A SIMPLE GUIDE TO MEDITATION
“Meditation is boring.”
“I can’t sit still for that long.”
“My mind is too active to meditate.”
If you have ever said these things then this simple meditation guide is for you. It cuts through the layers of over complexities and the mystical dogma attached to the practice.
What is meditation in one sentence?
Meditation is the practice of being aware of your thoughts, inner feelings or physical senses.
Why do I need to meditate in one sentence?
Meditation will stop you from worrying about the past or the future, which reduces your stress levels and helps you get more enjoyment and play out of life.
How do I meditate in one sentence?
Close your eyes and take one breath in through the nose and one breath out through the nose.
How can that be it?
Meditation is not a complicated process. It is simple but it is not necessarily easy. It is a perfect metaphor for how life plays out. Simple it may be to understand, easy it is not to implement.
To help build your understanding of how to meditate we’ve listed seven simple ways to practice.
Beginners – Never meditated
One: Eat one meal a day in silence
Doing so will bring your awareness into the now
Don’t listen to anything, don’t talk to anyone; just sit, eat, watch, and enjoy your meal
I guarantee your food will actually taste better
Two: Drink one cup of tea per day
Bring your full awareness into this experience, feeling every mouthful as it goes down
Open up your senses by smelling the tea’s’ aroma and by watching the liquid move around your cup
Three: Have a mindfulness shower
In the shower close your eyes and become aware of your feet. Feel the energy pulsating in and around them
Then become aware of your hands
Ask yourself “How do I even know I have hands?”
Do each foot and hand for ten seconds
Intermediate – Meditated before but still need guidance in their practice
Four: Body awareness before going to sleep
When lying in your bed before sleep, close your eyes and by starting at the feet feel the energy in your body
Focus your attention on one particular body part at a time for a count of ten seconds
Move up from your feet to your head, passing through your knees, thighs, buttocks, hips, chest, back, hands, arms, shoulders, and head
Five: Counting the breath for five minutes
Find a comfortable chair to sit in with your back straight and feet flat on the floor
Close your eyes
Become aware of your feet flat on the floor for thirty seconds, feeling the energy around them
Notice your breath and begin to count it going in and out – count from one to ten full breaths, then return to one and begin again
If you are unable to feel your breath, take conscious breaths instead.
Inhale through the nose with the belly expanding, and exhale through the nose as the belly contracts
Six: Counting Numbers for five minutes
Take up the same position as when counting the breaths – sitting down
Close your eyes and count one to one hundred
As you count in your mind visualise the number been drawn in your mind’s eye
I have recommended just five minutes to begin with for these practices, over time aim to increase them to about twenty minutes per day. Always set your timer before the practice.
Advanced – If you think you can handle it
Seven: The direct method
Sit down on the floor with you legs crossed, close your eyes, and do nothing
Keep your mind quiet by listening to it – catch yourself watching the thinker
Aim for twenty minutes
Tips on how to practice meditation
You are not trying to stop your thoughts; you are trying to become aware that you are having them.
When a thought comes let it pass by not becoming attached to it, instead just notice it. This is what is meant by thoughtless awareness.
The aim of meditation is to give your monkey mind some headspace, by consciously focusing your attention on something else. That is, there is no aim.
Meditation can be practiced by anyone, anywhere and anytime. It is a matter of bringing your attention into the now.
Meditation is about finding what type of practice works best for you. There are a plethora of practices out there, which will be looked at in future articles, however these mentioned above are just some simple ideas to get you started.
Some stuff I’ve found helpful especially for beginners.
Headspace (App) – Try their ten day free trial, and learn how to meditate from an expert who is bringing meditation to the West, and in particular into our tech world.
The Power Of Now (Book),by Eckhart Tolle – Learn about being in the moment, and the benefit of conscious awareness and how it improves your life situation.
