When you want to get stronger or improve your endurance, you lift weights or take up jogging—and you don’t just do it once. You incorporate physical exercise into your daily routine.
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Meditation is a form of mental exercise. When you meditate, you learn how to pay attention to your breathing and refocus your mind when it drifts in another direction. In essence, you’re building your mindfulness muscles.
Like other forms of exercise, meditation requires consistent practice. It also offers several meaningful benefits, including lower stress levels, improved physical health, and better sleep quality. It can help you pay closer attention to the here and now, rather than worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.
Have you been thinking about learning how to meditate? By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of what meditation is and how to get started.
If you prefer to begin with a private session or group class, visit Sofia Health to get started.
What is Meditation?
Let’s start with what meditation isn’t—or at least, what it isn’t always. Meditation isn’t just sitting still and emptying all thoughts from your mind. That’s a common misconception. When you meditate, you aren’t trying to shut off your mind. Instead, you’re spending time with it.
So, what is meditation?
Have you ever been driving when a fancy car passes by and grabs your attention? Or maybe you were looking for something online when a brightly colored ad caught your eye, so you clicked on it instead. The next thing you know, you’re on a strange road or a webpage completely unrelated to your initial search.
These moments aren’t unlike our thoughts. Sometimes, a thought enters your mind and commands your full attention. You may get caught up analyzing it or become lost in a daydream. Other times, you may try—with little success—to push it away. You can become so distracted that you lose track of time or forget what you were doing.
Meditation trains us to notice the fancy car or eye-catching ad and, rather than follow it, let it go. The more we practice, the easier it becomes. We become better able to let distracting thoughts pass and, in a sense, get out of our own heads. In doing so, we become more present and engaged in what we’re doing at that moment, whether that’s spending time with family, completing a project for work or school, or simply taking some time for ourselves.
Want a deeper overview of meditation, check out our article 'What is Meditation'.
Why Learn to Meditate?
People choose to learn and practice meditation for many reasons. Let’s take a look at some of the most common ones:
1. Promote Mental and Emotional Health
Constant stress and worry can take a significant toll on your mental health. These factors can contribute to anxiety, depression, and poor self-image.
While meditation isn’t a cure-all, it can help promote better mental and emotional health. It increases awareness, supports mental clarity, and promotes a sense of calm. Several studies show that meditation can help manage stress and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Some forms of meditation can also help you recognize harmful or self-defeating thoughts, allowing you to take control of them rather than letting them control you.
2. Boost Physical Health
Being under constant stress can affect your physical health, too. It may increase your risk of cardiovascular issues, such as high blood pressure, as well as poor immune function, digestive health problems, and muscle pain. Meditation’s stress-reducing benefits may help lower your risk of these and other stress-related health complications, supporting overall physical wellness.
Meditation may also help ease pain that isn’t directly related to stress. Along with reducing pain intensity, it may help maintain those improvements over time.
3. Enhance Focus and Attention Span
Many factors can contribute to poor focus and a limited attention span. Some are related to anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. Others may be tied to constant distractions or trying to take on too much at once.
Several studies have found that regular meditation can improve focus. It may also help lengthen your attention span and keep your mind from wandering. Better focus and attention can then support better productivity.
On a related note, meditation may also help slow age-related memory loss. It may even provide slight memory improvements in older adults already living with dementia.
4. Strengthen Connections
Meditation can support mood regulation, empathy, and acceptance. These benefits can go a long way in improving relationships with partners, family members, and friends.
As mentioned above, meditation increases your awareness of your thoughts and feelings. That awareness can give you insight into your tendencies, such as snapping when you feel threatened. Recognizing a tendency or habit is often enough to spark positive change.
5. Improve Sleep Quality
Getting quality sleep is essential for maintaining your overall health and wellness. However, stress, anxiety, and pain can make falling asleep and staying asleep difficult. Other factors, such as an irregular sleep schedule, screen exposure right before bed, and wandering thoughts, can also contribute. Studies indicate that meditating before bed can promote relaxation, reduce time spent lying awake, and improve sleep quality.
To learn more about the benefits of meditation, check out our article, Top 10 Science-Based Benefits of Meditation.
How to Start Meditating
While there are many different forms of meditation, several of which we’ll explore later, here are the basic steps to help you get started:
- Find a comfortable place to sit. Sitting cross-legged on the floor is one of the most common postures for meditation. However, you can sit in a chair if that’s easier for you. The most important thing is that you remain comfortable. Pay attention to how your body feels.
- Give yourself a time limit. Meditation doesn’t require a lot of time. Start with five- to ten-minute sessions. As you grow more comfortable, you can increase your practice time.
- Pay attention to your breathing. Inhale slowly and deeply, filling your belly with your breath. Exhale slowly. As you do this, notice how each breath feels.
- Keep an eye on your thoughts. There’s a good chance your mind will wander while you meditate, and that’s okay. When you notice your thoughts drifting away from your breathing, avoid judging or analyzing them. Instead, gently bring your attention back to your breath.
- Close your session. As you end your practice, open or lift your eyes and take a moment to notice your surroundings and yourself. What do you hear? How does your body feel? What about your mind?
That’s all there is to it. You may notice that although meditation is simple, it can also be challenging. It only takes a few minutes, but it requires commitment. After all, meditation is a skill. Learning how to do it requires consistent practice. The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll become. Often, the most important part of meditation is simply sitting down to start.
How Does Meditation Work?
There are many things in life we can’t control. What we can control is how we relate or react to those things. That’s where a practice like meditation comes in.
When you meditate, you allow yourself to calm your mind and see things more clearly. You take time to observe your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which can help you discover patterns you may not have noticed before. Meditation won’t turn you into a new or different person, but it can help you adjust how you perceive and respond to the world around you.
Essentially, meditation is like a personal wellness check. You take a few minutes out of your day to see how you’re doing. At the same time, you slow down and focus on the present moment rather than what might happen in the future.
What Do I Need to Start Meditating?
Meditation doesn’t require much. You don’t have to buy any special, expensive equipment, nor do you need to go anywhere specific to practice. Even so, there are a few things that can help you get started:
Time
Even if it’s only a few minutes, meditation requires intentionally setting aside time in your day. The time of day doesn’t matter. What matters is finding a time and session length that works best with your schedule and lifestyle.
Meditation also requires consistency—ideally, daily practice. When you meditate every day, it becomes a habit and part of your routine. Consistency can also help you experience more of the benefits of your practice. However, don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day or two. Remember, part of meditation is being kind to yourself. You can always jump right back in where you left off.
Space
One of the best things about meditation is that you can do it almost anywhere. You only need a space where you can sit with minimal distractions. Keep in mind that “minimal distractions” doesn’t have to mean total silence. In fact, some people find it harder to meditate in complete silence. White noise or soft, soothing music can be helpful.
Comfort
No matter where you sit to meditate, you want to make sure you’ll be comfortable for the duration of your practice. If the bare floor is too hard, try using a yoga mat or cushion. You can also avoid the floor altogether by sitting in a chair. It’s about what works best for you. You may also find that you meditate best when wearing loose clothing and minimal accessories.
What to Expect in a Meditation Session
While every meditation session may feel different, there are a few things you can expect:
- Your mind may wander. It’s normal for your thoughts to drift in different directions while you meditate. It happens to everyone, even those who have been practicing for years. All you need to do is gently bring your attention back to your breathing.
- You might have trouble sitting still. Distractions could include an itch on your arm, a sudden desire to shift your legs, or unconsciously tapping your fingers. Much like wandering thoughts, these distractions are incredibly common. Treat them in a similar way: acknowledge them, let them go, and refocus.
- You may suddenly feel sleepy. Don’t be surprised if you start to nod off in the early days of learning to meditate. Your mind needs time to adjust to the new habit and learn that you’re trying to slow down, not fall asleep. However, if you’re meditating before bed, that relaxation can make it easier to fall asleep when you finally lie down.
- You might feel a lot—or nothing at all. When your mind is constantly busy, it may not have time to process emotions. Suddenly slowing down can bring those emotions to the surface. Don’t try to push them away. Instead, acknowledge them and let them pass. At the same time, you might not feel anything at first. That’s okay, too. You aren’t doing anything wrong. Keep checking in with yourself.
- You might try to be “perfect.” You may try to shut off your thoughts or feel frustrated when they wander. Remember, meditation isn’t about being perfect. These experiences are all part of the process. Be kind to yourself. With daily practice, you’ll find it easier to bring yourself back on track.
If you find yourself struggling, don’t give up.
Top Meditation Tips and Techniques for Beginners
Are you almost ready to get started? Here are a few helpful meditation tips for beginners:
- Start small. Give your mind time to adjust to meditation. If ten minutes feels like too much, start with three to five minutes.
- Practice daily. Meditating every day will help you form a habit. It will become easier, and you’ll get more out of your practice. If you have trouble remembering, leave yourself a reminder, such as a yoga mat on the floor or a sticky note on your bathroom mirror.
- Try guided meditation. With guided meditation, someone else leads you through a meditation exercise. While anyone can use guided meditation, beginners may find it especially helpful.
- Remember, there’s no such thing as “perfect” meditation. Just by showing up and practicing, you’re doing great.
What are the Different Types of Meditation Styles?
There are many popular styles of meditation. Here are six common types. For a full list, see our in-depth exploration of nine popular types of meditation.
1. Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is one of the most well-known styles. It teaches you to focus on the present rather than the past or future. You learn to observe your thoughts and feelings without judgment.
2. Focused Meditation
Focused meditation, also known as concentration meditation, involves giving yourself a single point of focus. Typically, that focus is on your breathing. However, in some practices, the focus could be a mantra, the sound of a gong, or a candle flame. Any time your mind wanders, you redirect it back to your point of focus.
3. Visualization Meditation
Visualization is a type of focused meditation. Instead of focusing on your breath, your focus becomes a particular thing, place, or person. With this type of meditation, you can observe your mind and any physical sensations you feel when you imagine the object, place, or person. It may help you let go of negative feelings or focus on the things you want to invite into your life.
4. Body Scan Meditation
Over time, our minds and bodies can become disconnected. Body scan meditation seeks to reconnect them. When you meditate, you begin with your focus at the top of your head and slowly work your way down to the tips of your toes, or vice versa. As you do this, you notice any sensations, tension, or pain you feel.
5. Transcendental Meditation
The practice of Transcendental Meditation involves focusing on a mantra—a particular word or phrase provided by a certified practitioner. You repeat your mantra silently to yourself as you breathe. It’s a well-researched method of meditation that helps you go beyond, or transcend, the boundaries of your mind and clear it of distracting thoughts.
6. Movement Meditation
Not all meditation involves sitting still. Movement meditation is an active form of meditation that uses gentle movements and breathing to guide you into a deeper connection with the present moment. While many people associate yoga with movement meditation, this practice can also include tai chi and qigong.
Want to Know More? Book a Session With a Meditation Coach
Regular meditation offers a wide range of benefits, from gaining a better understanding of your thoughts and feelings to supporting your overall mental and physical health. Best of all, you don’t need fancy equipment, an expensive gym membership, or a lot of time. All you need is a quiet, comfortable space to practice and a few minutes a day.
Do you want to learn more about the benefits of meditating daily and how to get started?
Book a consultation with a meditation coach on Sofia Health today!
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