So many of my clients ask me how to meditate. It appears really difficult and time-consuming. But it doesn’t have to be! You can be fun and creative with your meditation and still reap all the benefits! And even just 5 minutes a day is going to do wonders for your whole being.
My goal with this blog article is to simplify the concept of meditation so that it becomes less intimidating and more accessible. I think there are many misconceptions about meditation out there, which unfortunately leads to people giving up or not even trying at all. There’s the vision/stereotype of the monk or enlightened person sitting in a lotus position not moving for hours on end. While this is certainly one way to meditate, there are so many other really great and simple ways to relax and find your heart and center!
What is Meditation?
Meditation is essentially a time to connect with your innermost self or your True Self. It’s a time to quiet your mind and really be present in the moment to allow your Inner Light/Soul/Higher Self to speak to you. It’s a time to connect with your spirituality. Meditation is often compared to prayer. You are connecting with a higher power to express gratitude, ask for help, or to just be one with yourself and your surroundings. Meditation can also just be a time to relax after a long day or a time to connect with nature.
How you wish to go about connecting with your Inner Light is completely up to you! That’s the beauty of meditation - it’s fluid, creative, inspirational, and very personal. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. Some religions are very strict about the way they meditate or pray, but I want to encourage you to throw out any preconceptions you have about meditation. Just go with the flow and be free with it.
The main goal to accomplish with meditation is to connect with your soul. When you connect with your soul you are connecting with your spirituality. And when you connect with your spirituality, you are awakening to the beauty all around you, within you, and giving you the clarity to make healthy decisions throughout your day that are aligned with your ultimate purpose of being here in this lifetime. Try not to worry so much about how you go about doing it or if you are doing it correctly – just do it! That’s really what matters. Meditation is the ultimate self-care and self-love act you can do, so it’s worth trying it out for yourself.
Benefits of Meditation
So, you’re probably thinking, ok I get it. I need to meditate. But what’s in it for me? So much!! There are so many benefits of meditation, I could go on for days! But for simplicity’s sake, below are just a few reasons why meditation is so good for your entire being – mind, body, and spirit.
Physical
Helps with relaxation and relieves tension
Stress Relief
Nervous System Relief
Improves Sleep
Elevates Mood
Emotional
Helps calm reactions and triggers to emotional stressors
Helps you handle difficult situations better
Provides more emotional balance
Opens your heart to give and receive love
Mental
Helps you think more clearly
Helps you make better decisions
Allows for more inspiration and creativity
Calms the ego, mental chatter
Releases negative self-talk
Spiritual
Enhances your connection with your soul
Allows times for you to connect with your spiritual support system of guides and angels
Clarifies your soul purpose
Helps you experience more love and joy
Promotes inner peace
Ways to Meditate
The great thing about meditation is that there are many ways you can do it. Try different ones out and decide which ones resonate the most with you!
Be Present, Be Still. One of the more classic and widely known ways to meditate is to try sitting or lying down in stillness. You can sit in a chair, sit in lotus position on the floor, lay down on a yoga mat, or lay down on your bed. Just find a place that’s comfortable, quiet, and undisturbed. Take some deep breaths and just let your mind start to wander and calm. If you can’t quiet the mind (which is the number one reason why people quit meditation), try not to judge your thoughts. Just let them happen and then try to focus on your breathing or repeating affirmations. The goal with this type of meditation is to quiet your mind, relax your body, and move your brain into a theta state, which happens right before you fall asleep. You’re awake but in a trance-like state. This is the prime state for healing to occur. You’re also very open to receiving intuitive messages and information. If this type of meditation frustrates, intimidates, or confuses you, either just try it for 5 minutes a day or try some other type of meditation.
Exercise. You might be thinking exercise? What?! Yep. Many people find that when they ride their bike, go for a walk, or hike, or lift weights, they move into a meditative state. You see places like SoulCycle trying to demonstrate this concept. When you attend a SoulCycle class, you are there in the moment and connecting with yourself. The time there is dedicated just to you and doing something good for yourself. During the class, there’s a time when the music slows down, and you set an intention of what you wish to accomplish. I will admit, I get emotional during those classes! They are structured to be like a meditation where you connect with your mind, body, and soul. If you don’t dig indoor cycling, there are lots of other activities. Many people love to run. They find that is a time for them to reflect and find inspiration. Whatever works for you is perfect!
Just Be in Nature. This is such a great way to meditate because nature is so quiet, still, and purposeful. When you’re outside, adopt the pace of nature and reflect the way nature moves. This can be as simple as taking a walk in your neighborhood and noticing the trees swaying in the wind, or the leaves falling, or the birds chirping. Notice the different elements – earth, wind, fire, water. Think about the seasons and cycles and how they relate to you and your life. Just be in the moment and notice the little things that you don’t normally take the time to pay attention to. Looking at things from a different perspective can help you solve a problem or dilemma in your life.
Nature Meditation. Do a nature-specific meditation. Go into nature – whatever that is for you. It can be sitting by a tree, taking a hike in the forest or mountains, or just sticking your feet in a creek. Pick up a rock or leaf or branch, and really study it. Look at the object, feel the weight of it, smell it, see if it makes a sound, etc. See if any thoughts or emotions arise as you do this exercise. This is allowing yourself to just be in the moment and to connect with your inner voice. You can study anything in nature, such as an essential oil, herb, plant, crystal, incense, etc. Allow the vibrations and energy of the object to speak to you and give you a message.
Breathing. This is another great way to meditate, especially if you have a hard time sitting still or quieting your mind. Try taking in a deep breath counting to 5, hold it for 5 seconds, and then exhale for 5 seconds. Then inhale for 4, hold for 4, and exhale for 4. And so on. This relaxes your mind and body really quickly. And you can do this several times throughout the day if you find yourself feeling stressed or having a difficult time making a decision. Breathing allows you to ground into the Earth and connect with your body. Counting your breaths helps you be in the moment and calms your mind. You can also breathe in calm and breathe out anxiety for example.
Chanting. Chanting may seem silly but it’s actually very meditative. It not only calms your mind but the vibrations from your voice radiate all throughout your body and balances your chakras. There are many different ways to chant, including repeating mantras such as “Om” or you can just sound out the vowel sounds - ahhhh, eeeeee, oooo, etc. Try creating your own chant that you do every morning when you wake up!
Listen to Guided Meditations. If you like lying in stillness but have a hard time calming your monkey brain, then guided meditations might be the way to go for you. There are several guided meditations on every topic imaginable (stress relief, love, connecting with your spirit guides, etc.), and you can find them on YouTube or apps such as Calm and Insight Timer.
Binaural Beats. If you like music and resonate with sound, listening to binaural beats might be your jam. Steve Halpern creates whole albums designed to move your mind and body into a theta meditative state using binaural beats. They are super relaxing.
Walking Meditation. The next time you take a walk around your neighborhood, be really mindful of your steps and foot placement. Walk slowly, placing one foot in front of the other. Focus only on your feet and balance. This allows you to be in the moment and for all those racing thoughts to disappear.
Focusing on Your Senses. Along the same lines as the nature meditation, find an object in your house to study. Use all five senses to really examine this object and see how it feels and what emotions come up. These emotions and thoughts are your True Self talking to you and asking you to pay attention.
Being Creative. This is one we tend to forget with our busy lives but is so incredibly important. Being creative allows you to let go, be in the moment, and experience joy and inspiration. If you are needing to find the answer to something or come up with an idea, express your creativity in some way that you love. This could be anything, including drawing, painting, writing, designing, building, etc.
Setting Intentions. Just the simple act of setting an intention for the day is meditative. You are taking a moment to be still, present, and connect with your True Self by asking, “What do I need today?” and then setting an intention around that need.
Yoga, Tai Chi, or Qi Gong. These are ancient Asian meditation practices focusing on different physical movements. There is typically a specific sequence of movements which requires you to be focused in the moment. This allows your mind to connect with your body through movement and breath. At the end of most yoga sessions, there is a dedicated time for meditation called “Shavasana” or “Corpse Pose” in which you are lying down, allowing your mind and body to completely relax and melt into the ground, connecting you with the Earth and Spirit.
Journaling. If you like to write, start a journal! You can write by hand in a beautiful notebook, or you can just create a journal document in your computer and type. This is actually how I journal most of the time because the thoughts and ideas from my Inner Light and guides come so fast, typing allows me to channel these messages quicker than writing. But many people prefer the act of writing. You can also draw, color, or doodle in a notebook which you can’t do as well in Microsoft Word! But again, just do what resonates most with you. There is no right or wrong way. Journaling allows you to connect with your True Self and release whatever is blocking you. Writing helps you to get it all out and then let it all go. It’s very meditative and cathartic.
Work with a Mala. Malas are beaded necklaces used in meditation. I describe them as the rosaries of the spiritual world. Rosaries are often found in religions such as Catholicism and are used to repeat different prayers such as the “Our Father” or “Hail Mary”. The mala works in the same way, but instead of repeating a prayer for each bead on the mala, you say a mantra or affirmation. For example, if you are needing courage, you might repeat the affirmation “I Am Brave” for each of the 108 beads on the mala. Repeating affirmations not only allows you to be in the present moment, but it allows you to connect with your True Self and manifest what you need, such as courage in the example above. Your brain literally rewires when you think positive thoughts, freeing your mind from negative self-chatter in the moment and in the future.
Make it a Habit
As you can see, there are so many cool ways you can connect with your innermost self and spirituality! Have some fun with it! Explore. Try different things. You might be inspired to meditate one way today and another way tomorrow. That is perfect! Again, the goal is to just keep trying it and making it a daily habit. The more you do it, the more benefits you will receive, and the more you will start the notice the changes in your light, mood, and overall sense of well-being.
Meditation Can Be Fun!
I hope this article relieves some of the pressure around meditating and inspires you to implement it into your daily self-care practice. It doesn’t have to be hard and time-consuming. It’s meant to be light and bring you freedom and joy. Make it the part of your day that you look forward to. Make it fun and personalized to you. You might even discover new ways of meditating that you love! If you do, please share! I’m always looking for fun and exciting new ways to find peace and enlightenment!
Namaste!
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