How to Start Meditating
In this series of articles I want to really delve into what exactly meditation does for the mind and body. Having really never practiced meditation myself, I am excited to update everyone on my feelings, thoughts, stress level, and clarity throughout the next few weeks. These articles will touch on all aspects of how to start meditating.
There are an immense amount of meditation resources, from books, audio tapes, pod casts, websites, etc. I find that meditation to me, becomes very daunting and almost scary with so many opinions and information to consider. Maybe this is why I have avoided even trying to meditate for so many years… today that changes. I want to approach meditation by considering guidelines of suggested methods, but really find a space within myself that I am comfortable with going. If we focus too much on the worrisome questions like “am I doing this right?”, “am I meditating right now?”, “is this how I should feel?”, “is this how I should think?” our ability to reap the benefits of this practice may not be fulfilled.
As I have never meditated before, I am going to take 5 minutes a day to just sit outside and be present. I choose to meditate outside because it’s where I feel most at peace. Below are some tips on how to start your own meditation journey, I am keeping in mind these suggestions as I start my own routine as well.
Meditating in the Morning or at Night
Daily practices are easy enough to create. Begin by choosing a time of day
that you would like to meditate. Many people choose to meditate either in
the morning or at night. Both times come with notable benefits.
Meditating in the morning will start your day on a good note and motivate
you to accomplish and stay focused on your tasks. This time may be ideal
for you if you need help finding motivation or have extra time in the
morning.
In contrast, meditating at night will give you a chance to reflect on the day
and work out any unresolved feelings before you go to bed. This will help
you sleep easier and feel more prepared for the next day. You may want to
meditate at night if you have trouble sleeping, need more time to self
reflect, or hate getting up early.
If you are really motivated to start meditating, you can always meditate in
the morning and night. Just make sure that you do not overwhelm yourself
because this may cause you to forgo meditation altogether.
How long do I meditate?
Being a beginner at meditation you may want to make a plan on when you want to meditate, also decide on the
length of time for your practice. Meditating for the same amount of time
trains your brain to focus under a time constraint. It is recommended that
your daily practice lasts anywhere from 5-minutes to an hour, depending on
your needs.
Although you should aim for your daily sessions to last around the same
amount of time each day, you can always adjust the time later on or make
certain sessions last longer or shorter than others. This time commitment
that you were deciding on now is not a hard and fast rule. Simply think of it
more as a guideline or suggestion for yourself.
Where do I meditate?
Next, you may want to set up or decide on a daily practice area for you to
meditate in. This may be a small corner of your living room or a yoga mat in
your office. No matter what, you want to create a safe space so that way
your mind immediately goes on meditation mode for your daily practice.
After that, you should settle on a go-to meditation technique. Having a go to
meditation technique will save you time and energy on days that you’re
tired or don’t feel like meditating.
Having a go-to technique does not mean that your daily practice has to be
that meditation style every single time. Your daily practice should reflect
your daily needs while being rooted in routine. So, some days you may
choose to do your go-to meditation technique, while other days you may
choose a different technique.
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