When done often, meditation helps you achieve inner peace & stress reduction as part of a larger goal toward living a happier, more fulfilled life (which is why it’s so popular today).
Learning to meditate doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right resources and some patience, you can ease your way into this ancient practice with modern benefits. When done regularly, meditation has been proven to improve your physical health, emotional well-being, and sense of meaning in life. It also helps you cultivate inner peace and stress reduction as part of a larger goal toward living a happier, more fulfilled life (which is why it’s so popular today).
In this post, I’ll discuss the 8 best effective and beginner-friendly ways for you to learn how to start your meditation practice. Let’s jump right in.
1. Decide why you wish to learn to meditate.
Decide why you wish to meditate.
There are many reasons why you might decide to learn to meditate. Maybe you want to improve your health, decrease stress levels, or simply have a more fulfilling life. Whatever the reason, you need to be clear on what it is that you want meditation to do for you and your life. Knowing this will also serve you well when things do not go as planned.
From there, you may find a practitioner that’s right for you. It is not necessary that you do, but I highly recommend it.
You’ll need to find someone who:
- Is knowledgeable about meditation practices
- Has experience with meditative techniques
- Will be able to work with your specific beliefs and goals
2. Commit time to meditate regularly.
It’s better to be realistic and start small than try to jump into something too big all at once.
When you start a meditation practice, it’s best to commit to practicing daily. Even if you can only manage a few minutes a day, that is better than nothing. Plus, you will get results in the long term if you are consistent.
However, it’s important to set your own goals for yourself based on your life situation and needs. It’s better to be realistic and start small than try to jump into something too big all at once.
3. Keep meditating even when things get tough.
Meditation is a practice that can be difficult and challenging in the beginning, but it’s worth sticking with. The benefits of meditation are huge, and they only get better over time.
Meditation has been proven to improve physical health, and emotional well-being, and provide a sense of meaning in life for practitioners. It also helps cultivate inner peace and stress reduction as part of a larger goal toward living a happier, more fulfilled life (which is why it’s so popular today).
4. Overcome reasons why people don’t meditate.
Keep a journal.
One of the most common reasons why people don’t meditate may be due to lack of motivation. To overcome this, decide why you wish to learn to meditate before beginning. If you have not reached your goal yet, you can use that as motivation to continue meditating until you reach your goal.
Another reason may be that meditation doesn’t feel like an effective tool for dealing with an issue or goal. One way to overcome this is to keep a journal that tracks your progress. Over time, you’ll realize how much meditating is positively impacting you by moving your closer to your goal.
Lastly, people who have issues with sitting still for extended periods might find it difficult to focus on one thing for a long time and should instead use other techniques such as walking or taking a bath before mediating.
5. Try different meditation techniques.
When your mind is calmer, your body will follow.
As a beginner, you need to be patient and experiment with different meditation techniques until you find one that works best for you. As with any skill, the more practice you get, the better at it you become. Plus, when your mind is calmer, your body will follow.
There are many ways to meditate. Some people like to visualize calming thoughts or images while others may prefer counting their breaths or repeating a mantra or prayer. You can also combine two or more of these techniques for a personalized practice that fits your needs and interests. Working with a certified meditation coach is a great way to figure this out.
Two beginner-friendly meditations you can do right now!
1. Visualization meditation
Imagine yourself in an ideal place where everything is peaceful and quiet–a beach in Thailand, a forest in the mountains, or anywhere else that feels soothing to you. Be there for as long as you wish to calm your mind and rejuvenate your body before returning.
2. Focus on your breathing meditation
Instead of trying not to think about anything while meditating, try focusing on your breath instead. Focus on inhaling and exhaling deeply and slowly with each breath through your nose or mouth. Try not to interfere with your breathing. Allow yourself to breathe naturally. This technique trains your mind to stay focused on one thing rather than jumping around from thought to thought.
Remember, meditation doesn’t have to be complicated; there are many ways you can do the practice without adding too much pressure on yourself. Enjoy the experience and you’ll find that it is easy to do.
6. Trust that you are getting better at meditating.
Being good at meditating might be when you find your preferred technique and can easily incorporate this method into your everyday life.
There is no standard that defines when someone is competent in meditating because there are so many different techniques available! Comparing yourself to yourself is the best way to measure your competence. If for instance you can comfortably meditate for 4 minutes today and in the past, you only managed 2 minutes, that’s a great improvement.
In my case, I didn’t know I was meditating effectively until I noticed how much better I felt after each session. Feeling great was enough motivation for me to return to the practice again and again.
One sign of being good at meditating might be when you find your preferred technique and can easily incorporate this method into your everyday life. By meditating regularly, you will more quickly learn what your preferred method is.
7. Take advantage of FREE Resources.
Find free resources online.
The first thing to remember when learning to meditate is that it doesn’t have to be a big, expensive investment. There are many free resources available online, including apps and websites that offer guided meditations. Others offer soothing music you can play in your background to help you feel calmed and relaxed.
Below are 4 interesting resources you can use today.
- InsightTimer
- Defonic (Ambient noise generator)
- Use Mist (Chrome tab extension)
- Zen Mind (Chrome tab extension)
8. Remember, you can learn to meditate.
Meditation is a practice that anyone of any age or experience level can learn to do. It’s not just for the elite few going on expensive meditation retreats. You can learn meditation at home without spending anything, and even if you don’t have access to that luxury, you can still meditate in your living room or office by practicing meditation techniques with your eyes closed.
One of the reasons why anyone can master this skill is because it doesn’t require much in terms of tools or equipment. It requires you to use what makes you, you – your breathing, your senses, and your imagination. This goes back to the idea that meditation isn’t an exotic Buddhist practice; it’s just a simple practice of training your mind so that it calms down and can focus on what’s going on around you rather than worrying about what’s happening inside of your head.
To greatly enhance your practice, it also helps to have some time and a comfortable place where you feel safe and relaxed.
Conclusion – How do you learn to meditate as a beginner?
Without a doubt, meditating is a great way to clear your mind and relax your body. It can also help you feel refreshed, energized, and focused on what matters most.
In this article, I shared 8 ways you can learn to meditate as a beginner. To recap:
- Decide why you wish to meditate.
- Commit to meditating regularly.
- Don’t stop, even when things aren’t going your way.
- Know how to overcome the reasons most people stop meditating.
- Try as many different meditation techniques as possible.
- Trust that you are getting better.
- Take advantage of FREE resources where you can.
- Remember, you can learn to meditate effectively!
Roland Achenjang – Certified Meditation Coach
