Among various possible tips for self improvement I believe that meditation is a very important one. Often when people hear the word meditation they tend to be a little bit scared. They imagine something somewhat mysterious or religious. They believe it is a very complicated technique that will required them a consequent investment in time and money before they can start getting some hypothetical benefits. Or maybe, if you are like me, you have problems with your knees that prevent you from sitting cross-legged. In this short article I would like to give you simple meditation instructions to get you started.
Meditation Made Simple
Let’s look at what is actually meditation. In a nutshell, meditation is a practice where you focus on your breath while trying not to think about anything. That’s it!
Meditation:
- is not a religious act in itself
- doesn’t required any materials to get started
- doesn’t required you to be a contortionist
- doesn’t have to take a lot of your time
I have only been practicing meditation on a daily basis for several months but I really feel that it helped me become more calm, more at peace and more focused. Meditation is also a great way to enhance well-being in general. I’m not an expert and it is exactly what I want to tell you: you don’t need to be an expert! If you believe that you need to take meditation classes or read books to get started, only those of you who are really motivated will give it a shot. Since meditation practiced on a daily basis is beneficial for everyone, as a self improvement advice I would encourage everyone to adopt that new habit. When you will start meditating, you will realize how hard it is to stop thinking. Your mind won’t stop. Sometimes, people told me: “I can’t even do meditation for 3 minutes, my thoughts are all over the place”. It is totally normal. As long as you are trying to control your thoughts the best you can at your current level, you are doing meditation. And I’m convinced you will get benefits from your daily practice. Meditation will help you become more aware of your thoughts and to better deal with your negative thoughts.
Let’s make it very simple to start with, and progressively work on improving the quality of our meditation practice.
Meditation Exercise
I don’t want to give you any excuses not to try meditation. Here is how you can easily get started:
Close your eyes, breath slowly through your nose, focus on your breath while trying to get rid of any thoughts that come to your mind. Do it just for 3 minutes. That’s it! You can sit on a chair or sit on the floor with your legs crossed. Practice every single day for two weeks, then go for 4 minutes, 5 minutes and so on. If possible aim to reach 20 to 30 minutes per day but it is entirely up to you. Some people do more. If you are busy you can do less. Personally, I’m currently meditating 20 minutes everyday but plan to meditate more in the near future. Last but not least, be patient! It takes some time before you feel the benefits of meditation.
Leave me your comments below and tell me how things are going 🙂
See also: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living – 7 Practical Tips to Overcome Worries
The Power of Visualization – A Simple Example of How You Can Use Positive Visualization
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Thanks for the words of wisdom. I will try this at every chance I get. It’s good to be present!
Yes. Give it a try 🙂
I cannot think about nothing. I don’t know if that is something that can be learned with practice, but it’s a hard thing for me to even imagine.
Steve,
Everything can be learned with practice 😉
Actually, I’m also constantly thinking. That’s why meditation is something that I feel I need to do but even for laid-back people I believe it has a lot of benefits.
For me personally, sometimes my mind doesn’t focus very well and it tends to wander fast!! I have always thought that I am doing it wrongly!! Thanks for letting me know that it is perfectly normal 😀
McKing,
Indeed, it’s difficult to focus. Our minds spend most of the time wandering but being able to focus allows us to live more in the present 🙂 Actually I’m interested in learning more about meditation. Next December I will join a 10-day meditation course consisting of 10 hours of meditation everyday. Furthermore, talking, reading, using cellphones or computers, exercising or watching TV is strictly prohibited. Sounds like a lot of fun no? I will share my experience on this blog 😉
Great post, I like the idea of starting small – only three minutes seems doable. I will start up. I look forward to reading about the ten day retreat.
Ian,
Yeah if you start small and you do something every single day, you can go very far 🙂