Meditation for beginners: how to start meditating?

Discover some Meditation tips for beginners: make meditation a lifestyle.

Meditation was, a few decades ago, something for hippies, bohemians, monks and yogis. The act of meditating was considered an esoteric practice, strange and often related to the world of sects. However, in recent years, its popularity has increased , its followers are increasingly diverse, companies are betting on this technique, schools are beginning to teach it...

All this is due to two main factors : it is accessible to everyone and it has great benefits for physical, mental and emotional health.

Beyond clearing the mind, meditation is mental training : it teaches us to tame that wild mind that rules our lives. It helps us develop skills such as concentration, compassion and optimism ; teaches us to deal with stress, anxiety, depression or obsession .

When we start to meditate we realize something fundamental: we are masters of our own reality , and through meditation we can choose how to react to life . That empowers and motivates us. This is another of the factors that has dynamited the fame of this practice worldwide.

Meditation has positive effects not only on the mind , but also on the emotions and the body . Through understanding certain mental patterns, through compassionate observation of the most frequent emotions, one can better understand them, relate to them compassionately , and free oneself from them through breathing . Latent powers reside in the human being ready to be awakened through techniques of introspection and reflection. Do you dare to take the step?

Meditation for beginners is a step to take: where can you start?

• Choosing the right technique and teacher: the first step to take is to experiment. There are an infinite number of techniques, some older, others newer. How can we know if they are valid? Through trial, error and common sense. It is important to try different meditative disciplines, different guides and various schools to develop your own criteria and choose the most beneficial method. Each individual is a unique and exclusive organism: what is serving your friend may not have any kind of effect on you. That does not mean that the technique is not valid: it simply means that it is not for you. One must try until he finds the discipline that suits his personal needs and helps him to connect with the moment . The teacher or guide are also elements to take into account. At first, it's important to feel accompanied: perhaps a meditation initiation course would be the most appropriate to start meditating regularly (if you don't know any, we recommend @breathwithanna : meditation instructor and emotional coach). It may be that going to class every day is enough. But something important is that if we do not know what we are doing, we will hardly be aware of the results we are reaping. Experimenting, observing and reflecting are three important actions when meditating. These will help us find the technique that will make us evolve.
• Dedicate time and respect to it : for meditation to become a daily habit, we must consider it as something sacred. Dedicating a certain time of the day (10 minutes to start are enough), if possible in the same time slot and in a pleasant space are fundamental steps to elevate this act and make it daily. The fact of preparing a quiet, special and comfortable corner for the practice of meditation will not only help us to connect more effectively with the present moment. By doing so, we are telling our mind that meditation is more than a daily routine; we are turning it into a sacred ritual to connect with our interior and understand ourselves a little better. Aromatic candles, incense, a dim light, cushions and blankets are elements that turn the practice into a very appetizing delight. To meditate is to take care of oneself, it is to treat yourself with love and affection: do it from the beginning.
• Perform some exercises beforehand to feel comfortable while sitting : 10 minutes beforehand to mobilize the hips, articulate the back, unlock the shoulders and neck can completely change the meditative experience. The lifestyle we lead has stiffened our body: breathing it, moving it and hydrating it the moment before meditation will help us to hold the sitting posture more comfortably. You can use movements typical of Slow Yoga, your stretching classes or practices to mobilize the joints. There are people who know the knots of their body perfectly and with a few breaths accompanied by the appropriate movement they are enough for them. But if you do not have that intuition, we recommend exercises such as the Cat-Cow, the Badakonasa posture or a soft Paschimottanasana (with one or more cushions on the knees)...
• Let go of expectations and celebrate life : Finally, when starting to meditate, one must be open to any event. Meditation is not just a technique for self-exploration; it is also a purification tool. At first, one may feel that nothing is happening. As you continue with the practice, you may begin to notice discomfort, various emotions, and even very adverse sensations. There are people who, after much emotional repression, fall ill. It is completely natural: meditation brings to light from consciousness all the discomfort that we have blocked and internalized. That is why it is important to abandon the expectation that when we begin to meditate, we will connect with peace and tranquility. That can happen; but it may also not happen. It takes courage, patience, and a lot of compassion to take the first steps in meditation. But he who sacrifices those first moments of turbulence and confusion will be rewarded with the spring of love and calm that resides in his heart. Meditation is, after all, a way to celebrate life . To celebrate it in its most pristine dimension. To embrace her without fear of suffering and with the courage to feel.

Meditation for beginners, like any other discipline, requires perseverance, patience, and an iron will. Do not start meditating 1 hour a day, if you have never done it before. Do not enter the lotus pose from the beginning if your body does not feel comfortable. Meditation is above all self-care : start with 10 minutes a day, in a comfortable seated position, leaning against a wall or back, surrounded by cushions, pleasant aromas and with an open heart to any event. Do not crave amazing results from the beginning: enjoy the process, everything will come in due time.

Mae Knapnougel

Photos and Model: @lucia.revert

Enjoy this meditation based on the teachings of mindfulness to learn to meditate. There are no good or bad meditations, they are all sacred teachers.