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If you’re interested in how to meditate, congratulations. Meditation is an absolutely beautiful process that offers a slew of benefits.
In this article we’ll go over how to meditate, but the first thing I want to point out is that “your mileage may vary” as you meditate. Different things work for different people, and nothing is one size fits all. I’ll give you the most general ideas possible, and you can tweak according to what resonates most with you.
To begin meditating, you need to set aside a time where you won’t be distracted. Make sure nobody will bother you, your cell phone is on silent, the radio is off (unless you’re using a guided meditation), and so forth.
Don’t eat a big meal before meditating, as your body will be lethargic with digestion.
It can be helpful to take a shower before meditating, as it can be helpful to burn incense or have a candle around. They’re not necessary, but certainly helpful.
You can do meditation either lying or sitting. Most beginners fall asleep while meditating lying down (I know I did a lot of times!), so it’s often recommended that you do it sitting in the beginning. You don’t need to sit in the often talked about “lotus” posture where you sit cross legged – a chair could be fine too, as long as the back is straight.
Once you’re in a comfortable position, close your eyes. Again, depending on your experience, you might want to close your eyes about 3/4 of the way instead of fully so you don’t fall asleep – but it really depends on what feels right for you.
Next, you want to focus on your breathing and try to quiet your mind. Pay attention to your breaths and follow them in and out. You don’t have to change your breathing habits or try to take deeper breaths – just pay attention to what your normal breath is doing. One of the benefits of doing this is that while you’re focusing on your breath, you’re freeing your mind from the distractions.
If your mind is still full of distractions (and don’t worry if it is – that’s normal!), one good technique is to picture your thoughts as black smoke, and then breathe that smoke out of your nose. Repeat this for a few minutes and a lot of your thoughts will disappear.
There are a lot of meditations you can go through in your mind. There are ones in which you’re walking through forests, through streams, down steps, etc.
If you want a simple one to get started, all you have to do is imagine the breath that you’re breathing in is full of bright white cleansing light, and your mind and thoughts are being purified.
Simply focus on bringing in the white light and breathing out the black smoke. If your mind starts to wander, just bring it back in. Don’t get mad at yourself – remember it’s normal and treat yourself with compassion.
Depending on who you are, different meditation times might work best for you – but a good rule of thumb is to do it for 5-10 minutes as a beginner, and then to work your way up. Practice truly will help, and you’ll be raking in the benefits soon enough. 🙂
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