You’ve heard about the remarkable benefits of meditation: increased awareness, reduced stress, and inner peace – and now, you’re ready to begin your own journey of self-discovery and wellness. The idea of sitting alone with your thoughts can be quite scary, especially when you’re just starting out. In fact, the beginning of any transformational journey is often the most difficult.
Meditation is a simple yet profound practice. It is a time-tested method for discovering inner peace that has been perfected and loved by different communities for millennia. Meditation involves training your mind to embrace the present moment and gracefully release the clutter of distracting thoughts. The result? A deep sense of calm, clarity and focus that can illuminate your path forward.
To guide you as you begin this ancient practice, our meditation expert Angelina Morino from The House of Health she offers invaluable insights to ensure your meditation journey is accessible and rewarding and enlightening.
You can also try a guided meditation session with Angelina at JSHealth app!
Angelina’s top five tips for any beginner interested in meditation:
- Start small to build consistency
Start with two minutes a day. Try it for a week and see how you feel. Then increase your meditation by another two minutes each day and practice for another week. Increase by two more minutes for the third week, continue this pattern and before you know it you’ll be meditating for 10 minutes, heck, maybe more!
Meditation is a “practice” and a skill, and by definition, the more we practice consistently, the more we increase our proficiency. Starting small means you’re more likely to stick with the practice.
Soulful Strategy #1
Your brain is a muscle, just like your quads and biceps. Think of your practice the same way you would if you were preparing to train for a marathon and had never run before. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step (or in this case, the first seat!).
- Try to meditate as soon as you wake up.
If you use your phone as an alarm clock, put it on airplane mode before you go to bed. This will help you resist the temptation to check email and social media in the morning before your mind can even focus. Whether you’re a 9-5, shift worker, or somewhere in between, try to exercise as soon as you open your eyes. Your mind may be a little more peaceful at this time before the demands of life take hold.
Soulful Strategy #2
Label your alarm clock with “meditate” or perhaps place a note after it on your nightstand or fridge as a reminder.
- Don’t get hung up on the how – just do.
Life is noisy and the perfect conditions for meditation do not exist. It doesn’t matter where you meditate, as long as you feel safe and comfortable.
Soulful Strategy #3
Start by sitting in a chair, or maybe on the couch, your bed, or the floor if that’s comfortable for you. You don’t even have to sit cross-legged! Just do what feels good and right for your body. Initially, you will only be here for a short time and you can consider optimizing your comfort once you start practicing for a longer period of time.
- Meditation is not about emptying your mind.
One of the most common misconceptions about meditation is that it’s about emptying your mind or stopping all thoughts. This is not the case at all!
Your brain is designed to think, allows you to assess risks and keeps you safe. While clearing the mind can sometimes occur in meditation, it is not the “goal” of meditation. If you have thoughts running through your mind, that’s okay. We all do it!
Soulful Strategy #4
Our brains love thinking and it’s incredibly futile to try to shut them down. Instead, practice awareness of your mind wandering! Just notice what thoughts come up. Reattach your attention to your breath and practice gently guiding your mind back to your breath whenever you notice it wandering to plans, problems, and to-do lists. Everything can wait.
- Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
People who are new to meditation—even people who have been doing it for years—may experience feelings of anxiety, restlessness, and irritation while practicing. Just as every day is different, every practice will be different. WE ARE PEOPLE after all!
Soulful Strategy #5
Instead of trying to resist these feelings, give them your full attention and let them come and go. Like the weather, these moments of irritation will pass. Over time the mind learns to attend to these feelings but not get caught up in them – a skill that can be extremely beneficial not only during meditation but also in everyday life.
Why is meditation so important and what benefits can it bring to your life?
There is growing evidence that regular meditation practice (combined with diet, exercise and, where necessary, modern medication) as part of your routine can set the stage for optimal functioning of your mind, body and energy. There are many different styles of meditation, and finding one that resonates with you will help you enjoy your practice and be consistent with it.
During meditation we learn to observe what passes without judgment and begin to learn how to stop reacting to our thoughts. We train our brain to reduce the production of cortisol, the stress hormone.
With consistent practice, meditation has been shown to relieve symptoms related to stress, anxiety, physical pain, overeating, OCD, depression, negativity, high blood pressure, and insomnia. Meditation brings present moment awareness to the situations that arise in your life and with practice helps you expect the best to happen instead of the worst.
With the need for technology in our lives and the constant need to be “connected,” our attention and focus are constantly compromised. Meditation allows us to find some space and, in turn, freedom. It gives us permission to slow down and go into a non-performing mode.
This gives our mind and body a vital break from all the responsibilities of life, if only for a few moments.
What would you say to someone who isn’t sure if meditation is for them?
Are you human; If the answer is yes, then I encourage you to give it a go. Start small. Two cents.
If not, start even smaller. Take three deep breaths and relax your shoulders and face. Here you go! You just did your first meditation!
Meet Angelina and try one of her guided meditations at JSHealth app today!
