Breathe In . Breathe Out
5 tips to start your meditation practice.
Make it stand out
... and why you should.
For years I have been dabbling in different kinds of meditation. I've tried binaural beats, guided meditations, meditation challenges, sound healing meditations, silent meditations and more.
Last year I spent 90 days meditating and documenting that journey on Instagram (you can see that here ). During the 90 days I loved hearing stories of other people starting their own meditations and I am still receiving questions so I thought I would put together a few tips.
First though. WHY should you meditate?
Meditation has been trending for a while now,
Decrease Anxiety. Anxiety and mental unrest are real. Our day to day lives are stressful. Meditation has been proven to reduce anxiety by actually reprogramming your brain, if you've ever had anxiety, this is a big "yes please!"
Become more present. Mindfulness and presence are in short supply. We walk around with our nose in our phones and our eyes down. We are less and less aware of the world around us and more. We are so caught up in our phones it's as if we live outside of our bodies.
Think more creatively. Taking some time to allow your mind to rest quietly without distractions in a meditation, boosts your ability to think creatively. We all want that right?
Become more compassionate. Compassion helps us to see where others may be struggling and creates a desire to help. Getting yourself out of your own head and worries and opening your ability to do good in the world.
For an even bigger list on the benefits of meditation read this.
5 tip to start your meditation practice.
1. Start small! Try 3-5 minutes to start with. Set a timer and get up when it goes off.
2. Don't worry about being perfect. Thoughts WILL run through your mind. You won't feel settled at first, just let them pass by. Try not to latch onto the thoughts, but if you do, don't worry, you'll get there.
3. Allow yourself to want more time. Don't increase your time until you really want to and then do it the next day. Leave yourself craving the meditation.
4. Commit to sit. Commit to yourself for a week a month or some specified time. Habits are easier to start if you give yourself measurable goals.
5. Get a cushion. While it's certainly not required, a comfortable cushion can help your body to sit more comfortably. Making it easier and more welcoming for your practice to begin and grow each day.
Good Luck in your practice!
Tell me how it goes in the comments below.