The Beginners Guide to Meditation

Beginner’s Mind.

Meditating is so great for your mind, building awareness and presence of mind but many people get it wrong! So many people state that they “aren’t good at meditating” and their “mind is too busy”. What they don’t realize is that this is exactly how it should be when you first start! Once you start meditating more regularly, you will start to notice that your mind is starting to quiet down and become more still, but this happens over time.

It all starts with setting your expectations! When you sit down to meditate, approach it as a “beginner” with NO expectations. First, understand that the point of meditating is NOT to “quiet your mind” or to sit still and quiet any thoughts. This will come as your mind starts to build new patterns of awareness.

Let’s Begin.

Imagine that your mind is like a muscle that you have to build. At first, it feels really hard, your muscles are weak. Gradually, you build more strength as you continue to practicing building the muscle. This happens after repeating exercises and targeting certain muscles over and over. Training your brain to meditate and become more still is just like building a muscle. You are building your “mind muscle”.

Start small. Meditating is also like running long-distance. You can’t do a marathon right from the start. You have to start with a mile in the beginning, and gradually build. The same goes for meditating. Start with 5 minutes each day. Once that feels manageable, increase to 10 minutes each day. Eventually, aim for 20 minutes a day.

Let’s Practice.

First, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Say to yourself, “there are no expectations for this meditation practice. If my mind is busy, that is just what is happening in this moment. “

Next, while breathing, pay attention to what your breath feels like as you inhale and exhale. Where are you feeling it? What are you feeling? As other thoughts creep in, that’s ok! When you become aware that your mind is wandering, say to yourself “that’s ok, my mind is just doing what it’s supposed to do”. Then, gently return your attention back to your breathing. The breath is like an “anchor”. It gives your mind something to return to when it strays.

Remember, each time your mind wanders and you NOTICE that it has, that is you building that awareness muscle in your brain. Eventually, you will catch these moments much sooner and they will become less.

Wrapping it Up.

Be a beginner. Have no expectations. Start small. Let your mind wander. Be curious.