meditation for beginners guide - stonecirclecoaching.com
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Meditation Guide For Beginners
Seemslikeeveryoneistalkingaboutmeditationthesedayswhichisagoodthing!AsabeginneritcanbealittleoverwhelmingtoknowwheretostartsoIwanttosharesometipsandinfotogetyouoffontherighttrackandhelpyouavoidthecommonpitfallsthatgetinthewayofbuildingaconsistentmeditationpractice.
What Is Meditation? Meditationisaseriesoftechniquesthatallowsustodevelopawarenessandfocusedattention.Ithasbeenpracticedforcenturiesandhasmanydifferentformsandtraditions.Whileoftenusedinterchangeably,thereisadistinctionbetweenmindfulnessandmeditation.Mindfulnessisawayofbeingorinteractingwiththeworld.Itcanbepracticedinformallyatanytimeandinanysituation,withanyactivity.Meditationontheotherhandisaformalpracticethatinvolvessettingasideaspecifictimetositsilentlyandtrainourminds.Meditationthattakestheformofsustainingourattentiononourbreath,noticingourbody,thoughts,emotionsorsensations,orwhateverarisesineachmoment,andgentlyreturningourattentiontoourbreath,issometimescalledmindfulnessmeditation.ThispracticehelpstrainthemindtofocusonthepresentratherthanthepastorfutureandteachesushowtocontrolourreactionssothatwecanrespondratherthanreactRegularmeditationpractice,oranythingthatallowsustopause,bestillandtuneintothepresentmoment,infacthelpsusbecomemoreconsciousaboutthebusynessinourlives.Withthatawareness,wecanmakemoreconsciouschoicesabouthowwedirectourthoughtsorspendourtime.Forexample,bybuildingourskillsinformalmeditationpracticewecanthenusethemtofocusourfullattentiononapersonoractivityathandwithoutbeingdistractedbyourwanderingmindsorthebeepingofourphones.
Meditationistheultimatemobiledevice;youcanuseitanywhere,anytime,unobtrusively.
SharonSalzberg
Why Meditate? Withanincreasinggaininpopularity,meditationisoftenheldoutasacureallforjustaboutanythingthatailsyou.Thetruthisthatmanyoftheseclaimsdonothaveanybasisinsoundresearch.
Thereare,however,someimportantdocumentablebenefitsofaregularmeditationpracticeincluding:
• Reducingstressandanxiety• Enhancingemotionalhealthandwellbeing• Improvingemotionalregulation• Improvingmemory&focus• Increasingcognitiveflexibility• Enhancingself-awareness
Insteadofmeditatingwithagoalinmind,focusinsteadoncreatingaconsistenthabitandthebenefitswillfollow.Thebenefitsofmeditationareonlyexperiencedthroughconsistentpractice.
Simple Breath Meditation Whiletherearemanyformsandtraditionsofmeditation,asabeginneritishelpfultochoosesomethingthatissimple.Usingabasicbreathmeditationistheeasiestwayforbeginnerstostartameditationpractice.Byusingthebreathasafocalpoint,youwillbegintobuildfoundationalskillsthatwillserveyouwellasyourpracticedevelops.Onceyouhaveestablishedaregularhabitofmeditation,thenyoumightwanttoexploreothermethodsandtraditions.
Beginwithshortsessions.Afewminutestosettleyourselfandthen3to5minutesofsilentpracticeisagreatstart.Youcanaddtothelengthofyourpracticeasyoufeelcomfortable,graduallybuildingupto20minutes.Youdon’thavetorushtogetthere.
Consistencyisthekey.It’sbettertopracticeforashortsessioneverydaythantotakeahitandmissapproachifyouwanttoreapthebenefits.
Breathingin,Icalmbodyandmind.Breathingout,Ismile.
ThichNhatHanh
Guided Meditations Guidedmeditationsareledbyateachereitherinperson,orbyaudioorvideo.Theycanbeusefulforbeginnersastheyprovidesomesupportandencouragementasyouestablishyourpractice.Thereisadifferencebetweenguidedvisualizationswhicharetypicallyusedforrelaxationorsometimesinsight,andguidedmeditationswhichdemonstratetheskillsofmeditationandincludeperiodsofsilence.
Usingonlyguidedmeditationssometimescreateadependenceonthemthatdoesn’tencouragethedevelopmentofskills.Trytointegratetheskillsthatyouarelearningintheguidedmeditationinordertobeabletousethemduringyour“onyourown”silentpractice.
Youcandownloadafree,short,guidedmeditationhere:https://www.stonecirclecoaching.com
Aspeoplebecomemoreexperiencedinmeditation,theytendtouseguidedmeditationslessfrequently,orperiodicallytorefreshtheirpractice.Ultimatelyyouwillwanttofindtherightbalancebetweenusingguidedrecordingsandpracticingsilentmeditationthatbestworksforyou.
Therearemanyappsavailablewhichincludeguidedmeditations.ThemostpopularappsareInsightTimer,CalmandHeadspace.
Managing Expectations Hereareafewbeginnerexpectationsthatcanmakemeditationachallenge:
• Tryingtositfortoolongatthestart.Moretimeisnotnecessarilybetter.Consistencyisfarmoreimportantthanlengthoftime.
• Tryingtostopthoughtsoremptyingtheirminds.Yourmindisdesignedtothinksoyouwillnotstopyourthoughts.Whatyouwilllearntodoistodirectyourattentionandfocussoyouarenotcontrolledbythem.
• Waitingforana-hamoment.Whilemeditationdoesincreaseself-awarenessandinsight,itisnottypicallyaprofoundexperienceeverytimeyoupractice.Beopentowhatevershowsup,evenifitisnothing.
• Gettingitright.Beginnersoftenworryaboutwhethertheyare“doingitright.”MindfulnessexpertJonKabat-Zinnhasthebestadviceaboutthisworry.Hesaysifyouaredoingit,thenyouaredoingitright.
Thegoalofmeditationisn’ttocontrolyourthoughts,it’stostoplettingthemcontrolyou.
Setting Up A Space Whileitispossibletomeditateanywhereanytime,asabeginneritshelpfultohaveaquietspacetopractice.Thiseliminatessomedistractionsthatyoumightotherwisehavetomanage.Choosesomewhereyoucanbeundisturbed
Keepitsimple.Therearelotsofthingsyoucanaddtoameditationspaceifyouwantbutallyoureallyneedisacomfortableplacetosit(eitheronacushionorchair)thatallowsyoutomaintaingoodposture.
Ifyoudowanttopersonalizeyourspace,thesearesomeotherthingsyoumightinclude:
Inspirationalpictures
Natureelements–flowers,plants,stones
Candles
Incenseoroildiffuser
Prayertableoraltar
Youwillfindmoreinfoaboutcreatingameditationspaceonmybloghere:
https://www.stonecirclecoaching.com/mindfulness/meditation-space-room/
Getting Started 1. Chooseatime
Anytimeisagoodtimetomeditateifyouaredoingit!Manypeoplefindfirstthinginthemorningworkswellbecauseasthedayprogressestherearemoredemandsonyourtimeandenergy.Chooseatimethatfitsyouandyourlifestyle.
2. SetatimerSetatimerfortheentirelengthofyourmeditation(settlinginandsilentpractice)soyoudon’tneedtolookattheclock.
3. FindacomfortablepostureSituprightinachairoronacushion,oragainstawalltosupportyourback.Ifyouareinachairputbothfeetonthefloor.Chooseapositionthatyoucanmaintaincomfortablyforthelengthofyourpractice.Feelfreetoshiftpositionatanytime.Meditationisnotmeanttobetorture!Allowyourhandstorestcomfortablyinyourlap.Allowyoureyestocloseorsoftenyoureyesanddropyourgazetowardthefloor.Thishelpsremovevisualdistractions.
4. SettleyourselfTakeafewminutestosettleintoyourpractice.Breatheinthewaythatisnormalandnaturaltoyou,inhalingandexhalingthroughyournose.Youmightbeginbydoingaquickscanofyourbodytonoticeanytension.
5. SimplebreathmeditationBringyourattentiontoyourbreath. Justnoticeyourbreathastheair isgoing inandoutofyournostrils.Breatheinthewaythatismostnormalandnaturalandcomfortableforyou,andjustnoticeyourselfinhalingandexhaling.While you’re focusing on your breath, thoughtsmay cross yourmind. Just notice them andbring your attention back to your breathing. It’s normal and natural for you to be thinkingthings. Youdon’thave to chaseyour thoughts. Justnotice that youare thinkingandcomebacktoyourbreath.
If you notice physical sensations, perhaps part of your body is not in themost comfortableplace,adjust itsothatyoufeelcomfortable. Noticethatyouwerea littledistractedbythatandbringyourattentionbacktoyourbreath.Ifyounoticeothersounds,againsimplynoticethedistractionandbringyourattentionbacktoyourbreath.Be kind about your wandering mind.It is normal and natural for you to become aware ofthoughtsandotherdistractions.Simplyre-directyourfocustoyourbreath.
6. ClosingthemeditationWhenthetimerrings,takeafewdeeperbreaths,wiggleyourfingersandtoes,andwhenyoufeelready,openyoureyes.
Ifyouareinterestedinmoresupportinbuildingyourmeditationpracticeorwaystocultivatemindfulliving,visitmywebsiteandlearnmoreaboutcoaching:
https://www.stonecirclecoaching.com/products-services/coaching/
Youshouldsitinmeditationfortwentyminuteseveryday…unlessyou'retoobusy;
thenyoushouldsitforanhour.Zenwisdom
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