Random Questions | What Is The Best Approach To Meditation For Beginners?

What Is The Best Approach To Meditation For Beginners?

I personally think meditation for beginners has to be simple, free, require nothing that isn’t always available and the technique has to be practicable by anyone anywhere. That’s exactly what this article will teach you. And when we want to try something new it’s only natural to have a lot of random questions and I hope to be able to answer most of them in this article as well.

Before we go any further I want to ask you a question; why do you want to meditate? There many different meditation techniques for beginners and a lot of reasons to meditate, but if you know what you are trying to accomplish you will be in a much better position to pick the right technique. I don’t want you to worry about it if you are unsure just keep reading and maybe you will find out when we take a look at the benefits usually associated with meditation in a moment. And if you do know then try to keep it in mind and let that help you determine whether the technique I offer or one of the other approaches is best for you.

Benefits of meditation
The benefits of meditation are many and there are virtually no negative side effects. And lately western scientists have begun to confirm the positive effects of meditation that has been known for several thousand years in the east – better late than never I guess. People who meditate become calmer, are able to concentrate for longer periods of time and deeper, reduce stress and get a lot of physiological benefits, become more creative and spontaneous and have an opportunity to relax and wind down every day. The list goes on, but I’m sure you get the picture. The ultimate aim of meditation is enlightenment, but that is irrelevant to most beginners who primarily want peace of mind or some of the other direct benefits, but I wanted to throw it in there for you to know.

Preparations
It is possible to meditate almost anywhere and in any situation, but there are settings that are more conductive than others and when we first get started it’s a good idea to make sure we have a few minutes to our selves, undisturbed by other people and circumstances. So find a quiet and spot where you are able to relax, turn off all electronic equipment that could disturb you like TV and phone and tell the people you live with that you will be meditating and don’t want to be disturbed. Find a comfortable place to sit, where you are able to sit upright. There are many different meditation chairs available, but for now a regular chair will do just fine. The reason to sit upright is that we tend to get drowsy when we lie down and even though there is nothing wrong with falling asleep while meditating (and it happens to everybody) we don’t want to encourage it.

The technique
Let’s proceed to the crux of the matter now that you have made the necessary preparations; how to meditate for beginners. Begin by closing your eyes and take a few minutes to relax. It isn’t necessary to have closed eyes while meditating, but once again it’s to minimize disturbances and make it as simple as possible in the beginning. When you get a little experience I encourage you to try out different things and make your own conclusions, but for now stick to these simple instructions. When you feel ready and relaxed simply put your attention on your breathing. Notice the inhale and exhale and the moment between them. Notice the sensation of the air passing through your nose and filling longs as well as the reverse process. Whenever you notice you are lost in thought and have forgotten your intention to meditate just let your attention go back to your breath again. It is completely natural to get lost in thought and you will probably be more lost in thought than not in the beginning. So don’t beat yourself up about it, just keep guiding your attention back to the breathing whenever you notice. With practice you will become better and less lost in thought.

Most people find it hard not to control the breathing in the beginning, but your job is only to notice it. The body will take care of everything if you let it, just like during the rest of the day. Natural breathing is slow and fills the stomach and if you notice your breathing is shallow and only done with the chest it is however a good idea to correct your breathing. It’s amazing that most people today don’t know how to breathe properly and if you are able to correct your breathing in meditation it will spread to the rest of your life if you give it some time. When you are ready to end the meditation just sit a few moments and relax before you open your eyes and go back to the activity of your life.

People always want to know how long they should be meditating and my advice is 15-20 minutes once a day, but there are no rules and if you are only able to sit for five minutes that is better than nothing and some people like to meditate for longer periods of time or more often. When you want to establish a new habit like meditation it’s easier if you do it the same time and place each day. The first thing I do each morning is to sit down and meditate and some people do it first thing when they get back from work. And if you have a set time you don’t have to think about it and argue with yourself whether to do it or put it off for later. If possible try to avoid eating just before meditation. After a meal the resources of the body are used to digest the food and we tend to get sleepy and the quality of our mediation will be affected.

Other techniques and resources
The above approach to meditation for beginners is very simple and a great way to get started, but if you want to try other techniques and deepen your understanding after you get your feet wet there are a few other things you could do.

Walking meditation is a great alternative for those that find it hard to sit still in meditation. Just find an undisturbed place to walk and use the same instructions as above. Obviously you don’t want to have your eyes closed, but most applies.

Mantra meditation is almost the same as focusing on your breathing. You just repeat a mantra internally and put your attention on that instead. The most known form of mantra meditation is Transcendental meditation, but I think it is way too expensive and there is too much fluff around the actual meditation. If you want to give it a try just use a word that doesn’t mean anything to you and is easy to say and remember. The word “rama” is as good as any of the mantras you can buy.

Buddhist meditation for beginners is another way to get started if you are more into spiritual meditation, but it requires a meditation teacher. This meditation is anchored in religion and unlike the minimalistic approach described here it is usually associated with living rules and dogma, but some people prefer that approach and I recommend getting a guided meditation for beginners CD if you want to test it.

If you feel unsure about the technique and would like to have someone take you through the process and be able to answer your questions as you go along you should probably sign up to a meditation class, but a meditation CD or meditation software are good alternatives if there aren’t any meditation classes where you live.

And last but not least check out what meditation books I recommend if you want to get a deeper understanding after you have read this and have given it a try. I hope this article answered all your questions about meditation for beginners and you now feel ready to get started.

Related posts:

  1. What Is Meditation Software?
  2. What Are Your Favorite Meditation Books?
  3. Are There Any Running Tips That Will Specifically Help Beginners?
  4. What Are The Best Meditation Chairs?
  5. What Should I Know Before Getting A Meditation CD?

Tagged With , , , , , , , ,