Meditation, without a doubt, is the most transformative habit I’ve cultivated over the past decade. It’s been instrumental in developing other positive habits, fostering a sense of calm, enhancing focus, reducing anxiety, and cultivating gratitude and mindfulness in every aspect of my life. While I am by no means perfect, meditation has been a powerful catalyst for personal growth.
Perhaps the most profound benefit of meditation is the enhanced understanding of my own mind. Before starting, I was largely unaware of my internal processes, reacting to thoughts and impulses automatically. Now, while these patterns still exist, I have a greater awareness of them. I can consciously choose how to respond. This increased self-awareness has given me more flexibility and freedom.
I wholeheartedly recommend incorporating meditation into your daily routine. While it may not be easy initially, consistent practice, starting with small steps, will lead to improvement. Remember, it’s called “practice” for a reason!
The following beginner’s guide provides practical tips to help you embark on your meditation journey and stay motivated. You don’t need to implement all of these tips at once – try a few, revisit this guide, and incorporate more as you progress.
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Start with Just Two Minutes: The idea of meditating for only two minutes might seem trivially easy. That’s the point. Begin with two minutes a day for a week. If you feel comfortable, increase the duration by another two minutes the following week. Gradually increasing the time will lead to meditating for 10 minutes a day within the second month, which is a significant achievement! The key is to begin small.
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Meditate First Thing in the Morning: It’s easy to make a general statement like, “I’ll meditate every day,” and then forget. Instead, set a daily reminder for the morning and place a note that says “meditate” in a visible location.
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Focus on Doing, Not How: Many people become preoccupied with the ideal sitting position, cushion type, or location. While these factors can enhance the experience, they aren’t crucial for getting started. Simply sit on a chair, couch, or bed. If you’re comfortable on the floor, sit cross-legged. Since you’re starting with just two minutes, focus on finding a quiet and comfortable spot. You can optimize for comfort later, but initially, just sit.
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Acknowledge Your Feelings: As you begin your meditation session, take a moment to acknowledge how you’re feeling. What physical sensations are present in your body? What is the state of your mind? Is it busy, tired, or anxious? Accept whatever you bring to the session without judgment.
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Count Your Breaths: Once settled, shift your focus to your breath. Concentrate on the sensation of the breath entering your nose and traveling down to your lungs. Silently count “one” as you inhale, and “two” as you exhale. Repeat this sequence up to 10, and then begin again at one.
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Return Gently When Your Mind Wanders: Your mind will inevitably wander. This is perfectly normal. When you notice your thoughts drifting, acknowledge it without judgment and gently redirect your attention back to your breath. Begin counting again at “one.” You might experience some frustration, but remember that losing focus is a common experience. This is part of the practice, and it takes time to develop focus.
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Cultivate a Loving-Kindness Attitude: As thoughts and feelings arise during meditation, approach them with kindness. View them as friendly companions rather than intruders or enemies. They are a part of you, but not the entirety of you. Be gentle and compassionate.
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Don’t Worry About Doing It Wrong: You will likely worry about performing the meditation incorrectly. This is normal. There’s no perfect way to meditate. Focus on being present and appreciating the act of meditating.
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Forget Clearing Your Mind: Many people believe that meditation is about emptying the mind or stopping all thoughts. This isn’t the case. Although it can occasionally happen, it’s not the primary goal. If thoughts arise, that’s perfectly normal. Our brains are constantly generating thoughts, and we can’t simply shut them off. Instead, focus on training your attention and gently redirecting it when your mind wanders.
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Stay with What Arises: When thoughts or feelings emerge, consider observing them for a while. While I previously suggested returning to the breath, you can also experiment with staying present with a particular thought or feeling. We often avoid feelings like frustration, anger, or anxiety, but staying with the feeling and observing it with curiosity can be an incredibly valuable meditation practice.
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Know Thyself: This practice is not merely about focusing your attention. It’s about learning how your mind operates. What’s happening internally? By observing your mind as it wanders, gets frustrated, or avoids difficult emotions, you can begin to understand yourself more deeply.
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Befriend Yourself: As you deepen your self-awareness, approach yourself with kindness rather than judgment. You’re getting to know a friend. Smile and offer yourself love and compassion.
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Practice a Body Scan Meditation: Once you’ve become more comfortable with breath awareness, try focusing your attention on different parts of your body, one at a time. Start with the soles of your feet. How do they feel? Slowly move your attention to your toes, the tops of your feet, your ankles, and so on, until you reach the top of your head.
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Notice Light, Sounds, and Energy: After practicing breath awareness for at least a week, you can also direct your attention to the light around you. Keep your eyes focused on a single spot and observe the light in the room. On another day, focus solely on noticing sounds. On another day, try to sense the energy in the room, encompassing light and sounds.
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Make a Real Commitment: Don’t just say, “Sure, I’ll try this for a couple of days.” Commit yourself to meditation for at least a month. In your mind, be resolute about this commitment.
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Meditate Anywhere: Whether you’re traveling or face an unexpected disruption to your morning routine, you can still meditate. Meditate in your office, in a park, during your commute, or while walking. While sitting meditation is the best place to start, you’re ultimately training yourself for mindfulness in all aspects of your life.
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Use Guided Meditations: If it helps, use guided meditations to begin. Many find them beneficial.
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Connect with Friends: While I prefer meditating alone, you can meditate with a partner, child, or friend. Alternatively, commit to checking in with a friend every morning after your meditation session. This can help you stay motivated and consistent.
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Join a Meditation Community: Even better, find a community of meditators and join them. This could be a local Zen or Tibetan Buddhist group where you can meditate together. You can also find online groups to ask questions, get support, and encourage others.
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Smile When You’re Done: When your two minutes are up, smile. Be grateful for the time you dedicated to yourself, for keeping your commitment, for demonstrating trustworthiness, and for taking the opportunity to get to know and befriend yourself. Those are an amazing two minutes of your life.
Meditation is not always easy or even relaxing. However, it offers truly remarkable benefits, and you can start today and continue reaping those benefits for the rest of your life.
