8 Meditation Tips for Beginners
Beginning a meditation practice can feel scary and overwhelming. A lot of this may unconsciously come from the way that society portrays meditation. There's this misconception that meditation has to look and feel a certain way and we're here to tell you that that is far from the truth.
In order to start this practice or any practice for that matter the trick is to start SMALL (the irony). We've come up with 8 meditation tips that can help you start this practice. Let's get to it, shall we?
1. Start small. Set a timer for 2-5 minutes
As mentioned before starting small is the trick here. Don't start off with a 10-15 minute practice if you think it'll feel overwhelming. Maybe a 2-5 minute practice is what feels right to you so we recommend you start there. Once you feel comfortable add more time because we also don't want the practice to get stagnant.
2. Try a meditation app
Downloading an app like Insight Timer or Calm can really help you get started. You'll find meditations that are guided on there and seeking help from those that do this for a living and have been doing it for a long time can help alleviate the pressure of getting started.
3. Choose a time
Choosing a time and sticking to it is a great way to hold yourself accountable for showing up to this practice. Try this for one month and see how it feels. We won't always need/want our practices at the same time but while you get started it's a really good thing to incorporate until you get the swing of things.
4. Pick and create a space
Picking a place and then creating it to feel like you is a great way to wire the brain in knowing that once you step into this space it's time to focus on you. It doesn't have to be a huge space either, just make it comfortable and cozy for you so you have somewhere to connect.
5. Position yourself
I want to make this VERY clear. Meditation does not have to look a specific way the point of this practice is to listen and give yourself what you need. You can sit up right as a challenge, lie down, have your legs up against the wall for circulation, use a wall for back support, you can even stretch while you meditate. Yes, meditation is a focused practice but sometimes it's not what you need so listen to your body and allow yourself the space to practice how you need.
“I want to make this VERY clear. Meditation does not have to look a specific way the point of this practice is to listen and give yourself what you need.”
6. Stop worrying about doing it wrong
Practice makes progress and as you continue to do this practice you will discover beautiful new ways to meditate but for now don't put so much pressure on yourself about it needing to look and be a certain way. Just let the practice happen and new things will connect with you as you learn.
7. Remember to breathe
Connect to your breath. Breathe deeply. Listen to it. A great way to do this is by inhaling on a count of 4, holding your breath for 4, and exhaling for 4.
8. Understand that your mind WILL wander
This is something we just can't avoid and we need to start normalizing. We are not monks dedicated to this practice 12 hours a day so please give yourself the grace of knowing and understanding that thoughts will come up, your mind will wander, and it will happen often. The point of this practice is to slowly start recognizing those moments and coming back to your breath when it does. I promise it gets easier after you've dedicated the time and its why guided meditations are so great to start with.
We hope these tips help ease some of the fear of starting this practice and that you allow it to be this wonderfully vibrant and abundant experience.
