Ever heard of meditation? Sitting down and thinking about nothing for hours. Yes, the prospect can be quite daunting, however, meditation and mindfulness are ideal for achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. The ancient practice focuses on training the mind, just as fitness focuses on training the body. For beginners, there are other ways to achieving simple mindfulness rather than a classic seated meditation. The trick is to do one thing a day with absolute mindfulness, dwelling completely at that moment and feeling every physical sensation and every subtle emotion. These are eight meditation techniques for beginners that will enhance your learning skills and melt the stress of the routine away.
It is that easy! Breathing meditation is the most basic and universal meditation technique. The idea is to choose a spot above your navel and focus on that spot within your mind. Then, follow the rising and falling of your abdomen as you breathe in and out. Breathe normally and don’t worry if your mind starts wandering, meditation takes practice after all!
You can choose any object you’d like to focus your attention and reach a sense of deep serenity. Place your chosen object at eye level, concentrate and gaze at it until your peripheral vision starts to fade and the object consumes your vision. This is by far one of the best meditation techniques for beginners!
Each morning, write anything that’s been wandering in your mind. Write about anything; tedious classes, night out with your mates and the items on your shopping list. While you’re at it, notice small details; the pen’s sound scraping on the page and how the ink bleeds. Write until there’s no more to say and then, breath in and allow mindfulness to pervade.
Walking meditation involves observing the movement of your feet and becoming aware of the body’s connection to the earth. Forget about any sensations in the foot and try to concentrate on the movement itself. This intense focus is similar to the way you focus your attention on the rising and falling of your breath when practicing breathing meditation.
If you’re not feeling like going out, music is a perfect option for you. Listen to something instrumental if you can. Try hearing every instrument and separate the lyrics from the melody. Sing along and feel the vibrations of your body with the sound’s hum.
Mantra meditation involves repeating a mantra — a sound, word, or phrase — over and over until you disconnect from your thoughts and enter a profound state of consciousness. The mantra can be anything you want, so long as it’s possible to remember. A popular mantra is “Sat, Chit, Ananda”, which translates to “Existence, Consciousness, Bliss.”
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a tea or a coffee person or none of those. Take a couple of minutes every morning to drink any beverage slowly. Close your eyes and feel the liquid in your mouth, rolling down your body. And don’t forget to enjoy it!
Visualisation requires you to create a peaceful place in your mind and explore it until reaching a state of absolute calm. The place can be anywhere you wish; the woods, a sandy beach of a garden. Whatever you choose, allow it to be personalised for you and to become your sanctuary. Once there, absorb the sights, scents, and sounds of your surroundings.
This simple technique allows you to relax both your body and mind. You should start by picking a starting point on your body such as your fingers. Focus on the sensation you can feel in your fingers. Relax any contracted muscles and release any tightness or tension in your fingers. Once they’re entirely relaxed, pick another part and repeat the process. This is easily one of the greatest meditation techniques for beginners!
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