10 Tips for Easy Meditation
Do you find meditation elusive? Does it seem like every time to sit down to meditate, the thoughts come more quickly and more forcefully? Well, then you aren’t alone. As a beginning meditation student, or a groomed meditation guru, we all find that quieting the mind is not easy. From the teachings of A Course In Miracles, we learn there is not a ‘good’ mind or a ‘bad’ mind, but a ‘trained’ mind, and an ‘untrained’ mind. We cannot learn to control our thoughts, that’s a losing battle, but we can learn which thoughts to hold on to, and which thoughts to let move past… We can learn to believe what we want, and let go of those things that do not serve us. Meditation is the art of creating a trained mind to do just that.
Now, where do we start?
Well here are 10 basic tips to help you on your mind training journey…
1. Find a quiet place, and a quiet time. I’m sure you heard that before, but it’s so important that we just have to say it. Don’t try to meditate while the kids are fighting at the snack table or while your husband and his friends are watching the game. That’s hard, even for someone who’s been meditating for 20 years. Try meditating early in the morning before anyone else is awake, or after the kids go to bed. Set aside a special area on a far side of the house where you feel relaxed, and use the same place each time. Make it your special meditation nook. Using the same place will not only leave behind a relaxed energy there, but with time it will create the mental readiness for meditation the second you hit the sitting pillow.
2. Get comfortable, and then stay still. Find a comfortable position before you start meditating. This will keep you from moving around during your meditation which can be distracting and keep your attention focused on your body. Get comfortable, and then only allow yourself to move if you are experiencing any kind of pain. Try training yourself to have good posture such as sitting Indian style with your spine straight. This may be difficult at first (until you build the right muscles). However, with practice correct posture will prevent injury and discomfort later on.
3. Avoid any interruptions; set the mood. Turn off your cell phone, or put it on vibrate in the other room. If you’re expecting a phone call or a friend to drop by, it’s not a good time to test out your meditation skills. It’s impossible to anticipate all possible interruptions but do what you can to minimize disturbances during your special quiet time. Lighting a candle, burning incense, or even a small indoor fountain can help set the mood and prepare your mind for stillness.
4. Notice your breath. Try bringing your attention to the out breath, letting your mind relax into brief moments of silence on the in breath. As you exhale notice your stress and tension and thoughts leaving your body. Feel your body relax with each out breath. Make the breaths slow and long and of equal length. Try creating a pattern, a repetitious flow of inhale… exhale… Breathe deep into your belly and let go of everything on the exhale.
5. Focus on a sound. If you are having problems focusing on your breath, or you find that your breathing is good and you are starting to relax, at this time it might help to focus on a sound or even, dare I say a “noise.” On those harder days I sometimes focus on the sound of my desk fountain, but any sound that is constant will help, even if it’s the sound of the dryer turning around or the humming of the fridge. Let the sound bring your attention to the present moment. Right now, that sound is happening in this very moment. Meditation is the art of listening, of calming the internal chatter enough to Be Here Now.
6. Try chanting or humming to yourself. (note if you are not comfortable with chanting, you can sing Hymns or prayer songs). The repetition of a mantra or hymn helps to focus the mind. There are several chants you can try if you do not have one you like. Some of my favorites are “Om Mani Padme Aum” “Om” or even “Om Namah Shivya” — the key is to find one that works for you and then create a repetition. Let the mantra roll into the next mantra, so that is it almost as if it is all one word, with no beginning and no end. Chant out loud, even if just for a minute, to ground and protect yourself before you fall info meditaiton. Intermittend chants can help keep the internal chatter to a minimum as well. Its a signal to your body and your vibration that you are ready for peace now.
7. Prepare your body. If you find that you are still having a lot of trouble meditating or getting into a relaxed state, try preparing your body. Your mind and your body are connected and so they affect each other. Try taking a warm Epsom salt bath before your meditation, or try meditating after your body is exhausted from your cardio workout. You could even spend a few minutes stretching your muscle and relaxing yourself physically. If your body is relaxed, it helps the mind to relax and visa versa.
8. Start with guided meditations… there are some great ones out there to help release stress and let go of your day. If you find that the silence is just killing you when you try to meditate, try starting with guided meditation, or even just the beginning of one where they walk you through the relaxation part of it. You could also try peaceful music like a chakra balancing mix, or an ocean or forest soundtrack.
9. Be Gentle. Try to show compassion for yourself. If your mind drifts off onto some story from the day, just gently remind yourself that you are ‘thinking’ again. Thinking is not good or bad and try to avoid placing a label on it. Simply label is as ‘thinking’ and go back to listening. Even if you sit in meditation for an hour, and every 3 seconds you had to remind yourself that you are “thinking” remain neutral. This doesn’t mean you are bad at meditating, this is completely normal, for everyone. Even someone who has been meditating everyday for 40 years can find themselves on days, where all the mind wants to do is wander. Meditation is a process of training the mind, and guiding the mind, but not changing it. Be gentle with yourself and know that you are no better or worse at meditation, just practiced and unpracticed. Think about how long it took you to learn to ride a bike, or how long it took you to teach your dog to sit. This is the same thing. This is simply put, repetition and practice. Be patient with yourself and most of all, be kind.
10. Keep it up. Practice makes perfect right? Well maybe not perfect but better, and that’s all we can hope for. Each day you put aside a set time for meditation, each day your mind gets a little more guided, a little more seasoned. Don’t try it for a week and then stop because it’s not “working”. Meditation is not a goal but a process as with all of life. Keep it up and before you know it, you will notice those moments in between all the chatter getting longer, and calmer. Meditation needs to be a way of life, not a means to an end. Make the decision to make it a daily practice. With time you will notice you feel more peaceful, and you will notice more silence instead of internal chatter. You are about to embark on a journey of having a trained mind. Make the time each day and be patient. With time results guaranteed to follow.
