Meditation: Simple Steps to Start or Enhance

 

HOW TO START MEDITATING

Some days, you may feel that your brain is on this never ending loop of constant worries and negative talk. Many people struggle in knowing how to stop that chatter. A great way to learn to silence that disruptive head talk, and to restore a sense of calm or emotional neutrality within the body, is through meditation.

Some people have a strong preconceived notion that meditation HAS to be a total clearing of their mind.  Unless you have practiced this for some time, that could likely prove stressful and may even discourage you from trying. Thus, I suggest GUIDED meditation as it is very effective and provides a great way to keep that rational brain occupied and less disruptive with intrusive reminders of things to be done.

There is no one way to meditate. I invite your to try different methods to find the one that fits you best. Meditation is actually a skill and with repeated practice, deepens and becomes even more effective. It is a great method for quieting the negative looping talk in the head and pivoting into a more neutral/positive mood state.   It a meditative state, the brain waves mimic that within sleep. Essentially, meditation shifts the energy within our brain, so we can actually become better problem solvers and more attuned to our intuitive senses.

If you have limited experience or past stress with prior meditation practices, here are a few suggestions to help develop a practice that can be rewarding:

  • Find a time of day to practice.  This may be right away in the morning or at some other time where you can spend at least 15 minutes doing this. Schedules and environmental disruptions often influence timing.
  • Start with 15 minutes.  Just allow whatever happens to happen. If you note the brain keeps disrupting, try not to push, pull or move thoughts. Just notice them. You do not have to silence the talk–it will start to fade on its own.
  • Experiment with your eyes open and perhaps fixated on a stationary object and/or with eyes closed. You will likely prefer one to the other.
  • Feel free to incorporate any sensory items that help you relax (e.g. scented candles, music, white noise, healing tones, nature sounds etc).
  • There are free and helpful guided imagery/meditation playlists on various social media platforms you can use to practice or enhance your experience.
  • With repeated practice, take notice of how it feels when you are in the relaxed (trance) state.  Notice how you might enter that state with less time and greater depths after repeated attempts. Let that be encouragement!
  • Notice any ideas, thoughts, or images that emerge during meditation. I encourage you not to dismiss them as just imagination.  Observe with curiosity.
  • Accept that each meditative session may feel differently and yield varying results. All normal.  We are constantly changing and shifting, so our experiences will as well.
  • Try utilizing meditation when in a negative emotional state to help shift out of it and improve your mood. It is an excellent tool to manage stress and mood.
  • Set agendas and/or choose guided imagery sessions with specific intents (eg calm, connecting with higher self, clearing chakras).
  • Limit expectations of how it ‘should’ be or what impact it might have. You can set an intent of wanting to self soothe or explore your intuitive abilities, but try to avoid fixed or limiting thoughts on how that will transpire.  That can block and frustrate the process.

There is no ‘right’ way to meditate.  Everyone is different, resonates with different styles, and may have differing responses to the practice. All of it is valid and normal.  If we compare ourselves to others, we may feel we are doing it wrong because it looks differently.  You are simply noticing how it best serves you on an individual level. Most of all, I encourage you to approach mediation with a sense of playfulness and curiosity. It can be a great way to manage our stresses and greatly enhance our intuitive development. It is meant to be helpful and not overwhelming or frustrating.

 

 

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