How To Start Your First Meditation ( 5 Tips For Beginners)
Meditation is an ancient relaxation and mindfulness practice that has been used for thousands of years. And for the good reason!
Meditation helps to improve your physical and emotional well being.
However, if you are a beginner you may need help getting started with your first meditation.
We put together 5 simple tips to make sure your first meditation experience is a success!
Tip 1: Find a quiet place
Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.
If you are easily distracted by the outside noise, try meditating to soft relaxing music or (even better!) some ambient noises.
The idea here is not to listen to the music but to block the outside noise replacing it with other neutral and relaxing noises like waves, wind, or even subtle city noises or quiet room tones.
Noise cancelling headphones would be best for the task.
Create free account and listen to our great collection of relaxation sounds
Related: Learn about 5 types of relaxation music. Find out what relaxing music works best for you.
Tip 2: Sit comfortably
Make sure you’re sitting comfortably. You might choose to sit cross-legged, with your legs straight out in front of you, or you might prefer to sit in a chair.
There is no right or wrong pose. As long as you’re comfortable, anything goes!
It’s not recommended, however, to lay down. After all, you’re trying to meditate, not to fall asleep.
Wear loose clothing so you feel free to move around without worrying about getting tangled up or messing up your work outfit.
Tip 3: Take three deep breaths
Once you’ve settled into a comfortable position, close your eyes and take three deep breaths.
As you breathe out, let go of any tension in your body. Then, as you inhale, imagine yourself relaxing more deeply.
Don’t focus too much on your thoughts at this point. Instead, just notice them as they come and go.
Tip 4: Start simple
If you’re new to meditation, start with something simple.
You can do breathing exercises or simply close your eyes, sit quietly, and clear your mind.
Tip 5: Stay focused on your breathing
Try to stay focused on your breathing. It’s easy to lose focus when meditating, so make sure you keep your attention focused on your breathing. You can do this by counting your breaths as you inhale and exhale. Try to count slowly and evenly, without rushing through your breaths.
Bonus Tip: Use meditation timer
Use specialized meditation timer where you can set the duration and the interval sounds to give your session more structure and remove distractions (like checking the clock all the time).
Learn about all benefits of using meditation timer when meditating.
having hard time getting started?
Some people find it easier to follow the guide of a meditation coach.
In that case try guided meditations.
Guided meditation is simply a type of meditation led by someone else, typically a meditation teacher. Guided meditations can done in person, via audio or video.
Guided meditations are especially recommended when you just starting out and haven’t yet discovered the meditation technique that works for you.
Here’s a guided meditation explaining some basic breathing and movement techniques:
If you still find it difficult to concentrate to start your meditation (for example, getting constantly distracted by outside noise), try listening to soft meditational music:
Most importantly, don’t give up!
Getting good at something takes time. Getting good at meditations takes learning your mind and body.
Related: How To Succeed With Meditation (For Beginners)
Related: Other activities that help to reduce stress and anxiety
Related: Learn more about what is meditation, as well as about meditation tradition, benefits, and history.
Hope your found these meditation tips helpful!
How did you start meditating?
Are you a meditation pro? Tell us about your own first meditation. Was it easy? Hard? Any advise for the beginners? Post a comment
