Many people have misconceptions about meditation. For example, they might believe it entails emptying one’s mind or sleeping through it, or they may feel uneasy or frustrated while practicing it.
Mindfulness practice can have both mental and physical health advantages. This guide debunks common misconceptions about mindfulness practice and introduces beginners to various techniques for mindfulness meditation.
Breathing Meditation
Beginners looking to start mindfulness meditation may benefit from beginning with breathing meditation. This form of mindful practice entails focusing on your breath by counting inhalation and exhalation cycles while relaxing your mind, which helps reduce stress and anxiety levels. You can either do this on your own or find an app like Calm that allows guided meditation sessions at set times daily. This way, you can create a habit that keeps you engaged while gradually teaching the brain how to calm itself over time.
Starting small can have enormous rewards; just 10 or 15 minutes of breathing meditation each day can have enormous positive impacts. Setting a reminder on your phone, calendar, or planner to practice can keep your attention engaged over time and lead to longer meditation sessions. Many choose group meditation for added support and motivation!
Start by finding a comfortable position for you; sitting upright in a chair, loosely cross-legged, or kneeling is ideal. Just notice what your body is telling you, such as how your legs feel or any sensations in your lower back or pelvic area. Next, concentrate on your breathing, observing how it enters and exits your body. Whenever your thoughts stray, simply return them to the breath. If it wanders away, don’t worry; just come back, focusing on it again if necessary! If your mind wanders off, just bring your focus back to breathing. If that happens, just make sure that focusing on breathing can bring great results!
Newcomers to meditation might assume their mind is too active during practice, but this is only partially true; what’s happening during this process is simply becoming aware of your usual mental agitation, and thoughts are passing quickly instead of staying stuck in one spot.
Mindfulness involves living in the present and not dwelling on past or future events, something many practitioners find easier with physical activities such as yoga. Some people also find movement-based meditation techniques helpful.
Body Scan Meditation
Body scan meditation is a mindfulness practice that involves paying close attention to how your physical self feels. You can do this meditation technique while sitting, lying down, or standing in a peaceful place. Body scan meditation allows you to connect with the emotions you are experiencing while helping to identify areas of tension or strain that could be holding you back from being the happy, healthy individual that you desire to be.
Body scan meditation requires you to close your eyes and concentrate on sensing sensations within your physical body, moving from head to feet and back again. Explore each area for feelings, sensations, and pressure sensations; you may notice some areas feel tight or stressed, while others feel relaxed or energetic. The key is simply noting these sensations without trying to change or judge them.
Mindfulness meditation can be extremely useful for beginners, as it teaches them to live in the present moment and accept whatever experience may arise. Meditation also has numerous health and happiness benefits that make life simpler; for instance, it slows down life’s pace. Plus, using this form of relaxation before sleep time may help ensure an easier sleep time!
Headspace provides a guided body scan meditation as part of its free trial and 10-day beginner meditation course for stress management. New meditators may find it easier to stay focused while exploring their body sensations with the help of an instructor recording as she guides through each step.
Mindfulness and meditation techniques have powerful impacts on both mind and body, yet incorporating these practices into daily life may seem intimidating. The best way to reap their benefits is to incorporate them gradually; setting aside a few minutes each day for these mindful exercises will help build up their effects on both mental and emotional wellness.
Mantra Meditation
Mantra meditation is a guided form of meditation that uses repeated words or sounds to help you focus and relax. Your mantra may have personal significance or simply serve to inspire you; during practice, you can either repeat it silently in your mind or aloud. Ideally, the mantra should fulfill a significant purpose and resonate with you; alternative forms of mantras include songs, prayers, or poems, all of which should be concise enough to aid in memory.
Begin your mantra meditation by sitting comfortably, either on a chair or the floor, with your back supported by a cushion. Take some time to connect with your body by finding an alignment with its natural curves, which may include sitting up or lying down with legs crossed, arms folded across your chest, etc. Once settled, close your eyes and take several deep breaths before repeating your chosen mantra on each inhalation and exhalation. After 10 repetitions, try saying it without moving your lips in order to fully experience its inner sound. When thoughts or emotions arise, acknowledge them while gently returning attention to the mantra. You can continue this practice for as long as it feels right to you; begin with shorter sessions and gradually increase it over time as needed.
Mantra meditation can help cultivate mindfulness and present-moment awareness, as well as open you up to higher consciousness through repeating sacred words or sounds.
Nadi Shodhana, one of the most widely practiced mantra meditation techniques, involves using prayer beads (mala) to repeat your mantra with each bead as you turn them. This tactile method keeps you focused and tracks how many repetitions of your mantra you have completed. Nidra meditation, similar in concept but used alongside visualisation methods, is another popular technique for deeper relaxation.
No matter which meditation technique you opt for, it’s crucial that you set aside an appropriate time and place to practice it. Avoid becoming overwhelmed by prolonged periods of inactivity; the benefits of mindfulness meditation rely on dedicating just 20 minutes daily for practice.
Focus Meditation
Focus meditation could be the perfect solution if you’re having trouble relaxing your mind. This technique involves selecting an object of focus during meditation; this could range from words or phrases, visual images, sounds, body sensations, etc. In focused attention meditation, you can choose to block any unnecessary chatter in your mind, practice mental labelling such as “thinking” or “itch,” refocus when your focus wanders back on track, and continue moving forward.
Focus points can assist beginners with maintaining concentration. They also help beginners understand that it’s okay for their minds to wander, rather than becoming frustrated when their concentration lapses. Refocusing and returning frequently to your chosen focus can help the experience remain meaningful and worthwhile.
You can practice mindfulness meditation by focusing on something as simple as the candle flame in front of you or by using more complex experiences like viewing flowers from various angles and paying close attention to their colors or details.
Body sensations should be focused on by focusing on specific body parts—starting with toes (paying attention to each toe individually), followed by feet, legs, pelvis, abdomen, lower back, chest, shoulders, arms down to fingertips, and neck down to face and head—for two minutes daily to calm entire bodies and minds. This approach provides great benefits by relaxing all systems within.
If you feel comfortable, combine both body scans and focus meditations for an invigorating session of deep relaxation. A great idea would be to practice this meditation technique first thing in the morning or before going to bed on a regular basis, as its benefits will ripple throughout both your physical body and emotional being, helping reduce both physical and emotional strain.
