Your Guide on How to Meditate for Beginners
Meditation is a form of mental relaxation that has been used successfully for thousands of years. It is known to help people who suffer from depression or anxiety and also helps reduce stress. Many athletes, public speakers and entertainers are known to meditate before performing, as a way to relax their minds. For people who are just starting the practice of mediation, proper technique is important. This guide on how to meditate for beginners will help you understand the proper techniques to use when meditating.
Set Up the Right Environment
The first step to practicing meditation is to select the best environment. You should choose a room in your home or outside that is quiet and relaxing. You must create a place where you will not be interrupted for about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off any electronics that may be in the room, including the television, radio, cell phone and laptop. The quieter you can make the room, the better your meditation experience will be. Also find a comfortable chair or place a blanket or pillow on the floor to sit on for your meditation.
Relax Your Body
Once you have set-up your meditation environment, you must now prepare your body for meditation. The goal is to relax your body as much as possible as a means of releasing any anxieties or stressors from your mind. Posture is important and you should sit with you back straight and your shoulders slightly relaxed but not slouching. Now relax your neck but rolling and stretching your head and neck. You can also do some shoulder rolls if you are still feeling tense. This should be done just prior to starting your meditation exercises.
Proper Breathing Technique
You will want to begin your meditation by starting some deep breathing exercises. You should slowly inhale through your nose and just as slowly exhale out your mouth. Repeat this step several times until your natural breathing pattern has slowed down. It is important to try to keep this slower pace of breathing throughout your meditation. If you catch yourself starting to breathe faster, do not give up just slow down and start again.
Practice Focusing Attention
One of the best benefits of meditation is the ability to be able to clear your mind from outside stressors. While this is a great benefit, it can also be a difficult step to take because people usually have thoughts constantly running through their mind. The best way to clear your mind is to concentrate all of your attention on one specific thing. The easiest way to do this is to focus on your breathing because not only does it create a good focal point, but it also ensures that you pace your breathing pattern. You can also imagine a relaxing picture in your mind and allow this to be your focal point.
This meditation technique should be done on a daily basis for about 15 to 20 minutes every day. It is important to practice your meditation every day in order to make this practice routine for you. After a couple of weeks of faithful daily meditation, you will be able to transform your mind into a meditative state almost instantly. This can be very beneficial for reducing anxiety and can even stop panic attacks. This instant meditation can also keep you calm in situation that would normally cause you great stress. The best advice on how to meditate for beginners is to keep practicing because meditation will soon become very natural.
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