Did you know that meditating is one of the most effective tools for happiness? More and more people are taking a break in their routine to catch a breath, relax their mind and drink awareness of the present in which we live and that often goes unnoticed by the rush, routine and daily stress. But if there is something clear, it is that we live our life here and now, the past is no longer part of our reality and the future is not tangible either.
Fighting to cultivate a beneficial, calm and happy present is what we must do to feel comfortable with our life and that, in addition, our health also feels benefited. In this Psychology-Online article we are going to discover the best meditation techniques for beginners that will help you get started in this millenary (and beneficial) practice.
Before we dive into meditation techniques for beginners, it is important that we give you some initial tips to help you start doing this very beneficial practice for your Health. Keep in mind that meditation is an oriental practice but that, currently, many people practice it for its multiple benefits for both mental and physical health.
Here we give you some tips to start meditating and that will help you get started in this interesting practice:
- Meditate every day: Although it seems impossible, the truth is that in order to really feel the benefits of meditation it is important that you do it every day. In fact, with 10 minutes a day you can begin to feel the improvements and begin to experience all the benefits of the practice. Consistency is the most important thing because, in this way, we will make it a more than healthy habit.
- It is a training of the mind: don't worry if it costs you at first leave your mind blank to meditate, The most normal thing in the world. You have to think that the brain is a muscle and, in the same way that you go to the gym on a regular basis to exercise, you will also have to practice meditation to exercise the mind. Little by little and with constancy you will be able to meditate.
- Posture is important: You can meditate sitting on the floor and also lying down, the important thing is that your body is comfortable and relaxed. We will have to take some time to position ourselves correctly because, during meditation, we do not we will be able to move it since the objective is to "abandon" our "bodily self" to enter our inside.
- Control your thoughts: you have to think that the natural state of our mind is thought. It is normal, therefore, that during meditation (and especially at the beginning) thoughts appear in your mind but the important thing is that you do not let them carry you and, if you do, as soon as you are aware, return to your mantra or to your point of concentration to regain the balance. Don't fight it, just be aware of what is going on in your mind and regain control yourself.
We are already starting to talk to you about 3 meditation techniques for beginners that will help you get started in this interesting practice that focuses on mental, physical and spiritual relaxation in a simple and very effective way.
Meditation technique 1: concentration
This technique is one of the simplest but most effective, especially among those who begin to meditate. To do it, all you have to do is leave the eyes open and focus your gaze at a fixed point; you will see that, little by little, everything around you seems to be diluted and you are only able to see that focus to which you are fixing your gaze.
In order to fully concentrate, there are different methods:
- Repetition of a word or mantra
- Focus on the breath
- Listen to relaxing music with a repeating gong
To perform this meditation technique you will have to be aware of where your mind is and, when you realize that the attention has gone with a thought, regain control by returning your gaze to that point and repeating the word or paying attention to the breathing.
Meditation technique 2: mindfulness
This is another of the best meditation techniques for beginners and it is about the person practicing the exercise she does not run away from the thoughts but simply observe them. It is a method of total abstraction and with which you will be able to become a mere spectator of your thoughts, without letting yourself be carried away by the current of the mind.
This meditation is known as mindfulness meditation because it allows you to observe your thoughts external to them. To achieve this you will only have to be very concentrated, with your eyes closed and observe what goes through your mind. But, instead of letting yourself be carried away by that stream of thoughts, simply see how they pass, how they flow, how they move...
Other meditation techniques for beginners
The previous two are the best known techniques, however, there are other alternatives that are used by Buddhist monks. They are the "compassion" meditations and are aimed at trying to transform all the negative feelings and thoughts that are in our mind to turn them into positive ones. This is achieved through compassion but it is a most advanced technique which is for more experts.
Now that you know what are the meditation techniques for beginners, it is important that you know how you can meditate at home for the first time. Next we are going to give you the steps to follow to get a positive practice for you and your mind:
- Find a quiet placeTry to meditate in a room or room away from noise to avoid distractions. Turn off the mobile phone, the television and cultivate silence and calm to be able to meditate correctly.
- Find the best time of the dayMeditation should not be done as one more step in your routine. You have to do it fully and consciously, therefore, it is important that you do it when you have time, do not be in a hurry or have in your mind a list of things to do. A good time is, for example, before dinner, before bed or first thing in the morning. They are moments of absolute relaxation and your body will be more predisposed to relax.
- A good body position: once you have chosen the place and time, now you will have to look at the position of your body. The spine has to be straight and you have to feel comfortable throughout the practice. You can be sitting on the floor, in a chair or lying down, as you feel more comfortable.
- Close your eyes and focus on your breath: It is the best way to focus on yourself and disconnect from day to day and your mind. You can start with a few deep breaths to relax, and then focus on your body breathing.
- Put on some relaxing music: if you want to start meditating, nothing better than putting on relaxing music in the background that will have sounds that will help you disconnect and relax as much as possible. This melody can help you reconnect with meditation when your mind goes off with a thought (which is sure to happen).
- Regain control: keep in mind that, the most natural thing is that your brain creates thoughts and that, sometimes, you will go with one of them. But the important thing here is to practice awareness and, therefore, we recommend that, as soon as you see that you have "escaped", you regain control and focus, again, on breathing.
Start with a 10 minute meditation and, little by little, you will be able to increase the time. The ideal, according to Buddhist monks, is to dedicate 30 minutes to meditation, but at first this time can be excessive. It is much better to go slowly and gain control to gradually increase and improve your capabilities.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
