Learn to Meditate - 3 easy ways to get you started

To meditate is to focus your mind for a period of time (rather than letting it roam free). Some people refer to this as the monkey-mind – jumping from one place to another without any clear direction.

There are many benefits to meditation. Here I share with you three important ones:

• Relaxation
  When you stop your mind from jumping all over the place and start to focus it in one direction things become easier. You will start to realise that some of the stress in your life comes from the way you think about things rather than from how things really are.
• Clarity
  When you switch your mind from racing around to being focused in one direction you start to notice that there is space that can be organised much more easily. It can help you to define more clearly who you wish to be, rather than constantly reacting to the reflections of other people or situations.
• Better Productivity
  Having a meditation is like having a mini sleep. It rests your body and mind which will make you feel refreshed, ready to tackle whatever you are planning next in a much more productive way.
  
  

This is just a short list of benefits, check out this page for a more extensive list.

Learning to meditate can be easy. Especially in the beginning there is no need for you to invest a lot of time or fold yourself up like a pretzel.
One of the first meditations I engaged with were little guided meditations that were just one minute long. Or, you could start by taking ten deep belly breaths and if this is too much start with three!

What is important is that you invest a little time for your wellbeing regularly. Every day is great, if it is less often at least it’s a start.

Here are 3 easy ways to get a meditation practice going by yourself:

1. Guided meditation
   This is where a tutor gently talks you through a process or a journey. Either in person or via an MP3 recording or a video. As mentioned above, these meditations can be very short and nowadays there are lots of different ones available.
   This type of meditation is suitable for those who enjoy following someone else’s lead.
   Find some examples here: Guided Meditations, Guided Crystal Meditations.
2. Breathing meditation
   Counting your breath, counting up to a number and then back down again, following the flow of your breath through your nostrils down into your belly are all popular methods for meditating. You can do this on your own or with guidance and it can be done anywhere.
3. Nature meditation
   Simply going for a walk in the woods or sitting down under a tree, listening to the birds sing and feeling the sunshine (or here in the UK raindrops) on your skin can allow you to enter into a meditative state. Try to spot a certain animal, like blackbirds or a certain colour like yellow and see how quickly this can focus your mind and attention.
   
   

For more easy and advanced ways to meditate check here.

Learning to meditate can be really easy and the benefits are great. Make a start today!