Ready to meditate?

Here are a few ways to drop in and experience the mind-body connection.

Guided Meditation

So you’ve sat down to meditate, you’ve closed your eyes and attempted to clear your thoughts. You breathe deeply and try to focus, then worry if you’re doing it right! Some people turn their nose up at the idea of using an app to meditate. Sure perhaps it doesn’t sound that spiritual! But the fact is, to get you started on your meditation journey, apps offer some very handy guided sequences. The Calm App, for instance, is an excellent resource for meditation beginners. Here you’ll find guided meditations, breathing programs, sleep stories and a range of exercises to reduce stress and anxiety. Apps such as HeadSpace and Aura are also well worth checking out.

Yoga Classes

Great yoga classes use at least some form of meditation during the session. These are often practiced at the beginning and end of the class. Practitioners lie on their mats with their eyes closed, while the yoga instructor guides everyone through a short meditation or breathwork exercise. For those unsure of how to begin, yoga meditation is the perfect place. After a few yoga classes, you’ll have a better understanding of how meditation works and be more confident to try on your own at home. Classes such as Hatha or Kundalini Yoga often have a strong meditation element, yet you’ll find the practice in most classes. Once you’ve got a great yoga routine, meditation progress will follow.

Daily Breath Work

Most meditation exercises use the breath to aid the practice. With this in mind, it can be valuable to practice different breathing techniques each day. One simple technique that you can start with is equal breathing; this is ideal for focus and calming your nerves. The simple technique is to make the inhale and exhale match in length. First, take a slow breath through your nose for four counts, then exhale to a second count of four. Abdominal breathing is another technique which is useful for meditation beginners. You place one hand upon your stomach and the other hand on your chest. Next, you take a deep breath in through the nose. Notice the feeling of your hand as you inflate your diaphragm fully. Lastly, release your breath slowly.

Read Up

As with any new hobby, researching and reading about the activity can help you learn about it. There are plenty of great meditation books out there for beginners. One great book to try in 2020 is ‘ Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation,’ by Sharon Salzberg. The book provides a 28-day program which covers all of the different elements of the practice. You’ll find mindfulness meditation, walking meditation and more.