Meditation for Beginners
Meditation is an exercise of awareness that involves paying attention with openness and flexibility. Originally practiced across different cultures throughout history in religious contexts, mediation is now prevalently utilized independent of distinct spiritual belief. At the same time, it has been shown to provide a plethora of psychological and physiological benefits. Meditation can target different issues, such as depression, which means that its focus may be different from practice to practice.
Benefits
The exercise of actively focusing improves mental clarity and promotes memory retention. Additionally, learning to monitor and control breathing patterns can result in better blood circulation and lower heart rate, helping to reduce stress and while improving mood regulation. Meditation also helps cultivate emotional health and psychological flexibility by increasing our ability to be present. When we’re actively aware, open, and in contact with our current state, we develop the consciousness to control our attention and expand the range of possible responses to the emotions and events we experience.
Forms
Popular forms of mediation include mindfulness, guided imagery, and body scans.
Mindfulness is the process of being present and observant to your thoughts and environment without needing to judge them. Formal modalities include mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based
cognitive therapy (MBCT).
Guided imagery involves the use of prompts to create visualizations with the intent to transcend your current state towards relaxation and inspiration.
Lastly, body scanning is the process of syncing your mind and body through intentional physiological check ins and sensations.
Overall, it involves the state of being aware of and involved in the present moment and making yourself open, aware, and accepting. Yet, many people may often feel frustrated or believe that meditation isn’t for them because their minds are never empty. Remember, mediation isn’t about not thinking about anything. Your mind will naturally go to different places and thoughts will emerge and that’s normal. The goal is to simply not get caught up in them, but to observe your relationship with them in a non-judgmental way.
Starting
There are components that can be self taught since meditation is such a personal experience but you should start always start from a foundation grounded in knowledge and education. To this end, companion apps are a great way to help facilitate the meditation process. If you’ve never practiced meditation before, you might have to taper up to a desired length.
Start with 10-15 minutes: use the first five to practice adjusting your mental state with the second half devoted to more intentional methods.
Slowly build up a length that fits your needs and routine.
Ensure that your space is serene and generally removed from distractions, turning off your phone or tv. If you do choose to play your own quiet music, make sure it is something calm and repetitive.
Pay attention to your body state and be comfortable where you rest.
Over time, as you gradually grow familiar with the process, you can practice mediation in a variety of settings in relation to your daily schedule, whether on commute, in the office, or running errands.