How to Meditate Properly
Meditation is a simple practice in which an individual uses different techniques such as focusing the mind on a particular object, mindfulness, thought, or activity to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm, and stable state.
Meditation is practiced in numerous religious traditions. The earliest records of meditation (dhyana) are found in the Upanishads of Hindu philosophy, and meditation plays a salient role in the contemplative repertoire of Buddhism and Hinduism.
Since the 19th century, Asian meditative techniques have spread to other cultures where they have also found application in non-spiritual contexts, such as business and health.
What is Meditation
The original Latin meaning of meditation is thinking deeply about something”; as well as the popular usage of “focusing one’s mind for a period of time”, “the act of giving your attention to only one thing.
RELATED: Most followed person on Instagram
Either as a religious activity or as a way of becoming calm and relaxed”, and “to engage in mental exercise (such as concentrating on one’s breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness.”
Learning how to meditate properly is straightforward, and the benefits of meditating can come quickly.
Below, we offer basic tips to get you started on a straight path toward greater equanimity, acceptance, understanding your pain, lowering your stress, connecting better, improving focus, reduce brain chatter and joy.
RELATED: Top 40 romantic love text messages for him
Take a deep breath, and get ready to relax as we work you through the process.
How to Meditate Properly
- Find a quiet room or place
When you’re first getting started with learning how to meditate meditation, it can be helpful to find a relatively quiet place to practice.
This will help you focus your effort on the task at hand and reduce the likelihood of being continually distracted by the random sounds of life. (This is why headphones can also be helpful at first.)
- Wear comfortable clothes
It’s important to wear soft, calming clothing when you meditate. This will make it easier for you to focus on your inner self instead of your appearance. The clothing you wear can set the tone for your meditation as well. Choose colors that support the purpose of your meditation session.
- Take a seat
Sitting is the best position when you begin learning how to meditate properly. If you lie down, especially in the beginning, you risk losing awareness and falling asleep.
Sitting in an alert position keeps you awake and focused, but frees your mind from having to process information (like where to put your feet).
- Set a time limit
According to a 2018 study published in Behavioural Brain Research, meditating for 13 minutes a day for eight weeks led to decreased negative mood state, enhanced attention, working memory, recognition memory, and decreased state anxiety.
If you’re wondering whether as little as 10 minutes of meditation is enough, this depends on your goal and meditation style. If you’re a beginner and looking to reduce stress, then 10 minutes should be enough.
- Feel your breath
Mindful breathing is a very basic yet powerful mindfulness meditation practice. The idea is simply to focus your attention on your breathing—to its natural rhythm and flow and the way it feels on each inhale and exhale.
Focusing on the breath is particularly helpful because it serves as an anchor–something you can turn your attention to at any time if you start to feel stressed or carried away by negative emotions.
- Notice when your mind has wandered
Wandering is a part of the meditation process. It is normal for your mind to wander during meditation and it brings your attention back to your meditation every time you notice it.
Inevitably, your attention will leave the breath and wander to other places. When you get around to noticing that your mind has wandered in a few seconds, a minute, five minutes simply return your attention to the breath.
- Be kind to your wandering mind
Don’t judge yourself or obsess over the content of the thoughts you find yourself lost in. Just come back.
- Close with kindness
When you’re ready, gently lift your gaze (if your eyes are closed, open them). Take a moment and notice any sounds in the environment. Notice how your body feels right now. Notice your thoughts and emotions.
That’s it! That’s the practice. You focus your attention, your mind wanders, you bring it back, and you try to do it as kindly as possible (as many times as you need to).
