Meditation Tips for Beginners

If you are looking for meditation tips for beginners, this article is for you. Read on for my recommendations and some perfect sessions to get started in practice.

“Meditation” is an impressive word, because there is a lot of talk about its powers and benefits. But its practice is still unknown to most people. If this is your case, today I will explain what it consists of and I will give you some meditation tips for beginners with which you can get started in this practice.

There are as many meditation methods as yoga styles or cake recipes. It all depends on the tastes, needs and expectations of each person. Meditation is lived and is a very personal and intimate practice.

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.

Thich Nhat Hahn

To begin with, you should know that meditating requires dedication, discipline and regularity, it cannot be a specific practice. Like any sport that needs training, the brain can be trained, such as mental calculation, memory, concentration, and those of us who are interested in tranquility.

Meditation is not having your mind blank, but rather keeping your attention to the present moment, without clinging to your thoughts.

Meditation Tips for Beginners

Before starting your first sessions, I give you these meditation tips for beginners:

• Write it down as a fixed activity in your agenda, always at the same time if you can.
• It starts with little time, maybe 5 or 10 minutes, then 30 minutes … Increase the duration little by little. But do not change the time dedicated according to your availability, regularity is an important factor.
• Set up a quiet, clean and peaceful place in your home for your daily practice. If you cannot dedicate a space to it, leave it prepared so that it is easy to get in without moving all the furniture in your living room.
• It is easier to start with guided meditations, meditation techniques for beginners in group classes or alone with a video / audio. Thus, you will not feel alone in the face of emptiness and you will be able to meditate correctly. Perhaps in your yoga class your teacher will introduce you to meditation, it is a good way to start.
• Maintain the same meditation for at least a week and, if it does not convince you, switch to another. But, as soon as you find the one you like, stick with it for 3 more weeks.
• Not having expectations or setting goals or a timetable to achieve enlightenment or inner peace. The art of meditation will help you to be in the present, less in the projection into the future or tied to the past. Meditating is not feeling relaxed on a cloud, it is not like a relaxing massage nor is it like the final savasana of a yoga session.
• Going to meditation class can be of great help, feel accompanied and guided, learn different techniques and find the one that suits you. But in the end you will have to learn to meditate alone and maintain the discipline to include this routine in your daily life.

Recommended meditation posture

Forget about the lotus pose that you see in the photos if it is not comfortable. It is usually meditated in a sitting posture on a cushion with your legs crossed.

At first, you will probably notice discomfort in the middle of your back after a few minutes. In this case, try to draw all your attention away from this tension and subtly move your body to relieve it and find a comfortable posture.

Do not endure the pain to show that you can maintain the posture, meditation needs to forget about the body to dedicate itself to mental well-being. You can meditate sitting on a hard zafu-type meditation cushion or sitting in a chair without leaning on the backrest. Do not be prejudiced, if you are more comfortable in a chair, do not hesitate to do it!

Some techniques propose the stretched-out posture on the floor, but I personally reserve it for the savasana.

Clothes for meditation

Put on comfortable clothes, do not do your meditation when you are ready to go to work in work clothes.

As I meditate in the morning, when I get out of bed, my body temperature cools down. That’s why I like to put a sweatshirt or blanket around my shoulders and socks (in winter) to feel warm.

Meditation cushion or zafu

I like to sit on a zafu-type cushion a bit high and hard, but if I don’t have a pillow I roll up a pillow. If you want more information about zafus take a look at this article about the best zafus.

What meditation technique to choose?

It is the most difficult question. I am not an expert, I am a practitioner and I have tried several before finding the one I liked. Since then, my experience and needs have evolved. The most important thing is to feel comfortable with exercise and end with a general feeling of well-being (I admit that it may not come out the first few times …).

Personally, I recommend mindfulness of breath (of Zen Buddhist origin), also known as mindfulness. Most are guided, there are many available online and it has a practical approach that seems accessible to me to understand, although the practice is not always easy.

It is about keeping the mind focused by paying attention to the breath as an anchor to the present moment. Attention is maintained on each inspiration and each exhalation, from localized physical sensations in the nose or trunk to global sensations in the body. Breathing should be natural and calm.

Your goal is not to battle with the mind, but to witness the mind.

Swami Muktananda

There are many guided meditations on audio / Youtube or mindfulness CD that will help you get started with this type of meditation.

It does not have to be a known guru, as long as this voice transmits good vibes, peace and good vibes, it can be your meditation to initiate you and calm your mind.

There are many more meditation techniques, such as osho or kundalini, transcendental, vipassana, with visualizations, muscle relaxation and body scanning, metta bhavana or unconditional love, etc. Meditation is like yoga, it evolves with time, with practice, with experience. Maybe after a period you want to try another type, do not hesitate to do it while you enjoy it.

Meditation is one of the pillars of yoga, in addition to breathing (they go hand in hand). Practiced together even in different measures or intensities they create an inner magic.

Hope these beginner meditation tips help. Share with me your meditation experience. How will you get started? What type of meditation will you practice?