Thursday, September 4, 2014
Like anything new, if you're just
starting to meditate it can seem a bit daunting at first. There are all sorts
of different meditation techniques
available. Which one is the best to start with? Will it be easy for a beginner
yet still suitable as you gain more experience with meditating? So many
questions! Here are some simple meditation
tips and techniques to help you to solve the puzzle for yourself.
 |
| Meditation Technique |
Set
aside some time
Whilst
this may sound obvious, it's absolutely essential to schedule in some meditation time into your life.
If
you need formal help with doing this then it may be best to enrol in a local
class, then at least you've spent some money which should - in turn - encourage
you to attend the classes.
If
you've got a bit more discipline then a home study course will likely work fine
for you.
You'll
probably already know the best way to set aside time in your life so make sure
you apply it to the meditation side
of things as well.
Experiment
Meditating
isn't a "one size fits all" habit.
Some
people like the formality of things such as focussing on a candle flame or
chanting a mantra out loud over and over again. Other people prefer to use a
breathing meditation, which can be
one of the easiest techniques to start with. There are also plenty of guided meditations available to download.
Or
you may prefer to take your conscious mind out of the equation and use a
binaural beats meditation to shift
your brainwave patterns to the correct level with near enough no effort on your
part.
So
don't be afraid to use trial and error to get the best meditation experience for you.
Get
a quiet place
This
is just as important as setting aside the time for your session.
A
quiet place means somewhere you won't be disturbed (although if you're doing a
walking meditation this isn't a
requirement).
A
"do not disturb" sign on your door could help if your friends and
family are disruptive.
Turning
off your cell phone is also useful as phones have that annoying habit of
ringing just at the wrong moment, as though they have a built-in monitor just
for that purpose.
Don't
expect instant change
We're
usually the last people to notice change in ourselves. And that applies to the
changes that will be brought about by regular meditation just as much as any other area of our lives.
Don't
expect to have one or two meditation
sessions and be instantly transformed.
Apart
from the worrying nature of that idea, it just isn't going to happen.
This
is a process for the medium to long term. Not necessarily the lifetime of
practice that a Zen monk commits to but definitely not a two week "just
before the vacation" diet either.
The chances are that people you only meet
occasionally will notice the difference quicker than you do. Because small,
subtle, changes aren't the easiest things to spot. But the important thing is
to start using the best meditation
technique for you rather than put things off until tomorrow.
