Like millions around the world, you probably have a good amount of stress in your life. Even if you aren’t drowning in stress, you most likely have a moderate amount of stress in your life. Maybe you have tried meditation as a way to relieve stress. This post is for those who don’t really know where to start with mediation or don’t really know much about it. The information on the internet isn’t always accurate and it can be difficult to find reliable information sometimes. Here is where I want to help you.
Let’s just start off at the basics and figure out what mediation is. Meditation is not trying to force yourself into a certain state. It isn’t pushing yourself to relax and it does not require mental effort. Meditation should feel effortless and should calm your mind down. The basic goal of meditation is to clear your head and have as little going in your mind as possible. It is used to focus on the now and worry less about things you cannot control.
There are a variety of health benefits that frequent meditators enjoy. Such benefits include:
- reduced stress
- increased self-awareness
- focus on the present
- reduction of negative emotions
- reduced anxiety
- reduced high blood pressure and risk of heart diseases
- help with sleeping disorders and depression
- relief from pain
- and many, many more
I have been meditating for a little over a year now and have seen many of these benefits. Starting meditation is the most difficult part and I want to help you out with that. It took me a while before I really got the hang of it but I want to share some things that I’ve learned. I have a few quick steps for you to follow to get into the right state for meditation.
Starting Off– Set aside 10-20 minutes of your day. One thing I recommend is setting an alarm for the specified amount of time… This way you will not worry how long you have been meditating and will not worry about time. Find a quiet area where you will not be disturbed. Make sure to either put away your phone or have it completely silent so it will not bother you. I have found that playing music can make it easier for beginners. Just make sure the music is designed for meditation or is calming music.
Begin– I have found that sitting in an upright position allows easier breathing and for more air to get into your body. For the first minute or so just sit. Do nothing but sit. Think about why you are meditating. Think about how for the next 10 to 20 minutes you have absolutely nothing to do or worry about. Realize that while you are in the room you do not have to think about anything. When the timer goes off, you may return to your life and think about the problems you must address… But for now just enjoy having nothing to do.
Let Go– For this next step take a few deep breaths. Think about how your body feels. Start at your toes and slowly move up your body, noticing how each body part feels at that specific moment. Try to reduce tension anywhere you notice it in your body. Let the stresses of the world drift away. If you have a recurring thought, remind yourself that in a short time you can start thinking about it again. For the time being though, remind yourself it is not important to worry about the world outside of the room you are in.
Live in the Now– Focus your attention on how there is no need to think about anything else other than right now. If you have worries, remind yourself right now you are in a stress-free area. This time period is to not worry about anything. If you have music playing, focus on the rhythm. Focus on the individual sound of each instrument. Don’t try to predict what will happen next, just go with it. Let your mind get involved with the calming music. If you do not have music, just listen to the quietness.
Count– Once you feel like you have relaxed a bit, you can slowly take deep breaths. With each breath count up. Count to 20 and then once you get to 20 start going back down. Here is the catch though… If at any time you lose focus and think about something else, you start over at zero. Right away, you may not get more than 2 or 3 at a time. With practice though you will be able to go for long periods of time without losing concentration.
Remain Relaxed– This is the whole point. Just enjoy the fact you have a set amount of time to do NOTHING. The attitude you take into the session is the most important part. Enjoy the fact that you have decided to set aside a very small amount of your day to take a break. If you have set a timer, you will not need to worry about time. You can just be happy that you can sit and not have anything going on in your head.
This is just a very basic overview of a simple type of meditation. There are many other kinds of meditation, such as guided meditation, but this is for the beginners. Like I said, it will take practice and many sessions to really get the hang of it. Doing it in the morning can make you calmer and more patient during the day. Doing it during the day is a great way to have a quick break to clear your head and continue with the day. Doing it before bed is also a great way to help fall asleep faster and have a better night sleep. Remember, go into it with the mindset of having time to just sit. If you go in with the right mindset, the idea that you have time to just breath and be alive, you will see some great results. With practice you eventually will be able to calm your mind much quicker and for much longer periods of time! With frequent sessions, you will also start to see the benefits.
If you have any questions be sure to leave a comment and I will get back to you. If you feel this helped you, please share to not only help me out but also help others find this as well. Thanks and have a great day!
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Listen to sample Meditation Music for free from here:
- Growing Roots (Actual track length: 07:39) [cpm-player skin=”classic-skin” width=”100%” playlist=”true” type=”audio”] [cpm-item file=”https://anopenedmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/sample-growing-roots.mp3″]sample_growing roots[/cpm-item] [/cpm-player]
- Wind (Actual track length: 08:14) [cpm-player skin=”classic-skin” width=”100%” playlist=”true” type=”audio”] [cpm-item file=”https://anopenedmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/sample-wind-and-fire.mp3″]Wind and Fire[/cpm-item] [/cpm-player]
- Tree moves (Actual track length: 07:56) [cpm-player skin=”classic-skin” width=”100%” playlist=”true” type=”audio”] [cpm-item file=”https://anopenedmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/sample-tree-moves.mp3″]sample tree moves[/cpm-item] [/cpm-player]
- Meditation (free track) [cpm-player skin=”classic-skin” width=”100%” playlist=”true” type=”audio”] [cpm-item file=”https://anopenedmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/meditation.mp3″]meditation[/cpm-item] [/cpm-player]
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