How to practice meditation for beginners

There are many benefits to practicing meditation, especially for those who practice it on a daily or regular basis, some people like to practice meditation to evoke calm and serenity, and others want to practice it to calm the conflicting voices within them, or to get to know themselves better, or as a kind of spiritual practice, whatever it is. The reason you want to meditate, here are some tips that may motivate you and help you get started with your meditation practice.

 

Part 1 of 2: Get ready for meditation

First, think about what you want to achieve from meditation. There are many reasons why people meditate, whether to improve their creativity, support their ability to imagine specific goals they want to achieve, or to evoke inner calm or as a form of spiritual practice, and if your only goal for practicing meditation is to sit quietly with your body without To be anxious about anything else, it's
reason enough. Try to take things simple and do not overthink and complicate the reasons that lead you to meditate, and the main goal of meditation is to relax and stop the cycle of daily anxiety

Find a place free from any source of distraction. It is important - especially at the beginning - to remove from the place where you want to meditate any source of distraction, turn off the television and radio, close the windows in order to get rid of street noise, and close the room door to get rid of the rest of the sounds in the house. Having roommates or family members with you in the same house may make it difficult to get a quiet space in which you can focus your thinking. You can ask your family or roommates to calm down a little during the period of meditation you want to spend, and reassure them that you will tell them as soon as you finish From meditation so that they can return to their normal activities. You can use scented wax, a bouquet of flowers, or incense to help set the mood. Turn the lights off or down to help you focus.

Use one of the meditation pillows [1]. They are circular cushions that help you to sit on the ground in a meditation position without experiencing pain from sitting on the hard ground and have no back so that you do not lean on it and lose your focus, and if you are not available to use such pillows, you can use any old pillow or one Cushions for your sofa. If sitting without a chair hurts your back, you can use a chair. Try to feel your body and keep your back straight as long as it is comfortable. You can lie down for a bit to rest until you feel you are able to repeat the ball.

Wear comfortable clothes. Try to avoid clothing that is tight or that may distract you during meditation. Think about the types of comfortable or baggy clothes you could use for sleep or exercise.

Choose a time when you feel comfortable. When you get used to meditation, you may rely on it to get rid of anxiety or tension at any time of the day, but if you are a beginner, you may find it difficult to concentrate if you did not bring the appropriate atmosphere before, and you must initially choose a time when you feel relaxed, such as the beginning of the day Or after finishing work or school and getting some rest. Try to get rid of all the distractions that you may think of during meditation, you can eat light food if you feel hungry, or go to the bathroom, or other distractions that you have to get rid of so that your mind is not distracted.

Keep a stopwatch in your hand. The timer will help you to take sufficient time to meditate, and you will not be distracted by watching the clock every period. Set the timer or stopwatch for the time you want to meditate, whether it is an hour or ten minutes, your mobile phone may contain a timer often, or you can find Websites that allow the timer to be used directly from them or applications on a mobile phone to perform the task. [2]

Sit on a cushion or chair and try to keep your back straight. Because a straight back helps you focus on your breathing while inhaling and exhaling, and if you are sitting in a chair with a back, try not to lean on his back and stay as upright as possible. Put your legs in any position that is comfortable for you. You can straighten your legs in front of you or cross them under you if you are sitting on a pillow, the most important thing is to keep your body upright.

Don't get caught up in what you have to do with your hands. We usually see people in movies and series put their hands on their knees in a certain way during meditation, but if this position is uncomfortable for you, do not worry, you can put them in front of you over your legs or put them next to you or any position that is comfortable for you, the important thing is to focus on Your breathing.

Bend your chin a little, as if you were looking down. It does not matter if your eyes are open or closed, and if most people prefer to close their eyes to avoid visual distractions around them, in any case, placing the chin in this position helps you expand your chest and facilitate your breathing.

Set the timer. When you have settled in the most comfortable position for you and are ready to start the meditation session, set the timer for the length of time during which you want to meditate, do not put pressure on yourself and try to reach from the first time to meditation sessions that reach an hour, and start with short-term sessions of three To five minutes, then gradually increase the time to half an hour or more. [3]

Close your mouth while breathing [4]. You should inhale and exhale through your nose during meditation, but at the same time you have to make sure that the muscles in your jaw are relaxed and that you do not press your teeth against each other, even if your mouth is closed, the important thing is to make sure that you are completely relaxed.

Focus on your breathing [5]. Because the basis of proper meditation is focusing on the correct breathing, so instead of putting all of your energy into trying to avoid thinking about the daily things that stress or worry you, try to focus on one positive element which is your breathing, focus on the inhalation and exhalation, and you will find that your focus on your breathing may Help you ignore other negative thoughts without trying to do so on purpose. Try to focus the thinking on your breathing in the way that is comfortable for you. Some people like to focus on the way the lungs expand and contract, and others try to focus on the passage of air through the nose. You can focus only on the sound of your breathing, the important thing is to come to a state of mind so that you only think of one quality during your breathing.

Notice your breath, but do not analyze it [6]. The goal of observing the breath is to be present with every breath, not the important thing is to be able to describe the way you breathe, do not tire yourself trying to remember your feelings during meditation and do not worry about your ability to explain the experience later, and try to experience the experience momentarily with each breath And when the inhalation or exhalation ends, try to live the experience of the next breath for it, do not try to think of your breath with your mind, and rely only on your senses.

Bring your attention back to your breathing if you lose your focus. Even if you have a great experience in meditation, you may lose your focus from time to time, and start thinking about work, bills, and tasks that you have to do, and when you notice that you have lost your focus in such thoughts do not panic and try to calm down and ignore the outside world again, and regain your focus on Your breathing and your body, until such tense thoughts are removed from you. It may be easier for you to focus on the inhale rather than the exhale. Remember this information and see if you do so, and try to focus specifically on the sensation of your breath leaving your body. If you lose your focus and cannot regain it, you can try counting your breath.

Don't be hard on yourself. It may be a little difficult for you to fully invoke your focus the first time. Don't feel bad because all beginners suffer from the distraction and tense sounds within them. Some consider this return to reality and the noise of self-talk as part of the meditation practice itself. In addition, do not expect meditation to change your life between day and night, because reaching this calm, contemplative state of mind may take time until it has an effect on your life, try to make meditation one of your daily habits, even if only for a few minutes, and gradually increase the time of sessions if It was possible.

Useful ideas

Make sure to put your mobile phone on silent mode. Meditating right before bed will help you relax and stop thinking and worrying before bed. Meditation is not a magic treatment that you can see its effect after practicing it once, but it is a continuous process that takes time and daily practice to gradually begin to notice its effect on your calm and inner peace. Listening to soothing music can help you meditate.

 

Many people use the focus on breathing or the hum of mantra tones that do not depend on moving the tongue to evoke the appropriate state of mind for meditation, but if you prefer to listen to music while meditating, you can only listen to calm music, some songs start quiet and then turn into genre Another loud musician, this type of song or music is inappropriate because it distracts you from the quiet state of mind you need. You may learn from failure and frustration during meditation just as you learn from calm states of mind that you may reach. Try to come to terms with these feelings and unite with the world.

Warnings

Beware of institutions or places that might offer you services to learn meditation for a large amount of money up front. There are many people who would like to help you learn meditation for free. You may have some negative or terrifying visions during meditation. Stop when this happens.