The bountiful benefits of meditation and mindfulness have become more and more mainstream.
However, getting started with meditation can be intimidating to some and early perceived “failures” can be discouraging.
Well, let’s start here, there is no such thing as failure in meditation.
Whew! What a relief in knowing your mind, body and soul will indeed succeed. Just allowing yourself to make the time to meditate is already a victory.
With an open mind, set aside any expectations or preconceived ideas of what meditation may look like to you and let’s do this together.
It’s time for you to listen to your body. Our bodies talk to us all day but sometimes the “noise” of the world distracts us. The easiest way to commence in the practice of meditation, is to shift your focus to your breath.
Take notice of your inhales and exhales. Keep breathing as you normally would and simply bring awareness to it.
Now, try focusing to your heartbeat. Close your eyes and place your palm on your heart, relax and listen. Become aware of the beat, the power, the flow of your heart.
And keep breathing. Beautiful job. Guess what… you’re meditating!
Hard to sit still? Walking Meditation is a great way to start a meditation practice. You can do this anywhere. A walk around the block, a walk with nature, or even when walking to a specific destination.
The key to a walking meditation is finding a single aspect of your walk to focus on. The feel of your feet meeting the ground, the rhythm of your arms moving as you walk, the sound of your breath, or maybe a sound in your surrounding environment.
And don’t forget to breathe.
Eyes Open Meditation is a perfect method to try if your mind tends to wander. While opening your eyes, It’s key to find a single object or area to focus on while you meditate .
When you have your vision in focus, you can soften your gaze, let your vision go… and breathe.
Guided Meditation is also a great way to begin and get into a meditation practice. Whether its relaxation, sleep, abundance, health, wellness, energy, or love. You can easily find a guided meditation that focuses on what you need. It is important to be able to completely immerse yourself for the duration of the meditation.
Put your mind at ease and dive deeper into the practice.
Mantras / Chants can also be as simple or as complex as you prefer. There is no wrong way to do it.
Once you find a mantra that resonates, you can repeat it to yourself, quietly or out loud and incorporate your mantra into your physical yoga practice.
Remember, there is no limit to ways in which you can meditate. The most important thing is that it feels right for you.
Interested in a retreat to learn or better your meditation and yoga skills? Anamaya has the food, environment, people, teachings and all the lessons you need for a life altering experience.
