Most people nowadays feel that they don’t have enough time for meditation, but what they don’t realize is that meditation can be practiced anywhere and anytime. It can be practiced while waiting in line for coffee, walking to the bus stop, driving to work, or any other time where the brain isn’t being used at its full capacity. Meditation can also be practiced whenever a minute can be spared during the day; no time needs to be carved out of the day specifically for the practice, simply integrated.
There are a few tips that I have for the beginner meditator so they don’t get discouraged when trying to meditate.
- Meditation takes time to perfect and it’s okay to mess up a little at the beginning. One cannot just set out one day to meditate and sit for an hour with no thoughts running through their mind, it just doesn’t happen, so don’t worry. All that needs to be done is see a thought, acknowledge that it was thought, and let it pass. The passing of the thought is okay as long as it isn’t grabbed and run with. By letting that thought pass, the meditator is kept in the present, and a healthy meditation practice is developed.
- Breathe! Focusing on your breathing………in……….out……..is a great way to stay in the present, to let all those thoughts and emotions pass, and to focus on just being here now.
- Use guided meditation techniques, whether it’s just finding a music playlist, a voice recording, or finding a mantra to repeat while meditating. Getting help, especially when starting out, is the best thing one can do to make sure meditation practice is performed properly.
- Finally my last piece of advice is keep going! Like I said earlier, it won’t happen overnight, but slowly if kept practicing, you will find that meditation will become easier and more relaxing, and the long-term effects will be ten-fold in your daily life.