subject: How to Meditate For Beginners In 3 Simple Steps [print this page] How to Meditate For Beginners In 3 Simple Steps
One of the biggest questions about meditation is how to meditate for beginners. Experienced meditators may shrug off the thought but everyone has to start somewhere and it's reassuring to know whether or not the meditation method you choose will let you meditate properly.
Here's an easy method that you can use to begin meditating almost immediately.
1. Find a quiet place
Most meditation techniques involve you concentrating and that's easiest without lots of background noise. So find yourself a quiet space to practice your meditation. This could be a room in your house or it may be your back garden. The precise nature of the space isn't as important as not being disturbed. If you're at home, let other people in your household know that you're meditating and need your own "space" for half an hour or whatever length of time you've chosen to meditate for. And remember to tell your mobile phone to be silent as well!
2. Sit or lie comfortably and start to breathe
Ok, I know you're breathing already but what you need to do is concentrate on your breathing. Notice your breaths in and out. Take deeper breaths than normal and you'll find your whole body starting to relax. There's a good chance that your mind will also calm down. If it doesn't, then move your attention away from the thoughts that are racing through your mind. Concentrating on your breathing will help you to shift your focus away from your conscious thoughts fairly automatically but if that doesn't happen then just let any remaining thoughts drift in and out of your mind, much like clouds in the sky pass by without any effort on your part.
3. Use a chant or affirmation or a focus point
This is the third step in helping your mind to calm down. Choose something to focus on. It could be the flicker of a candle flame, it could be a mantra that you repeat over and over again. Like the monks you see in movies chanting the word "Om" over and over again. Some people use a mantra that is handed down from their meditation tutor. Others just pick on a mantra. And still others just use something to focus on. They're all "correct", so you don't need to worry about whether or not you're meditating properly.
The important thing with how to meditate for beginners is to actually start. The method is secondary because if you haven't started meditating, the method isn't important!
