If you are looking to improve your mental and emotional health, you may have already considered meditation. As an ancient tradition that has many different deeply-rooted techniques and practices, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to meditation. Rather, it requires you to try different methods in your own space and time to find what works for you and your mindfulness.
Where you may not be sure where to begin, these following tips can help you get started:
Get Comfortable
Find a comfortable seat in your house, a blanket, cushion or space that you feel completely safe in. If you're sitting on a chair, using a blanket or bolster is a great way to support your spine so you maintain great posture throughout your meditation. If you're sitting on the floor, your hips must be higher than your knees so your spine remains straight.
Make Sure You Are Warm Enough
Make sure the room is warm enough, but not too hot. Opening some windows on a hot day or sprawling a blanket across your legs are easy ways to regulate the temperature. As you will be sitting in the same spot for a prolonged period, it's natural that your body heat will decline. Keeping a blanket or shawl near you is a great way to mend this without breaking your meditation for too long.
Start Small
Meditation isn't easy, especially to begin with. Starting with small increments, even as little as 10 minutes per day, can help you get into the swing of things. Using a timer is also a great way to monitor how long you have been meditating so you don't spend time breaking your relaxation by peaking at the clock.
Try adding another minute each week, and before long you will be meditating for over 30 minutes at a time.
Be Kind To Yourself
Most of us are already fighting battles in our minds. And there's nothing wrong with it at all, it's just how the brain works. While it can be easy to berate yourself for not 'meditating right,' the truth is there are just so many different ways to meditate you may not have found yours yet.
When in doubt, take a deep breath, relax your shoulders, smile and acknowledge how you are feeling. You will find your inner calm, it just takes time.
Keep At It
Meditation is not a skill that we can learn overnight. It is one that only gets better with practice, just like playing chess or cooking. As you learn to meditate, you are learning to master your emotions, harness your thoughts and train the nervous system to stay regulated. As well as time, learning to master meditation also requires a healthy diet and daily practice.
Don't forget, consistency is the most important part of meditating; more important than intensity.
Track your progress
After your meditation, writing down your experience as well as how you felt during your time is a great way to keep track of your progress. This will only take a few minutes and there is no need to analyse or decipher anything. Just write what you felt, what you experienced and what you would like to improve.
As you flick through your journal, you will have the opportunity to reflect on how far you have come.
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