Meditation for Beginners
Some days, it can feel like the world around us is running full speed ahead, and it’s important that we take a bit of time out of our day to just live in the moment, even for just a few minutes.
Meditation is a popular method for practicing mindfulness. In a digital age where our brains are constantly processing new information, meditating allows our minds to take a breather.
Meditation is self care
Setting aside the time to meditate means that you are making the conscious choice to look after your wellbeing. It’s time that you dedicate to yourself - your body and mind. When meditating, you don’t need to worry about what other people want, or even what your own worries are. The goal is to end with you feeling calm and relaxed.
Meditation has a whole host of benefits, too. It can improve your focus, reduce stress, ease some tension in your body, and much more. When learning how to meditate, you learn to manage which thoughts and feelings you allow in. It can help bring a sense of clarity when life gets overwhelming, and help you make better decisions.
Just about anyone can do it
One of the best things about meditation is its flexibility, and therefore its accessibility. Sure, it takes some practice to find the right routine for you, but even the busiest of people, meditation can take as little as one minute out of your day. For those who might live in a busy household, finding a quiet corner and popping earphones in or even taking a short walk can help.
And don’t worry, you don’t need to go out and pay for any particular classes, either. There are tonnes of free guided meditations available online to help those new to it. While they’re typically voiceovers to ambient music, guided meditations with closed captioning are also out there for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, too.
How to get started
The first thing to remember is that there are many meditation techniques out there, and that you might have to try out a few different ones before finding the right one for you. Some require a bit more experience, while others are more beginner-friendly.
Most beginner-friendly meditations will be centred around focusing your mind on one thing - whether that’s your breathing, an object in the room, tensing and relaxing different muscles in your body, or even the steps you take.
It might sound simple, but it’s very normal to find it a bit difficult to not think about anything else, so don’t worry if this happens to you. As we mentioned above, there are lots of guided meditations available all over the internet to help you get started, just like this 10-minute full body scan, or check out the Headspace app.
Practice consistently, and if possible, try setting a specific time of day to add meditation to your daily schedule. Many people like meditating as part of their morning or bedtime routines; choose whichever time of day works best for you.
If you find yourself getting restless or your mind wandering after a few minutes, it’s okay to leave the session there, and gradually work your way up to longer sessions as you get more practice. And if you’re still finding it difficult after a week or two, consider trying out a different guide or technique. You might just need to find the right one for you!