Just by searching the internet for the benefits of meditation you will see the endless reasons to make it a part of your daily life. When I first made a habit of meditating, I found it difficult to even know how to get started. Here are the simplest ways I have found, and while these tips are not going to make you a meditation expert overnight, they may aid you in taking the first step toward better health of both spirit and mind.
1. Pick a time each day.
Now, please do not automatically think that this means you have to set an alarm to go off at exactly 10 a.m. each day to remind you. Habits are better ingrained when we simply add them before or after other habits. You may find it easier to meditate before you shower (if you do it daily) or after you bring the mail in after work. This way, you always associate showers or mail retrieving with meditation. If you shower at different times depending on when you're able to, this allows you to be flexible about when you choose to meditate while not interfering with the rest of the day's plan.
2. Listen to guided meditation.
Sometimes the easiest way to do anything is with the assistance of someone else. You may find the hundreds of guided meditation audios and YouTube videos to be a simple and efficient way to get in your daily dose of healing and relaxation. Each session varies in length depending on how much time you wish to spend on your meditation. The speaker may help you count your breaths, give you mantras to repeat, or speak softly to lull you into a peaceful bliss.
3. Use a metronome.
One of the most underrated ways to meditate is with a metronome clicking rhythmically beside you. Most metronomes have a headphone jack which allows the sounds to oscillate between each ear. You can count the clicks and adjust the tempo to a speed which you find suitable. I like to count along to the beats until I reach 100 and then count back down. It empties my mind before I begin repeating my mantras or drifting off to my own little slice of euphoria.
If the tempo is slow enough, the metronome can also assist in the timing of your breaths (four beats in, four beats out). Sometimes counting by myself can be a nuisance when I am trying to relax. This is a great and easy solution!
4. Try the shower.
The shower is a great place to meditate, especially if we feel too busy to take a separate time slot out of the day to do it. Begin by closing your eyes, breathing in and out slowly and then imagining your worries being washed away as the water glides over you. In your mind, imagine your mind being cleansed and your stresses swirling down the drain far from you. You can add to this routine in the future by practicing other meditative techniques like mantras, humming (bathrooms have great acoustics), or counting.
5. Multitask: Exercising and meditation together.
For some people, concentrating only on one task at a time can be stressful, which is the opposite of what mediation should be. Just like showering while meditating, exercising the body while exercising the mind go hand in hand. Yoga is the best example of mending mental strength with the physical.
During a slow stretch, work on your breath, hold the final pose and take a moment to breathe positivity in and negativity out. You can imagine the former and latter to be different colors, as if colored air is entering and leaving your body.
Many yoga programs, both on DVD and the internet, incorporate meditation in their sessions since it is an Integral part of the practice according to numerous famous yogis. Sometimes the easiest way to get into meditation is to start with something else entirely. Thinking about your physical health may help ease you into thinking more about your spiritual well-being.
6. Choose a mantra each week.
A mantra may help you to concentrate during meditation. And no, it does not have to be the famous "om" or even be in Hindi.
- Who I am is beautiful.
- I attract infinite love and joy from others.
- I am surrounded by those who will make me better.
- I am content. I am happy. I am loved.
- My life is abundant and fulfilling.
To spice things up, choosing a new one each week can help you to remain motivated. You can place slips of paper with mantras written on them into a jar and randomly pull one out every Monday. I always look forward to which mantra I will repeat the coming week. It leaves me optimistic, especially when the sayings resonate with how I am feeling.
7. Don't give up.
If I have learned anything while delving into meditation, it is to keep going. There have been weeks where I didn't feel like it or time seemed to be against me, but I always make sure to not give meditation up completely. I find quirky ways to motivate myself and when I do, it is amazing how much better life seems after each session. I hope that no matter what, you can take away these simple methods for beginning a practice that can only help you to become more in tune with both your body and your mind.
