How to Meditate for Beginners
Have you been wanting to learn how to meditate but don't know where to start? Let this comprehensive guide for beginners show you the way
Meditation is a simple but life-transforming skill that can help you to relax, enhance understanding about yourself and develop your inherent potential.
The meditation posts I’ve written in the past are focused on the applications of different meditation techniques. But, if you’ve little knowledge about meditation, you may find it challenging to apply them without first learning how to meditate.
So in this article, I’ve laid down some basic instructions on how to meditate for beginners, as well as address some of the common concerns beginners may have.
How to Meditate
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Choose a conducive environment. Find a nice, quiet place where you won’t be disturbed for fifteen minutes or longer. Sit down, relax and rest your hands on your lap. You can sit on the floor cross-legged with the support of a meditation cushion, or on any chair with your feet resting on the ground. It’s not necessary to force yourself into a lotus position if you’re not used to it.
Regardless of how you sit, it’s important to maintain the natural curve of your back. That means, no slouching. People with chronic back problem who can’t sit for prolonged period of time can explore other meditation positions.
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Breathe slowly and deeply. Close your eyes softly. Begin by taking a few slow and deep breaths — inhaling with your nose and exhaling from your mouth. Don’t force your breathing. Let it come naturally. The first few intakes of air are likely to be shallow, but as you allow more air to fill your lungs each time, your breaths will gradually become deeper and fuller. Take as long as you need to breathe slowly and deeply.
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Be aware. When you are breathing deeply, you’ll begin to feel calmer and more relaxed. That’s a good sign. Now, focus your attention on your breathing. Be aware of each breath that you take in through your nose. Be mindful of each breath that you exhale with your mouth. Continue focusing on your breaths for as long as you like.
If you find your attention straying away from your breaths, just gently bring it back. It may happen many times. Don’t be disheartened. What’s important is to realize that you’ve wandered and bring your attention back to where it should be. As you develop greater focus power, you will find it easier to concentrate.
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Ending the session. When you are ready to end the session, open your eyes and stand up slowly. Stretch yourself and extend your increased awareness to your next activities. Well done! You’ve done it!
Meditation for Beginners Tips
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Aim to have the length of your exhales as long, if not longer, than your inhales to expel used air and make more room for fresh one. If you find the out breath is much shorter in length, you can help to expel more air by gently squeezing your abdominal for the first few times. When both the in and out breaths become naturally long and deep, then you can stop contracting your lower stomach.
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Guided meditation CDs or MP3s can be useful tools for meditators. For beginners, audio guided meditations provide step-by-step instructions that help introduce meditation in an easy, friendly and non-intimidating way.
For experienced meditators, on the other hand, they can reveal different perspectives and approaches that might have escaped one’s awareness.
As there are many types of guided meditation programs available, it’s important to be clear of what you are looking for before buying. Are you trying to stress less and relax more, to manage a chronic pain, to improve sleep, or to grow spiritually? No matter what’s your main objective, you can probably find one that meets your needs.
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When the weather is chilly, keep yourself warm with a blanket or shawl during meditation.
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Meditating with an empty or full stomach may be distracting or even uncomfortable. So make sure there’s something in your tummy, but not so much that you feel distracted while sitting.
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Some people find it easier to meditate with some light music in the background, while others prefer total silence. If you belong to the first group, choose appropriate tunes that help to calm you down and yet won’t distract you from your practice. Some examples to consider are sounds of nature (such as rain and ocean waves), traditional music (like native American flute music and guqin) as well as a wide range of contemporary meditation music available nowadays. The choice of music, or lack of, is entirely a matter of personal preference. So feel free to experiment and see what works best for you.
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A meditation timer or any countdown timer with a gentle alarm is another handy tool to use during meditation. It lets you know when your session is over without you constantly thinking about it. You can use the timer that’s built into your mobile phone and digital watch. Just make sure that the alarm isn’t so jarring that you’d get a rude shock each time it beeps. Alternatively, you can also use this handy free online meditation timer that comes with a few nice alarm sounds you can choose from.
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Once you’ve mastered breathing meditation, you can choose to continue with it or try other meditation techniques. There are many types of meditation techniques that can help you to develop inner qualities which you never know existed. Feel free to explore other forms of meditation listed in the Meditation Resources.
Frequently Asked Questions about Meditation
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How often should I meditate?
Once a day, or more if you wish. Many people meditate in the morning before breakfast and have another session just before they sleep.
Meditation may seem like a chore at first. But, learn to enjoy it and look forward to it everyday. See it as an opportunity, rather than an item on your to-do list, to spend some intimate moments with yourself.
Meditation should be cultivated as a life-long habit, like the brushing of your teeth in the morning and at night. Something which you’d do automatically without forcing yourself, but yet not as mindlessly as brushing.
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How long do I need to meditate each time?
Aim for at least fifteen minutes for each session. For most people, it’ll normally take five to ten minutes for the mind to settle down. So if your meditation is too short, you’d find the session has ended before you even have a chance to get into it.
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Why do I find it so hard to concentrate or sit still during meditation?
Many people, including long-time meditators, have experienced occasions when they find their concentration isn’t as focused as they want it to be. So, it’s important to be patient and compassionate with yourself, especially if you are a beginner.
Meditation requires your mind to be quiet. Therefore, anything that stimulates your mind just before your sitting isn’t going to be very helpful, such as a heated argument with your partner, an exciting computer game, a dramatic movie or a thought-provoking book. If you find yourself often having a hard time sitting still during meditation, try to avoid engaging in any of these activities prior to your session.
Some people also find a relaxation exercise or a gentle stretch before meditation helps them to get into a tranquil state faster.
Alternatively, you can try walking meditation if you face difficulty with the sitting version, or work on improving your concentration using meditation.
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When I meditate, I feel like I’m betraying my religious beliefs? Why is that?
Meditation is often associated with Eastern cultures and religions, like Buddhism, because it probably originated from, or at least became popular first in that region. So many people have mistakenly equate meditation with a particular religion when in essence, it’s not.
As you can see from the steps illustrated above, it doesn’t require you to believe in any deity or God, neither does it require you to give up your existing religion beliefs.
However, it’s also important to note that there are many forms of meditation. Some meditations do involve the visualization of a popular religious icon or a recitation of a mantra from a religious text for specific purposes. And you can often modify them easily to fit your religious background to achieve the same effect. But by labeling meditation as a religious act just because of its diverse use is as good as saying all knives are weapons of destruction and hence should be banned.
There are, unfortunately, a number of other common myths about meditation that are holding people back from learning this life-enhancing inner exercise. Click on the link to find out more.
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I tend to fall asleep during meditation. What should I do?
Keeping your eyes half closed and unfocused, instead of closing them completely can be a useful way to stay awake. Your physical and mental states also play a key role. When you are lethargic or dull, it’s much harder to concentrate during meditation. Initially, you may find yourself constantly trying to strike a balance between being too distracted and too relaxed. It’s perfectly normal. Just keep trying.
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How do I know I’m meditating?
In short, when you’re focused on your breathing, yet fully aware of the random thoughts in your mind and not being distracted by them. You can find an in-depth discussion about this question here.
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I feel very uncomfortable in a sitting position due to mental and physical issues. Is sitting the only way to meditate? Can I lie down?
Thankfully, sitting isn’t the only way to meditate. You can also meditate while lying down. But it can be a ‘dangerous’ position. No, not physical danger of course. You’re in danger of falling asleep halfway through your meditation. A lying position, especially one on the bed, is so comfortable that many people find it a challenge to complete their meditation. That’s why you don’t find it mentioned often. But, if you can overcome that, then by all means do it. Personally, I do 15-minute ‘sleeping’ meditation a few times a day in addition to my morning sitting meditation. This is how I do it: I’d lie down on my bed, close my eyes and focus on deep breathing. I will inhale with my nostrils and exhale through mouth slowly as I would in a sitting position. I always wake up feeling energized after that. This is my version of power nap. But I must admit that there were a few times when I became so comfortable that I actually dozed off. So be warned.
Besides lying down, you can also explore these other meditation poses. -
Who are not suitable to learn meditation on their own?
People suffering from moderate to severe mental or learning disability should learn meditation under the guidance and supervision of a qualified trainer.
Do you have other questions about meditation that you’d like to ask? Feel free to leave them in the comments and I’d answer as best as I could.
Add Your Comment
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well, i read all the information . . . so nice and helpful.. ..
Thank you, Jane. Hope you’ll achieve what you were looking for!
Thanks! Also, is just listening to meditation-type sounds or music something to concentrate on?
Hi Melanie, it’s possible to use meditation-type music as a focal point for meditation. However, for beginners, it may be easier to start with the breaths first. But that doesn’t mean you can’t play relaxing music in the background. You just focus your attention on your breathing and not the music. However, don’t let what I think limit you. Try out both ways and decide for yourself.
What are some of the benefits of meditation? I only have one reason why I want to start to meditate (relieve stress), but if I know more reasons to do something healthy, like meditate, I feel it might give me even more incentive to do it and continue to do it.
Hi Liz, If you google for benefits of meditations, I’m sure you’ll find many of them, a number of which are based on formal studies. To list just a few examples, you’d find that meditation may help to relieve chronic pain, promotes insightful problem-solving, increase resistance to adverse emotional stimuli, and improve mood and lower heart rate. But don’t take these studies at face value. Try meditation for yourself and see if it makes a difference to your life. I wish you all the best.
Many thanks for the information, very interesting.
I am going to start this as soon as I can.
Paul
This is my first time trying to meditate on my own. I’ve been dying to do it– Because I’ve heard it provides you with a more balanced life. Not to mention, is also proven to have helped many students focus in school. So ready!! Thank you very much for this useful information. It’s greatly appreciated
You’re welcome, Katie! I hope meditation will become a way of life for you and help you to express your potential to the fullest. Good luck!
Hi! I’m Kenzie! I want to learn how to meditate. I want to be spiritual and I have heard that some people have felt something warm there soul during meditation. I’ve also heard that some people foresee the future or feel like they are in the presence of God. Is it true? I know how people can be gullible and not know it. Such as your meditating teacher tells you that you will feel like your closer to God during this experience. Then most people believe that this will happen and they set their body that this is going to happen. When the session starts they believe they felt something. Maybe they did maybe they didn’t. But are these true experiences? Thank you and hope to hear back!
Hi Kenzie, Thanks for dropping by! Interestingly, although meditation involves only a few simple steps, every person experiences it in his or her own unique ways. Yes, like you, I’ve heard of similar accounts which you’ve mentioned. I also know of some people who have these types of meditation experiences. While I can’t speak of those which you’ve heard, I can’t find any reason not to believe the accounts from those whom I’ve met personally. Their experiences were vivid and real, and some of them were relatively new to meditation.
So the fact is, there are people who see visions, have extraordinary experiences or uncover potentials which they didn’t know they have through meditation. But if you ask me whether this is common, I’d think this is not the norm. Most people do not experience anything more than a deep abiding inner peace and a keen awareness, which in my opinion are as valuable, if not more, than the so-called ‘special powers’.
Religious texts have also mentioned of people acquiring non-human capabilities through meditation, but these are probably very rare because they require intense advanced meditation to develop.
But the most important thing to note is that the same texts will often warn practitioners not to cling onto their supernatural visions or powers. Because the goal of many meditation is to let go of egoistic cravings and meaningless pursuits that led to our suffering, not to acquire more reasons to suffer.
You may wonder how can such ‘beautiful’ experiences cause suffering? For a start, when you cling onto the experiences you’ve had in your practices, you start to look forward to them and begin to judge how well you meditate against the benchmark you’ve set unconsciously. Visions, extraordinary experiences and even good feelings generated through meditation are, by their nature, unpredictable, inconsistent and like everything else, are subjected to change. When you cling onto something like that, your emotions will be bounded to them like a roller coaster ride. When you get them, you feel happy; when you don’t, you’ll feel down.
So, regardless of what you hear, I suggest that you approach meditation with a simple goal. That is, take meditation as an opportunity to come closer to your inner self by staying quiet and still. Keep yourself open to any experience, the mundane as well as the extraordinary, instead of setting an agenda of what you should experience in your practice. If you begin by expecting visions and special powers, then I’m afraid you’ll be in for a huge disappointment. Hope these help. I wish you all the best!
thank you so much! i am wondering thought have you ever had any of these experiences?
No, I never had any extraordinary experiences before. My meditation experiences are pretty mundane and down-to-earth.
And about essential oils, you can use one during meditation to help you calm down. It’s nice to have, but not essential.
I’m also wondering. My aunt does essential oils called doterra, they are very calming would it be good to use them?
thanks!
This is a great start for me…I am just beginning to meditate and have zero information on it, so this website is perfect. I suffer from depression and alcoholism and have been advised to meditate. One question: do i always have to concentrate on my breathing, or are there other things I can focus on while I meditate?
Thanks!
Hi Melanie, Thanks for your question. You’ve asked an excellent question! No, you don’t always have to focus on your breaths. It’s used in many meditations because it’s common to all human beings. But you can also choose to focus on an object like a cross, a flower, or even a stain on the floor that you’re sitting on. The object that you choose to place your attention on is not as important as the quality of your concentration. So feel free to use objects around you to meditate. For a start, you may find that small stationary objects that have less distracting features (a small pebble for instance) are easier for you to meditate on. As your concentration and mindfulness increase, you may want to ‘up’ the challenge by using moving objects such as an exposed burning candle.
Have fun and feel free to drop a note again if you need any help. Cheers!
Happy Moments..
its
Difficult to Describe
but
Easy to Experience..
All the Best
R.B.Ramesh.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Ramesh!
I am a beginner at meditation and I have a couple of questions. While I’m meditating, I focus my hardest on inhale/exhaling. But while I’m concentrating on breathing, I have other thoughts, but I am concentrated on breathing. Is that right? Or is actual meditation when you have no thoughts other than your breath? Using meditation to relieve stress would be and is wonderful, but am I doing it right?
Hey Nicholas, First of all, congratulation for giving yourself the gift of stillness! Regarding your question, it’s possible to experience no thoughts at all during meditation, but they are likely to be short, fleeting moments for most people. More often than not, you’re going to experience what you’ve just described: you’re concentrating on your breathing but at the same time, you’re also aware of the presence of other thoughts in your mind, or the commotion that is happening around you. That’s perfectly normal. I’ve written an article How Do You Know You’re Meditating? which goes into this in more details. You may want to take a look. Basically, if you’re not entangled in your thoughts and are just quietly observing them while focusing on your breathing, you’re in good hands! Keep it up!
It’s also important not to be too preoccupied with whether you’re doing it right or wrong. When you try to mold your meditation practice into certain preconceived outcomes, you’re doing a disservice to yourself because your meditation experience would become too rigid and limited. While I’ve written several articles on my observation of meditation, note that these accounts are my experiences, and they are definitely not the only ones.
Hope you’ll continue with your practice.
I’m new to meditating. This page is very helpful. I’m also in alcohal recovery and have been told by numberous people that meditation is important for me. I guess my question is, what is the real purpose of meditating? When I’m done with my meditation, how should I feel?Thanks….
Hi Jim, Thank you very much for leaving a comment. I’m glad that you find this meditation guide useful. Different individuals meditate for various reasons. For example, some people meditate to promote mindfulness, some meditate to relax more and stress less, while others meditate to gain spiritual enlightenment. Hence, different meditation techniques were born to achieve the specific aims practitioners have in mind.
Mindfulness meditation may be useful in your case. It helps you to become more aware of those thoughts and emotions that drive you to seek solace in alcohol. Many alcoholics drink out of habit without being fully aware of the thought process and feelings that trigger the action. But through meditation, you would become more aware of your present thoughts, body sensations and moods, and gradually identify the dysfunctional pattern that lead to actions which are not serving you well.
Once you gain clarity on the triggers, you’ll be able to gain a fresh perspective on them. You may realize that “Hey, my moods go up and down every day, and so are my thoughts. They are transient and go away on their own sooner or later. So, I don’t always have to act on them. In fact, I’ve the freedom to choose whether I want to act on any of them.”
With that realization, when you feel the urge to drink again, instead of reaching out for a bottle of liquor automatically, you can choose to do nothing at all or to do something else, because you’ve broken the unconscious association between alcohol and low mood or whatever that you’ve associated alcohol with.
How should you feel after meditation? The feeling that you’re experiencing right now. Many people feel calmer and more at ease after meditation, but even seasoned meditators do not always feel the same way every single time. So, there’s really no right or wrong way to feel. In mindfulness meditation, you become aware of the feeling that’s with you at this moment. If you’re feeling anger right now, then anger is what you feel. If peace is what’s going through you now, then peace is what you’re experiencing now.
May I suggest that you look around where you live to see if there’s a mindfulness meditation class dedicated to people who are in the same boat as you. It’s useful to have a teacher to guide you along the process and answer your questions. But more importantly, the sharing and support from fellow practitioners will help you to see clearly that your struggles are universal and definitely not insurmountable.
I wish you all the best, Jim.
What am I waiting for when I am meditating. Or am I just learning to concentrate/focus? Is it a calm or something. How long does it take to move from beginner to intermediate?
Hi Brenda, Thank you for your questions. When you are practicing breathing meditation outlined in this article, you’re not waiting for something to happen, or for the timer to beep. You’re simply being aware of your inhales and exhales. In fact, other than breathing, you’re just sitting quietly on your own.
Then, what’s the point of practicing this meditation? Well, to learn to appreciate stillness; to be more mindful; to experience inner peace; to know yourself better.
In this case, how well you can focus on your breaths determines how mature you are in terms of your meditation practice. Time is immaterial, though having more practices definitely helps. And there’s no need to worry about going up levels. You set your own levels and expectations. But while it’s good to have goals and want to do better in meditation, trying too hard and taking meditation more serious than what it really is can work against you.
I hope my two-cent worth are useful to you.
I was told about meditation in that it can help me with stress , which will cause me to stop over eating that will cause me to loose weight. I would like to know how?. I would like to know in what areas can meditation help?
Hi Toni, So sorry for the delayed response. Meditation can help us to become more aware of our negative thinking patterns that often lead us to unnecessary worrying and stress. When you are more mindful of what pushes your stress button, you’ll be able to take steps to defuse the excess pressure before it raises to a level when you start to overeat or do things that are counterproductive. With increased mindfulness, it may even come to a point when the stress triggers lose their effects on you as you’ll be able to shrug them off without engaging with them at all.
In addition to meditation, I also suggest that you practice something called mindful eating. Simply put, it means taking time to chew, and taste your food thoroughly as opposed to our usual way of hurried eating without really tasting the foods. To do that, obviously you’ve to eat at a much slower speed. Taking more time to eat your meals also helps you to feel fuller with lesser food. If you’re interested, the book Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food is a good start to learning more about mindful eating.
Hope my inputs are useful to you. Good luck.
Hello, I just read the simple instructions and I was able to start meditating… Thank you so much. Im 37 and I feel like 60. My body aches, I’m anxious and my thoughts are negative all the time. Dr. Prescribed lexapro but I refuse to take medications because I believe that is all in my mind. Thanks again I will continue practicing my migrane headache went away…
I suffer from anxiety attacks, is meditation advisable? or is it recommended?
Hi Lu, I used to get anxiety attacks, and then I learned meditation on my own to stop my thoughts from spiraling out of control. It has been a success so much so that now I’ve a website dedicated to meditation.
I’m symptom free for about 4 or more years. But I must say that my ‘meditation intervention’ was performed early, so my experience may not be apply to someone who has severe anxiety attacks. It really depends on how serious is your condition. Are the attacks frequent? Does each attack usually land you in the hospital?
To be safe, I’d suggest that you seek conventional medical help first and then discuss with your doctor about the possibility of complementing your treatment with mindfulness meditation. Besides meditation, cognitive therapy may also be useful to anxiety attack patients. In fact, your doctor would probably prescribe it to you. Give it a try. (Not all at the same time of course.) There’s also a therapy that combines elements of meditation with cognitive therapy. It’s called mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. If it’s available where you stay, I’d recommend that as a complementary practice as well.
I sincerely hope you’ll overcome your anxiety attacks soon. Good luck!
Can meditation cure major depression?
Hi Dianisa, meditation can help people suffering from depression to become more mindful of their discursive thoughts and give them the capacity to choose more self-empowering responses as opposed to self-limiting ones. This will prevent them from falling into a downward spiral that often triggers depression.
However, this group of users, except for some mild cases, should only do so with professional guidance from an experienced instructor. The instructor will be able to guide the patients in how to meditate, clarify doubts and adjust the pace of instruction based on the progress of the students, things which a self-help book or CD cannot do.
Lastly, meditation shouldn’t be seen as an alternative to conventional medical therapy. If you suspect that you’ve depression, seek proper medical advice first instead of trying to fix it on your own by learning how to meditate from a book or CD. If you’re already taking prescription medicines, don’t stop them without first consulting a doctor. Meditation should generally be used as a complementary practice instead of a replacement for existing treatment, especially for more severe cases.
Hope this helps.
Thank you this really helped it was important to lower my stress because my doctor said that I keep missing my period from being extremely stressed and my blood pressure is getting high and I’m only a teenager : ) but I like meditating it gives time to slow down take a breath and not really have to think about anything but breathing thank you
Just wanted to know the feeling of deafening is an effect of deep meditation
Thank you very much. I really appreciate your article.
You’re welcome, Urvi. I hope this article will help you in learning meditation on your own.
Thank you for your kind words, it helped! anyway since you are more experienced, I think i will consider what you have said and actually talk to someone in my area who could guide/observe me while i am “trying to close windows”
Thank you again
Ok, so when i tried to meditate, when i finally got my mind at peace i started feeling as if i would be sucked in a vortex, and my body felt so very weird, is this normal should it feel so frightening? I actually went on and didn’t stop and if i do that i sometimes see some kind of tunnel or such… is this only my mind playing tricks with me?
Hi Chris, there are people who reported ‘seeing’ vortex or bright light during meditation. I suggest you remain calm and stay mindful of it. Resist the temptation to tinker with it or fix it. Just let it be. After some time, the vision could transform into something else or pass altogether. However, if the experience proves to be too unnerving or you feel you’re not ready to face what you’re seeing, you may like to stop meditation for a period of time and explore other means to relax or to grow spiritually, depending on your objectives.
Well yeah it is pretty awkward to feel like that! And i actually stopped for quite some time, 2 years but every time i get back at meditating it is just the same. I think i am gonna stop tinkering with it. Oh and here is a very strange thing, it happened 3 years ago, i was meditating and i sort of fell asleep, but then i had a dream that i was in the exact same room standing upright and i felt cold so i wanted to close the window but i could not and i got very scared because i thought that i was out of my body, and I had the idea of laying down on the same spot where i “fell asleep” and i woke up with a huge numbness in my whole body… Am i just paranoid or have i experienced something for what i was not ready? Oh and thank you so much for your previous answer
Hey Chris, Everyone’s meditation experience is different, and yours is pretty unique. I can’t really say what was it that you went through 3 years ago because I wasn’t in your position. It may or may not be an out of body experience. Unless you’re seeking for such an experience (which I don’t think you’re), then there’s really nothing to worry about. All in all, if your meditation experience proves to be disturbing, then it’s a good idea to stop. While meditation has many benefits, it may not be suitable for everyone. Alternatively, if you really want to give meditation a shot, then I suggest finding an experienced meditation teacher near where you stay to guide you. I don’t think audio guided meditation will be useful in your case as your situation is different. Hope this helps.
when i meditate it sometimes feel that my body is breathing on its own. I can hear and feel my breathing pattern but at the same time I can also feel that my body moving independently. Is this making sense?
Hi Emil, everyone experiences meditation in his or her own unique ways. So I wouldn’t be too concerned with what you’re experiencing now, unless it starts to become disturbing. I suggests you remained focus on your breathing or chosen point of focus, while letting the rest come and go on their own. Over time, your body would synchronize with your breathing as you learn to be fully present.
I find it very hard to concentrate during meditating. I can never fully focus my attention on my breathing. I tend to end up imagining something, or thinking about something, which for a while, comes unnoticed. Is there any advice you could give to help, or a solution maybe? I get stressed all the time, and very easily, too. I think meditating is something that might help calm me down. Will it? I need all the advice and help I can get. Thank you.
Hi Ashley, Thanks for writing. It’s very common to get distracted during meditation, even for seasoned meditators. But, I can fully understand that it can be quite disheartening for beginners when their practice fall short of their expectation. I’ll propose 3 methods which you may like to consider:
1. Practice Mindfulness Meditation
If you find breathing meditation difficult, you may want to try a different technique called mindfulness meditation. Different meditation techniques work for different people. So, try and see whether this one works for you. I’ve written an article on this technique, but I’ll describe the gist here.
In essence, don’t fight your distractions. Accept all the thoughts that surface in your mind and include them into your meditation. Observe your thoughts as if you’re watching a movie. Let the scenes play out naturally.
But there’s an important condition, and that is, you are not supposed to get involved in any of those scenes. You’re not supposed to change the script or stop the movie. Let it play by itself and end by itself. It’ll be very tempting to add your voice or comment and change the course of the movie, don’t. Do nothing except to watch your thoughts consciously and compassionately as much as you can. If you find yourself getting involved, it’s okay. Return to the audience seat. You’ll get better as you practice more. Try this method and see if it works better for you, Ashley.
2. Get Expert Guidance & Support
You may also want to consider looking for a meditation center near where you’re living and get some face-to-face guidance from an experienced meditation teacher. Meditating with a group of people can also be very helpful and energizing. Besides the social support from other people, you’ll also learn a lot from the experience of other students.
If there’s no reliable meditation center near you, the next option is to use guided meditation audios. Basically, in a typical guided meditation MP3, you’ll hear a recorded message that walks you through some steps to help you relax by doing breathing exercises and creative visualization. As your focus will be on the voice that you hear in the audio, there will be less room for distractions. You can download the free Secret Garden guided meditation and see if it works for you. On this site, I’ve also listed some guided meditation programs here and here that you can get for a fee.
3. Unearthing the Causes of Stress
You mentioned that you get stressed very easily. Although meditation and other relaxation techniques can help you to calm down, they won’t help you to resolve the causes of your stress. So, when you’ve calm down, try to do some self-exploration to find out what’s making you so stress. On a piece of blank A4 paper or on your journal, first write down all the things that are stressing you up.
Then, for each reason that you’ve written, ask yourself: “Are they real or imaginary?” Write your response down in the next column. A lot of our worries are purely imagination, so don’t be surprised. For those that are marked imaginary, tell yourself that you’ve things that are more stressful to worry about, and carry on to the next step.
For problems that are real, ask: “Is this problem within my control?” Give your answer in the next column. For those within your control, write down what you think you can do to reduce/resolve the issue so that it gives you less stress. As for those out of your control, why worry when you can’t change a thing and will only worry yourself sick?
Hopefully, this step-by-step walkthrough will help you to reduce the number of things that are giving you stress. I can’t assume that this method will work for everyone, but it’s worth a try. Good luck!
Thank you, and also how do I meditate about something?
Hi Jazmine, could you give an example of the something you’ve in mind? If you’d like to gain more insight on a specific issue, perhaps reflective meditation may be suitable for that purpose. Hope this helps.
when ever i meditate it makes me think about dreams that i had when i was a child, is that good?
Hi Jazmine, it’s normal to recall episodes from the past when you’re meditating. Just observe them mindfully without trying to run away or hide from them. If you keep at it, you’ll realize that like other thoughts you’ve, they will fade away by themselves without you doing anything to them. Cheers!
Is it ok if I have peaceful music while meditating?
Yes, definitely, Marcos. It depends very much on your purpose for meditating and your personal preference. Some people find that having any form of music is distracting and would make it difficult for them to concentrate, while others find having soothing background make them feel more relaxed and calm. Try meditating with and without music, and experiment with different types of music to find the best complement for your practice. Enjoy your sitting!
Hey there great website. I have a question I’m hoping you may be able to help with. The doctor told me I should start meditation so I gave an attempt tonight. Only problem being that random thoughts kept going through my head such as what if I’m not sitting correctly, what shall I do once I’ve completed this etc. I kept going back to concentrating on my breathing but then in my head I would think what if I’m not doing this correctly. Do you have any tips which may help to keep the mind silent while I attempt to meditate or will it improve with practice? Also what’s the best time to meditate? After you wake or before you sleep? Thank you once again.
Hey Daniel, thanks for writing. I find that the best way to deal with random thoughts during meditation is simply to not do anything to them. There will always be random thoughts in our mind and there’s no way we can stop them from coming. So I no longer try to suppress them or deny their presence. I just stay with them and be conscious of their presence. It’s important not to get sucked into your thoughts and stories. Simply be aware of them is enough. Sooner or later, without me doing a thing, you will observe that your thoughts will evolve into other thoughts, and gradually lose their momentum and dissipate.
But if you find it difficult, try this: Whenever you find your attention wandering off to some thoughts, bring your focus back to your breath, and stop. It’s important that you follow this as closely as you can: Bring your focus back and stop. Don’t berate, criticize or rate yourself by saying “See, you’ve done it again”, “I’m not meditating well enough” or “My breaths are too shallow”. Sometimes, you will find these self-talk arising when you’re not careful. It’s okay. The moment you notice them, bring your focus back and stop.
About the time for meditation, the best time to meditate is the time when you can sit down and meditate without too much interruption. So, it varies from one person to another. Some can only meditate before they leave their home for work. Others can only find time to mediate after they come back from work. Find the best time to meditate within your own daily routine. If you don’t have any limitation in time, excellent. Then, find the time period where a meditation session will make you feel the most energized, or the most calm, depending on your purpose of meditation. So, you’d have to experiment it on yourself to find the best slot.
I hope these thoughts will be of some use to you. Good luck!
Hi I feel that I have a more advanced mind than my friends. For example I am far more curious than any one I have ever met also I for some reason tend to focus on my mistakes in the past even something tiny. I have always searched for something to help me heal both mental and physically. I have never tried meditation and I think it would help. Another reason is because I’m scared of my self I’m the strongest person (like weights) and I’m starting to lose self-control I remember a week ago I almost punched someones teeth out because he was the most annoying person in my class and he annoys me so much and all because he was touching me and if meditating can help me become closer to myself would it help me?!?
Dear Allie, Thank you for your comment. I’m glad that you’re interested in meditation. But frankly, I feel that you need more than just meditation. May I suggest that you have a good talk with your parents about your problems. It doesn’t have to be done in one sitting, and most probably, you may need a couple of sessions. Seek their advice and help. You need parents’ or teacher’s guidance in how to express your emotions constructively and to teach you how to come to terms with your expanding awareness about yourself and the world around you.
Don’t feel that you must handle all these things by yourself. Everyone needs help at one point or another. Ask for advice from people you can trust, and never take advice from strangers blindly. I wish you all the best!
I thank you for your advise but trust me I do express my feelings I do talk to my parents and every thing but meditation might help me even more but thank you for your concern
Dear Allie, You’re most welcome! I’m happy to hear that you’re talking to your parents. Recruit the help of your teachers if necessary. They are all there to help you. What you just need is to ask.
I feel relaxed after just reading this beginner guide.
Thanks for your comment, Mike! I’m glad you find this article useful. Do feel free to send in any questions related to meditation. I’ll try to answer them as best as I could. Cheers!
If this email is considered spam please delete it.
You may find some help in meditating with music I have wrote just for that purpose, if you would like to, search for PaulFromStokeUK on YouTube.
I hope it helps.
I really appreciate how you were able to explain the begining steps to meditation. I have been wanting to meditate for a while now. Things have just been so hectic in my life lately and really am searching for a sense of calm if even for a few minutes. Thanks again.
Thank you, Rosa. I’m glad that you find the article useful. Yes, I understand that sometimes, life can be so hectic that it seems impossible to find the time to meditate. During times like this, try exercising your creativity and find pockets of time in between places or activities to catch some deep breaths or have a quick meditation. I hope meditation will help you to restore balance in your life. Take care!
A very simple guide to follow that was exactly what I was looking for! I’ve been doing this for about a month now and it’s a great way to relax and clear your mind. Just wanted you to know your article is very much appreciated! Thanks again!
You’re most welcome, Greg. Thank you for for the feedback! I’m very happy to know that the breathing meditation described in this article has helped you to relax and clear your mind. Once you’re comfortable with this practice, you may also want to give the other meditations listed under “Useful Meditation Resources” a try. May peace be with you.
This is an excellent article aimed towards the beginning practitioner. I really enjoy how you went into detail in each step by step instruction and included a faq. Top notch article!
Thank you for your encouragement, Paul! If you’ve ideas on how to make this guide better, feel free to let me know.
Oh great thank you, its very appreciated, you have an awesome article set up, thanks again.
You’re most welcome, Nicolas!
I find that at first meditation is almost similar to working out, mostly in the sense that getting started is the hardest part. But pushing through that first obstacle makes it easier and easier to continue doing it, and will make other things in your life easier and clearer. Great article, a lot of meditation articles I’ve seen on the internet are very long and confusing for the most part, but this is very easy to read and do, my compliments.
Thanks for your compliments, Nicholas. Feel free to let me know if there are areas on meditation which you like to see more of that are not covered here. It’s my intention to demystify meditation and make it simple and straight forward for those who are new to this ancient art.
Well actually, if i’m not stepping out of bounds or anything, i’m curious about mudras, hand signs? and chanting during meditation, like is there a specific purpose to doing them, or is it just to clear your mind?
Great suggestions, Nicolas! I’d cover mudras as well as mantra meditation in future posts. Do consider subscribing to our newsletter to keep yourself posted. Thanks for your support!
I would like to meditate, I never have been able to do this, since I am always so anxious and have a lot of negative thinking. I will try this this week. but I may need help. ha!
Dear Jen,
Sure! I’ll be glad to help you and share my experience with you. Feel free to contact me through comments, email, twitter or facebook.
You said “I never have been able to do this“. I’m curious to know what are the usual obstacles that surface in your mind whenever you try to meditate? What’s stopping you? Knowing them and addressing them will help you to begin meditation and help you to face some of the anxieties that appear regularly in your life.
In addition to meditation, you can also try other ways to reduce anxiety. They are outlined in these articles:
* Natural Strategies to Overcome Anxiety
* How to Reduce Anxiety and Stress with Humor
Thank you for this article, I found it quite helpful. I’m just a teenager, so obviously drama seems extremely large and sressful to me at this time, and this article really helped me get away from that. It made me feel healthier, also, and showed me my potential in being able to calm myself rather easily. What’s more, it gave me some quiet time which was considerably nice, and it’s free, which isn’t the case with many helpful meditation guides that I’ve looked up. Thank you so much!
Dear Sarah, you’re most welcome. Thank you so much for your kind words. It’s heartening to hear that you’ve found this guide useful.
Meditation is a useful skill that helps us to see how unruly our mind can be. Whether you’re a kid, teenager or an adult, all of us face the struggles in the mind each day. So, self-generated melodrama is definitely not something that’s restricted only to teenagers.
I must commend you for starting early. You’ll stand to gain the benefits of meditation earlier than those who discovered meditation later in their lives. For myself, I only started meditating in my late twenties. If only I knew it earlier…
If you’ve any ideas or suggestions on how this guide can serve you better, please do not hesitate to leave your comments here or drop me a note. I’m sure I’ve missed out certain things which beginners to meditation would like to see included here.
When I first started to meditate, I didn’t have any problems clearing my mind. I guess I’m just natural at it. The one thing I have problem is falling asleep, usually after an hour of meditating.
I believed one of the hardest things to do during meditation is keeping the mind clear and focused. For beginners, this may be the hardest obstacle to overcome. My suggestions would be to listen to meditation music or concentrate on breathing techniques while meditating. Also, avoid drinking energy drink, coffee, alcohol or anything that can distract the mind.
Meditation is a great way to reduce stress and heal the body. Certain researchers found out that when people meditate, their DNA stretches. This allows their RNA to access critical data stored in their DNA. This exchange of data gives RNA the necessary information to help activate the body’s natural healing systems.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and your findings, Chang.
I’ve been learning how to meditate from blogs like this, and recently bought a CD which was quite good as well. (easysteps-meditation.com for the curious) But free articles like this are what really got me started on my journey, and I’m very thankful you for providing a easy (and free) introduction to a new way of life
Hi Bil, I’m glad that you find online meditation resources like mine useful. Indeed, it’s my wish that people who have never tried meditation before will be interested to give it a try after reading this article. Meditation is not difficult to learn at all, although it does take effort and persistent to do it well.
Having learned the basics, I’m happy to know that you’ve taken it further by enriching your knowledge and skill with other resources you can find. It takes time to reap the benefits of meditation, but for those who persist, sweet rewards await! I wish you all the best.
[...] Ho presents How to Meditate: A Beginner’s Guide posted at The Conscious Life, saying, “Have you been wanting to learn how to meditate but [...]
Truly your suggestions for meditation are very much informative and simple that can be applied by any beginner. I would like to bring to your attention that there are some very simple physical techniques which help us to direct our mind effortlessly into meditation. Also meditation is something that works in the area of mind which is subtle in nature. So the mind needs some subtle tool to reach to it. Such tool is our breath. But the breath has two parts – positive and negative. Just if we divert the breath into the positive direction the meditation would be happily gliding into peace. Let me let you know that technique once there is a reply back question from you asking for it of course with your identity. I live in South India and am a master in meditation with the blessings of my Guru. Thank you and best wishes for your service to the society. Mukundh. Madurai India.
Hi Mukundh, Thank you for dropping by and sharing your thoughts. Hope to see you around here more often. Cheers.