9 Meditation Tips
1. Bring it into your routine:
If you do this, then it will become something that you just do. Consistency is important if you want to feel the benefits. First thing in the morning or before bed are useful times as they are already part of the routine within the daily cycle. Although, meditation can be fit in whenever you have some time waiting in between activities. It can even be practiced while you are doing mundane chores… The key is to do them presently and mindfully.
2. Create a space:
This isn’t essential, but if you have a fixed home it can be useful to create a designated space that feels relaxing for you. Remove distractions such as screens and bring together objects that are comforting for you such as a stone, a photo or a candle- things that help to put you in a relaxed space and make you feel warm and safe. I don’t currently have a fixed home, but I carry around with me a few objects that I set up to make a meditation space wherever I am. This really helps me to relax and connect in unfamiliar places.
3. Minimise distractions:
Minimise external distractions by turning off devices, asking people you live with not to disturb you or moving the snacks into another room. Internal distractions such as things that are on your mind can also be reduced by writing things you want to remember down beforehand, going for a walk to help process things that are on your mind or just letting yourself have a little conversation with yourself until you feel you can let go of whatever is on your mind. However, during this process try to observe the thoughts as they come into your mind, so that you are aware of what is on your mind, rather than completely lost in thought.
Urges, cravings or feelings may come up. Through practise it can become easier to sit with any discomfort and let it pass through without reacting to it as much. This takes practice, but we can begin by becoming more mindful of what is really going on inside of us, and the causes and effects that take place between our thoughts, feelings and actions.
4. Have an intention:
What is your driving force? Connecting to this can help to strengthen it and move you forwards with greater focus. Be true to your needs in the moment- If your need is just to cry, be with it, if your need is just to breathe, be with it, if your need is to think something through- be with it or if you need to rest, or sleep- be with it.
Meditation is about communing with yourself… this means being kind to and nurturing yourself… NOT forcing yourself unkindly out of where you’re at. Where are YOU at? What do YOU need? That could be relaxation, soothing, letting go of tension, more stillness, greater clarity in the mind or to be present rather than locked in fear. You can bring any of that towards yourself if your heart intends it.
5. Don’t look for results:
We all want to see results, but results come naturally. It is not part of the practise to look for results, if we are looking for results, we are not doing the practise! Let go of having to see any results and let yourself hang out with yourself and absorb yourself in the focus of the practise. Then you are truly putting the cause in place, the effect will follow naturally.
6. Stick with a practice:
It takes time to get comfortable with a practice, and every time you do it, it will be different. Through sticking with a practice, you build a relationship with it
7. Do a body scan:
When youre sat down, scan your entire body with your awareness and let go of any tensions you feel in any particular area. Moving your awareness through your body can help you to pick up on tensions, or places where your muscles are holding onto that you may not have been aware of. Areas to pay particular attention to are your face, eyes, neck, shoulders and heart. This practice is particularly helpful I have found when going to sleep, as it fairly quickly induces a deep relaxation.
Bringing your awareness into the body can also help you to become more present and less absorbed in thought.
8. Keep reading!!:
Find texts that you feel you connect with and read. Meditation gives us personal experience, study gives us maps to help give us focus and make sure we are on track. The information we take in has a powerful effect upon us. If you keep being told there is nothing you can do, that will make you feel powerless. There is plenty of info out there that helps you to understand what we are working with and all the things which play influence in our lives… understanding how it all works helps to increase our free will….. ‘the more knowledge you have, the more free will you have.’ Read stuff that has a good influence on you, that inspires you to grow. Be discerning over what you read,
9. Find a way which works for you:
You don’t need to be good at meditation, or anything for that matter. Just be where you are at. Don’t judge yourself.
10. Enjoy yourself!
Let yourself explore… don’t judge yourself, just hang out, breathe and observe.