Meditation is something anyone that wants to can learn and practice. You can become much better at being self-aware, mindful, thoughtful, calm, and much more!
Take It Slow
Meditating isn’t something you master in a day. The mind isn’t something we can ever have complete control over. The important thing is how we process our thoughts, and control our ACTIONS. Start off by finding a guided meditation video, recording, or written guide that is relatively short. Going for a two hour meditation exercise as a beginner can be overwhelming and unproductive, so take it slow. Just like with physical exercise, you don’t want to start out lifting the heavy weights or running triathlonsóyou need to train and build up to that!
Go With The Flow
During everyday life, we can often push down and bottle up feelings that we experience at any given time. This can lead to anxiety, irritability, and more. When you begin meditating regularly, you are taking time out for yourself to properly process all these emotions. This allows you to take stock of each of these feelings, ask yourself why you feel/felt that way, and then let them go and move on. Meditation isn’t about complete emptiness of the mind, it’s about taking the time to focus and let go of negativity through mindfulness and consideration.
Set Yourself Up For Success
A relaxing environment looks different for each of us. Some people feel most relaxed in a bubble bath, while others do when they are outside sitting in the grass. There’s no set rule for WHERE you should meditate, other than that it should be a place that is quiet where you can focus and be relaxed. Make sure you have the tools you prefer as well. These can include: headphones, a blanket or pillow, a book or creative project (such as crochet) to wind down with beforehand and/or afterward, a timer, water, comfy clothes, etc. Think of things that make you feel relaxed and happy, and incorporate them where you can.
I hope this has made the possibility of practicing meditation less intimidating. Anyone that is open to it can do it! Just make sure you take the time to do it consistently, so you can find it easier and easier to process your thoughts and feelings in healthy ways throughout the days.
