How to Meditate

Introduction

Meditation has become a popular practice across the world, and with good reason: it can help us feel happier, less stressed, and more focused. That said, people often think they have to practice meditation for long periods of time (30 minutes or longer) to feel any benefits at all. In reality, though, you can get great results from 10-minute sessions using mindfulness meditation techniques. In this guide we'll walk you through how to start building a meditation practice so that you can reap the rewards of calm awareness every day.

Relax your body.

Relax your body.

• While it may not seem like it at first, the physical sensations you feel when you meditate are actually quite helpful. As with all things in life, we tend to focus on what's wrong with our bodies. But if we can learn to appreciate their natural rhythm and feel good about ourselves no matter how we're feeling physically, it becomes easier to let go of negative thoughts as well.

• Begin by tensing and relaxing different muscle groups (like your neck or shoulders), taking note of which ones feel tight or sore when they should be relaxed. This will help you identify which muscles are causing tension during meditation so that you can keep track of them throughout the day as well—and hopefully reduce them over time!

• Next comes breathing: focus on taking slow, deep breaths through your nose until all air has left your lungs before inhaling again; this will help train yourself into a more regulated breathing pattern for future sessions as well as any other time throughout each day when stress levels might be running high!

Find a quiet, comfortable spot.

Meditation is a practice that can be done anywhere, but finding a quiet, comfortable spot where you are unlikely to be disturbed is ideal.

If you're new to meditation and want to give it a try, see what works best for you by trying out different positions. There are many different ways of sitting while meditating; some people like to sit in full lotus position while others prefer half-lotus or Burmese positions (these options are also known as "full" and "semi-lotus"). Try out which position feels most comfortable for your legs and back as well as how long it takes you to get into the right pose. You might find that being on your knees with one leg folded over the other works just fine! Or maybe cross-legged on an armchair suits your needs better. Once again: do whatever feels right for YOU!

Set a timer.

Now that you’ve done the first step and found a quiet place, it’s time to set your timer. You can use an app, a clock or watch with a timer feature (like on an iPhone), or just set your own timer in your head. However, if you don’t want to think about how much time has passed while you meditate, choose one of the following options: 5 minutes; 10 minutes; 15 minutes; 20 minutes (my personal favorite); 30 minutes (which is great if you want to try meditating for longer but not commit too much time).

The important thing here isn't so much what you choose as the fact that there is actually a predetermined amount of time during which we're going to meditate—and this helps us stay focused on our practice instead of wandering off into thoughts about what else we could be doing instead (such as getting up and making breakfast).

Focus on your breath.

The next step is to focus on your breathing. As you inhale, feel the sensation of air passing through your nostrils and into your throat. As you exhale, notice how it feels to push out the air through your throat and chest. Some people find that focusing on the feeling of their breath passing in and out helps them calm down, while others prefer to focus on counting their breaths (see below). If one method doesn't work for you, try another.

Pay attention to thoughts.

When you notice your thoughts, don't try to push them away. Don't try to get rid of them or make them go away. Instead, just notice them and then let them go.

When you meditate, it's easy to forget that you're thinking about anything at all—and why would you want to? Your mind wanders from one thought to another automatically, so much so that it can be hard for someone new to meditation not only to notice their thoughts but also realize what they're doing while they're having them. But this is actually a good thing: by simply noticing your thoughts instead of trying not have any at all (which isn't even possible), you'll gain an understanding about how the mind works and learn how best manage your focus during meditation sessions without having any effort put into doing so at all!

Bring your mind back to your breath.

This is the most important part of meditation, and also the most difficult. As you become more familiar with meditation, it will get easier to bring your mind back to your breath. But at first, it's like trying to grab a handful of water—you can't hold onto anything for long before it slips through your fingers again.

As soon as you notice that you've been thinking about something other than breathing, gently bring yourself back by focusing on breathing in and out—without judgment or criticism. Don't try to analyze what happened or why; just accept that whatever happened took place outside of present reality (the act of breathing), which is what's important right now.

If this cycle happens repeatedly throughout the day—that is: thinking about something else instead of being aware of your breath—it may be helpful to develop an anchor for returning back into awareness: focus on the sensation of your breath coming in and going out; focus on the feeling inside your lungs as air moves through them; focus on how air feels against cheeks or nostrils; listen intently for sounds associated with inhaling/exhaling (such as throat clearing); pay attention to smells associated with breathing (eucalyptus essential oil has been shown effective).

Respond to urges.

As you meditate, it's natural to have an urge to do something else. Perhaps you want to check your phone, turn on the TV, or go for a walk. Whatever it is, the key is not to act on these urges immediately. Instead, take some time and reflect on how those urges make you feel (e.g., bored or restless).

By responding to these urges instead of following them right away, you'll be able to stay in the present moment while also making sure that they don't distract from your meditation practice.

Practice for short periods of time at first, then gradually increase the length of practice

It's important to start with short periods of practice and gradually increase the length of time. If you're just starting out, it's best to begin with five minutes per day. Once you've gotten into the habit of meditating for five minutes at a time, then you can aim for ten minutes per day. If ten minutes feels too long, work up from there in increments (five more minutes each week) until your goal is reached.

When practicing meditation it's important not to focus on how long you are meditating or whether or not you feel like meditating at that moment. It is best if we can be mindful of our breath and return our attention back to the present moment when thoughts come up or distractions happen during meditation practice so that we can stay focused on what we are doing without losing track of where we are mentally; this means staying aware of what is going on around us in reality instead of letting ourselves get distracted by other things such as thoughts about past experiences or future plans which often come up during daily life activities like eating meals together as well as work related tasks such as designing new products based off old ones which might require hours upon hours before they finally become something useful enough for consumers worldwide who may even notice its existence one day while shopping online!

Mindfulness meditation can help you stay present and calm in stressful situations

Meditation can help you stay present and calm in stressful situations. It can also help you stay focused on the task at hand, rather than letting your mind wander or get distracted. One of the best things about meditation is that it works for just about anyone, regardless of age, experience level or religion.

Conclusion

Starting a meditation practice can seem overwhelming at first, but with these tips and a little practice, you will notice positive changes in your life. Remember that everyone has different needs when it comes to meditation, so find what works for you. You may want to try meditating with an app or guided meditation audio at first to help you build your technique and stay focused. Try setting aside 10 minutes every day for mindful breathing and observe how it affects your life!