Finding a way to relax and quieten your mind can work absolute wonders for your mental – and physical – wellbeing. And while meditation is a proven way to improve emotional wellbeing, it can be a little intimidating to beginners. So here’s how to get started with meditation. Trust us, you’re going to love it!
Meditation: Self-care that works
Day by day we wake up, embrace the day and start thinking about all the tasks that we have on our agenda. We plan our time multitasking between our job, our family and our social life. It’s energy consuming, exhausting and even though at the end of the day we have done tons of work, we still feel unsatisfied. We have a good job that pays the bills; we have a family, people who love us, kids and family dinners, parties and holidays yet inside we long for happiness. The interesting thing is that people get lost in the idea of happiness, we don’t even know what that means to us because we haven’t had the time to explore it. Happiness has a different meaning for every person.
It depends on how we perceive the world since childhood, what inspired us when we were kids, what was fun and exciting. We are bombarded with advertisements and marketing tricks just to make us fall into the trap of losing our individuality. They are selling us a whole bunch of movies, books, social standards we strive, career we would kill for and all this for the idea of happiness. This vast ocean of outside world’s expectation towards us makes us confused. Not to mention even frantic.
Is meditation really for me?
Day by day we are trying to make sense of the outside words while the first thing we should care about is our inner peace. There are many ways to get on the path of this journey of self-discovery, but we should start somewhere right? You are not going to stay in the lotus position for hours or chant OM till the neighbors knock on the door. First, you need to learn more about Meditation as a practice itself.
There are different kinds of meditation. The more you know about it will help you decide which one will work best for you. Everyone is different and while someone may need a 20-minute full body relax in bed to empty their mind, for other a simple task like washing the dishes may work better. Meditation is part of the Eastern path of Enlightenment. While there are many branches and numerous meditation techniques, the essential you should know is the intention of the exercise. It is used to silence your mind and take you to a very special place, your heart.
How to get started with meditation
Here are the three things we think are essential for getting comfortable with meditation. And they’re mostly things you probably already do, which helps.
1. Hot bath
Relaxing your body will help you release the stress from the muscles, people usually try to focus their intention on an object so that they can clear the mind. You can even implement it while you are in the tub with hot relaxing water, it is also beneficial to add some sea salt to your bath which will clean the negative energy. Thoughts are like waves, they are coming and going, all the time. If you prefer to close your eyes, then observe those thoughts without actively interfering with them, that way they will fly away naturally.
2. Music
Relaxing music may help as well; it will boost your imagination and soothe you during the exercise. During the first week try practicing Meditation for 10-15 minutes a day. The first few days will probably be hard to keep it going, but having the mindset that these 15 minutes are only for you to get into knowing yourself and your needs, will keep you on track.
3. Keep a journal
It is a good idea to keep a journal of your progress every day. A few sentences of observation on your feelings and your progress will motivate you as well. Start each practice with clear intention, whatever is bothering you, imagine putting it in a safe box, and it won’t be interfering with the time being. The intention will enhance your practice; it can be as simple as being grateful for your job, family, friends, opportunity, or whatever suits you.
Get started with meditation: TLDR
There are no rules in self-discovery, there is no specific script, the most important thing is to follow your own heart. What makes you feel good and relaxed is the best approach for you. We are all different so any modifications, additional help, or freestyle imagery is welcomed as long as you give yourself the time and space to relax.
