Simple Meditation For Beginners – Getting Started
There are many misconceptions out there that meditation is hard or difficult to do. No matter what you may have heard or even thought of yourself, I have some good news. Meditation is not as difficult as some claim it to be. In fact, meditation to me is actually a way to experience a mini personal retreat on a daily basis! Now, how refreshing does that sound?
By breaking it down in 4 easy steps below, I will go over the process of meditating and you will soon find out for yourself, that it is actually something easy and doable and once you start, I guarantee that you will NOT want to stop.
I’ve been meditating for many years now and I honestly can’t even imagine getting through the day without prayer & meditation (a POWERFUL combination!). There are countless benefits to meditation, however, this post is just focusing on simple concentrative meditation for beginners. There is also another form of meditation which is non-directive . Both can be very beneficial to you.
( You can learn more about these two types of meditation
and how both can be of benefit to you by visiting inlpcenter.org)
So let’s get started on your mini retreat!!!!
The Quiet Place
Locating the Perfect Place: The first step is to find a quiet and tranquil place in your home. Nature is also a perfect place to meditate. Whether in your home or somewhere in nature, you will want to ensure you will NOT be disturbed for the next 10-15 mins.
Ambiance: You can create as much ambiance to your special place. If at home, candles are a great way to set and create mood.
Temperature: This is very important as you want to be as comfortable as possible. Not too hot, not too cold. Just comfortable.
Music: You can meditate in silence, but as a beginner, I usually recommend some type of Instrumental meditative music (spiritual, worship, yoga, etc) to enhance the process. The reason why I suggest instrumental music (no words), because once you start to meditate, you will want to quiet the mind and music with words may hinder that process in the beginning
Time: There is really no right or wrong time limit for meditation. Some meditate for 5 mins, while others meditate for 30 mins or more. On average, 15 mins is usually a perfect and comfortable amount of time to enjoy the benefits. I am sure you are wondering, how do I know 15 mins has passed? What I have done is pick music that is approximately 15 mins long. This way, once the music stops, you know you have reached 15 mins.
A Comfortable Position - Step 1
The most common way to sit while meditating is in the lotus position (as shown in the picture above). However, please note, that you do not have to sit in this position. The key to meditation is find a comfortable position for YOU.
If the lotus position is comfortable for you. Then by all means do so. If not, you can sit on the floor, in a chair or the couch. Whatever is the most comfortable for you. The main thing is to ensure your are sitting up straight (not slouching or laying down) as this will inhibit your breathing which we will discuss in the next step.
Breathing - Step 2
Breathing is probably the most important part of meditation. So many things happen within your body when your breathe. Breathing nourishes your body, mind and every cell of your being, which is why meditation can be so refreshing and relaxing. Breath in – Breath out.
In the beginning, your breathing may be somewhat shallow, but as you continue to practice, you will want to breathe in as deeply as possible.
Inhale (Deep breathe) through your nose
Hold for a few seconds
Release (exhale) the air slowly through your mouth.
Repeat throughout the entire meditation process.
Releasing All Thoughts - Step 3
When starting out, releasing your thoughts can be challenging. If you are like me, you may have a very active mind. And to top that off, we have over 50,000-70,000 thoughts per day! You are probably wondering how in the world can you quiet your mind with all those thoughts flying through your head.
Don’t worry – it’s possible. In time, you will be able to meditate and just go into a “void”, releasing all that mind chatter. What I found that helps me is to count 1 -2 -3 as I inhale. And then as I exhale, 1-2-3-4-5. As I focus on the counting, its hard for other thoughts to surface.
Just as in anything, it takes practice. And guess what, if you have thoughts that pop up while meditating, don’t try to wrestle them down to the ground. Just acknowledge them and watch them float away and continue with your meditation.
I also want to mention that when we meditate, we may receive inspiration from Source to do something or an idea may pop in your head. When this happens, this is a good “distraction”. It’s when our minds are the most quiet that we sometimes receive the answers that we seek.
Eyes Open - Step 4
Once you are done meditating, you will want to slowly come back to wakefulness. When you meditate, you do go into a deep meditative state, so its best to ease your way out of it. Slowly open your eyes and take a nice deep breathe.
You are now ready to start your day.
After meditation, some find it easy to move into a prayer like state of gratitude and appreciation. (and yes SMILE too!!) This definitely can and will enhance your day since you are now in the perfect state of mindfulness.
See! You Can Do This!
That’s right, you got this! Through the 4 steps in the meditation process, you will find that anyone can do this and achieve the wonderful benefits of meditation. Feel more refreshed, centered and relax during the day. Remember that this is YOUR time. A wonderful and special retreat that you can practice anytime!
An Hour of Meditation in 12 Minutes?
As you can see, meditation is actually a simple and easy process. When I started meditating, I tried various meditation programs to help me in the process to focus and learn how to meditate.
Everyone is always asking me what is my secret to staying calm, peaceful and centered. One of those secrets is meditation.
Although I have been meditating for years, there is a meditation program that I use that utilizes “brainwave entrainment” which sends you into a deeper state of relaxation in the meditation process. These “brainwave sounds” will help you relax, quiet the mind and you will achieve the benefits of 1 hour of meditation in just 12 mins!
The meditation comes in four flavors:
Guided meditation (highly recommended for beginners)
Relaxing music
White noise
Nature sounds.
Choose the audio that you feel will benefit you the most during your meditation time. I personally like the guided meditation (a very pleasant soothing British voice) and the music. I usually just rotate between the two.
This free meditation audio is perfect and simple meditation for beginners. I love it and I think you will too.
Download your free audio here and start your meditation journey! Let me know how you enjoy it. Like I mentioned before, once you start meditating, you will not want to stop because you will achieve so many wonderful benefits.
Interested in learning the health benefits of Meditation? Check out my post, “What are the health benefits of meditation? You Will Be Amazed!!”
If you found value in this post, have comments regarding the topic, or have any questions I can answer for you, please leave your comments below. Would love to hear from you!
To Your New Journey – This is Your Season Now! 🙂
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Research (Concentrative vs Non-Directive) Compliments of inlpcenter.org
@Carl Davies - Thank you stopping by and reading on this topic of simple meditation for beginners. I am glad that you found value in this post. :)
@Amy Starr Allen - Thanks so much! Meditation is so important to me and so wonderful to see others enjoying the wonderful benefits of meditation. And glad to see that my goal was accomplished (breaking down meditation to its simplest form so that everyone can benefit from it). :)
To be honest, I find it difficult to do meditation in my business life, but I can see the positives in doing this. I still learned a great deal from this post. Nice one mate!
Such a great tutorial, LT. I've been meditating for most of my life. I have done lots of different methods. I love how you simplified this so that anyone can do it without getting discouraged. Thank you!