Meditation for Beginner's: A Guide to Mindfulness Meditation Practice for Newbies like Me
Tips for starting a meditation practice that can ease anxiety and enhance peace of mind
Feeling stressed, overwhelmed or struggling with insomnia? Curious about Meditation but are a newbie, like me? Meditation and mindfulness may truly give you some relief. Meditation has no doubt become a buzzword whose "new age" stigma is starting to fade. And for good reason. Scientific studies including a Harvard study, look at how meditation practice and mindfulness exercises have been proven to have profound effects on the brain, indeed helping us better cope with stress, anxiety and myriad ailments both mental and physical.
My Dad first took me to a meditation class in Santa Monica, CA in the early 90s. Besides the overwhelming smell of incense I don't remember much but one thing that did stick with me was the instruction to close my eyes and let my thoughts drift by like clouds in the sky. Simple but very helpful advice that I still use today. Since then I have taken a few meditation classes, read several books that I highly recommend and have attended a silent meditation retreat at a Buddhist monastery, which was extremely challenging for me but so very uplifting and restorative. You can read more about that experience here.
I started meditating regularly a few years ago when I was really feeling overwhelmed by motherhood. I felt tired and overwhelmed and was losing my patience easily. Now I meditate daily but admittedly it is a challenge to make the time for it. Some times I only meditate for 3 minutes!! The longest I ever do it for is 25 minutes. And finally sometimes, if I can only squeeze in a few minutes I work in some mindfulness practice and a few deep breathing exercises throughout the day. The important thing is not to be hard on yourself. BE KIND TO YOURSELF....you are doing the best you can with what you've got.
I started meditating regularly a few years ago when I was really feeling overwhelmed by motherhood. I felt tired and overwhelmed and was losing my patience easily.
So how do you do it?
I have had many a friend express interest in meditation but admitted they don't know exactly what it means or how to do it. Or they sit down and try and are immediately frustrated and bored. Sound familiar?
Basically the act of meditation involves finding a quiet spot to sit, closing your eyes and focusing on your breathe for a set amount of time. I use the timer on my phone. You will be constantly and gently reminding yourself to stay in the present moment and focus back in on your breathing, letting go of thoughts that creep in. When I first began meditating I would get easily frustrated and mad at myself as the thoughts ALWAYS invaded my focus.
That said, an important piece to remember is the whole experience of constantly bringing your breathe back into focus, is part of what meditation is. Training your mind to relax. Don't be fooled by your mind telling you that your are failing. The art of reminding yourself GENTLY, KINDLY to come back to the breathe, is what it is all about. Be kind and forgiving with yourself, stick with it, starting with just a few minutes at a time and eventually you will train your mind to relax and find your breathe. Now, I get so excited to sit down and meditate and I quickly settle into the euphoric feeling of giving myself the peaceful gift of being present. This feeling is so genuine to me, I decided to blog about it....which is something I NEVER thought I would do.
A few tips
- find a quiet spot to sit undisturbed and try to sit with your back straight. Using a chair is just fine. If you would like instruction on special meditation poses, click here.
- attempt to meditate the same time each day. Often first thing in the morning is good, perhaps after a few wake-up stretches.
- Try starting with a body scan. With your eyes closed and breathing quietly, start thinking about your toes and move up your body slowly to the top of your head. If your mind drifts, not to worry, just come back to where you left off.
- Try repeatedly counting to ten. This is my go to strategy. Breathe in on 1 and out on 2, in on 3 and out on 4, all the way up to 10 and start over again.
- When I am short on time I will squeeze in a couple of minutes right after I drop my kids off or right before I pick them or even just in my office right before I teach my class.
- You can also try a breathing exercise: Take a deep breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold it in for 5 seconds and slowly breathe out through your mouth for 6 or 7 seconds. Just remember 4, 5, 6.
- You can practice some mindfulness exercises any time. Check out some ideas here.
- There are many apps you can use for guided meditation, here are a few I have used and liked: Headspace, Insight Timer
Creating a Meditation Space
If you create a special space in your home, it may encourage you to make time for meditation each day. My spot is in my office. I have a little table with a pretty yellow scarf over it. I have a few candles and a few things that have meaning to me, including some beautiful little nature objects, like shells, acorns and stones. When I have the time for a longer practice, I make more of a ceremony out of it, I place my hands together in a prayer position, and give a little bow to both where I will sit and to my little alter, while sending out a silent prayer of gratefulness or just the phrase "thank you". I repeat this at the end of my session. The simple act of gratitude can have lasting effects on us. Read more about that here. This is certainly not necessary. As I said earlier, sometimes my practice is just a couple minutes in my car (often with sunglasses on..teehee), right before pick up. If nothing else I try to find a few moments each day to pause, take notice of and celebrate the little things with a few deep breathes. The way the light shines on a leaf, the warm sun on my face or a kind smile from a stranger. In the end all we really have is this very moment. Stay present, friends!