If you don’t know how to meditate what is it? well, meditation is a powerful tool that can have a positive impact on our mental and physical well-being. Studies have shown that regular meditation can lower stress improve mental clarity, and enhance sleep too.
One of the most interesting benefits of meditation is that it helps to calm our minds, allowing us to tap into our intuition and live more happily in the present moment.
Approximately 200-500 million people engage in meditation worldwide. The number of Gen Zers who mediaite improves their mental well-being is twice that of Baby Boomers.
If you don’t know how to meditate, don’t worry. It’s always a great day to have a positive mindset, try new things, and learn how to be happier at home and happy in a stressful world.
What is meditation?
Before jumping on to how to meditate, let’s first understand what it is.
Meditation is a practice that includes focusing your mind and minimizing the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be disturbing your mind and causing stress.
It’s about training your mind to achieve a state of relaxation, clarity, and mental peace.
Meditation can also bring a sense of calm that enables us to react to life events properly, rather than reacting with our emotions.
The meditate is a skill that helps us to begin work with the mind as we learn to be present in a different way, bringing peace and clarity in the moment, whatever it may be.
How do you meditate?
Now that we have defined meditation. Let’s discover how can you include it in your daily routine. To begin, find a quiet and comfortable place where you have no distractions.
Sit or lie down in a relaxed position, close your eyes, and start by focusing on your breath. Observe the sensation of each inhale and exhale, allowing your mind to naturally settle.
Meditation For Beginners
For beginners, starting with short sessions of just 10 to 15 minutes can be a good way to ease into practice.
As you become more comfortable, you can gradually increase the duration of your sessions.
Remember, there is no right or wrong way to meditate, so no need to worry if your mind wanders, it’s all a part of the process.
How To Meditate Properly
To meditate properly, it’s important to cultivate a sense of mindfulness and awareness. This means being fully alert at the moment and watching your thoughts without judgment.
Whenever you notice your mind wandering, gently divert your focus back to your breath or chosen point of concentration.
What Type Of Meditation Is Best For You?
To meditate, the best type for you is the one you will enjoy doing. If you enjoy it, you are more likely to create a consistent peace. “The practice of meditation is thousands of years old, and many forms have originated in Eastern traditions,” Well says. You have a lot of options when it comes to meditation, few are listed below.
Focused-Attention Meditation
With this type, the focus is on ridding your mind of distractions. Put your attention on a single object, thought, sound, or visualization. You might focus on breathing, a mantra, or a calming sound.
Open-Monitoring Meditation
When you are doing this type of meditation, you are encouraged to broaden your awareness of all aspects of your environment, train of thought, and, sense of self. This also includes becoming aware of suppressed thoughts, feelings, or impulses.
Mindfulness Meditation
This is one of the most common types of meditation and has three main components.
Attention: Focusing on the present moment
Open-awareness: Increasing your attention and curiosity
Kind intention: Treating you
How To Meditate- Steps
Here are some steps that will be useful for people who don’t know how to meditate
Sit Upright Comfortably
To meditate, the important thing to keep in mind is to find a comfortable position. Ideally, this means finding a seated position that allows your back to be straight and supported, without causing discomfort.
You can do it on a chair, cushion, or meditation bench. Your feet should be flat on the floor or crossed in front of you and your spine should be tall and aligned so that you can breathe easily and deeply. The breath serves as an anchor to the present moment and can help to bring a sense of peace and calmness to the body.
You must be wondering if it’s okay to meditate lying down. Yes, the mind needs to be more attentive when we are seated and upright, thus the reason most teachers suggest being seated during meditation wherever possible.
Also wondering if it’s okay to kneel. Again, yes, kneeling is another way of sitting for meditation if you don’t want to sit cross-legged.
Gently Close Your Eyes
This step helps to minimize external distractions and to concentrate on the present moment. Closing your eyes also helps to reduce the stimulation of your visual sense, and to shift your attention inward.
Breath Deeply
Our breath is important to the present moment and a tool available at all times. Start by taking 10 deep breaths and counting to five during each exhale and inhale.
Allow your lungs to fill up as you inhale and then slowly exhale through your nose allowing your shoulders to drop. Repeat.
Scan Your Body, And Notice Any Sensations
It’s a great way if you don’t know how to meditate, to check in within your body. How many times do we ask others, how are you? A lot. How many times a day do we ask our body how you doing? Hardly ever.
Scan your body and notice areas of tension. This will bring your attention to your body and noticing anything that you might be experiencing. Could be tension, pain, coldness, or warmth.
You can start at your feet and work your way up to your head, or vice versa. This allows you to check in with your body and bring yourself into the present.
Also, be aware of any negative thoughts that may arise during the process. If your mind does wander, simply ignore it and focus back on your breath.
Be aware of any thoughts you are having
Do you ever feel getting stuck overthinking? If you don’t know how to meditate, here is a chance to observe your thoughts without getting roped in them. It’s important to acknowledge them, and then let them go. You don’t have to follow them, just let them pass like clouds in the sky.
Notice what thoughts are present, for instance, I need to call my sister, I have to go to the grocery store. Allow each thought to come up, and pass by, without any judgment or attachment.
When Your Mind Wanders, Focus On Your Breath
It’s a fact, that your mind will wander, and when it does, come and focus on your breath. Your breath is the number one thing to help you stay grounded and focused in the moment.
When you concentrate on your breathing, your heart rate slows down, your mind begins to quiet and your body relaxes.
Gently Open Your Eyes When You Are Ready
This step is about coming out of the practice and returning o to your day. If you don’t know how to meditate, just simply open your eyes gently at the end, and take a moment to adjust to the environment.
Take a deep breath and notice how you feel. Stretch or move your body if you need to, and then get up and go about your day, with a sense of calmness and clarity. This is how to meditate properly.
Final Words
It’s crucial to start with small and to begin with five to ten minutes of meditation if you don’t know how to meditate.
The recommended time to meditate is in the morning, before having coffee or breakfast. As you become more relaxed with meditation, you can increase the length of your practice.
It is not just something you do while sitting on a bed. It’s a tool that can be used throughout the day.
Even if you don’t have time to close your eyes and meditate, you can still practice conscious breathing during a meeting, in a traffic jam, or in a conversation.
By doing so, you will find that you can handle stress and find inner peace in your life.