slightly forward with your chin tucked in so that your eyes are pointed downward. This helps prevent your mind from wandering and will help you focus on the meditation. To avoid your mind from wandering even more, keep your eyes shut ever so slightly, gazing down your nose. Relax your lips and rest your tongue against the back of your teeth.
As a beginner in meditation, your hands and arms need to feel comfortable with your body to help you relax and concentrate on the meditation. A common practice is to have your hands resting on either knee with your palms facing up. You may also want to try putting your hands together in the center of your body, below your heart in a prayer motion with your elbows slightly away from your sides to help air circulate. Whatever makes you feel comfortable, we encourage you to try it.
Breathing
Meditation is all about getting rid of your distractions. After years of meditation you may find yourself being able to find quiet and peace in your mind even in the busiest and loudest of locations. The key to this is to focus on your breathing. This is where you should feel most natural. Don’t try to change you breathing; just let it happen naturally. Breathe through your nose and begin to notice the breaths you take without trying to control it. Be aware of when air enters and then leaves your body. Begin to notice how each breath feels, how it fills up your lungs, and how it sounds upon leaving your body. This is what you should always come back to when your mind begins to wander.
Avoid the Wandering Mind
It is completely natural for your mind to want to wander during meditation. But after all, this is why we are meditating in the first place. “What time is Johnny’s soccer game?” “I have a huge exam coming up on Thursday.” “Did I pick up the dry cleaning?” Life gives you so many things to worry about; it’s bound to come up while you are trying to meditate. But remember, meditation is about you. Forget your problems, your worries, and your tasks…at least for these ten minutes of meditation. If your mind starts to wander, just think back to your breathing and focus on your breaths. Remember, it is completely normal for your mind to wander so don’t be stressed when this happens. Relax and focus on your breaths whenever this occurs.
Be Consistent
Lastly, if you want to make meditation a part of your routine, we encourage you to be consistent. Don’t worry about trying to meditate for a long period of time, short increments will do just fine. Try to meditate for ten minutes each day. You will begin to notice a different in yourself and your attitude very quickly if you are consistent with your meditation. Soon you will find that you are happier, healthier, and more relaxed, even in the most hectic times
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