5 tips to kickstart your meditation practice
One of our meditation teachers, Simon Hoten, offers some key tips to kickstart a regular practice
Meditation has been around for thousands of years but has never been more vital than it is today. In our busy world, the need for peace and stability has become critical to keeping our hearts, minds and souls together. The practice of meditation can however present challenges which make it hard for many of us to access its promised riches. We create all kinds of blocks, both conscious and unconscious, which often prevent us from often just getting started. And when we do, trying to keep the mind still and having the patience to stay with it can be really frustrating (hardly the point of meditating!)
As the rewards of regular meditation can be immense, I wanted to offer my help to those of you new to meditating, as well some incentive to those who might have tried and given up to press on and establish a more regular practice.
So here are five tried and tested ways to kickstart your practice and to help you stick with it, making it into a habit and eventually something you rely on for peace of mind.
1.Start small
Don’t be overambitious. Begin with 5 to 10 minutes. Even 1 minute if it helps you start! Before I became a meditation practitioner I worked in the corporate sector, and initially felt my life was just too busy to set aside time for mindful sitting. However, I decided to begin with just 3 minutes every morning, which really got me started and gave me some momentum. Why not try setting your alarm 5 minutes earlier in the morning and take 2 minutes to wake up and give yourself 3 minutes to practise. Then build up from there.
2. Build a habit
Commit to it every day like you do to brushing your teeth (hopefully!) You instinctively know that brushing your gnashers is good for your oral health. Well, meditating helps me to reflect deeply and get to know myself in a more authentic way, and this in turn, helps me with the way I relate to people. I believe it will do the same for you.
3. Find a comfortable place
Don’t think you have to turn yourself into a pretzel in order to meditate. Sit on a chair, sit on your bed, lie down, do it on the loo! Often the body just gets in the way as it can be a cause of discomfort or pain. There is already enough going on in the mind, so sitting comfortably helps to remove one of the big obstacles.
4. Choose the right time for you
If you are a morning person then do it first thing. If you prefer the evening, meditate with the moon. If you only have a few minutes at lunch then try starting then. Remember tip number 1: start small. Do, however, avoid practising after stimulants or sweets as these will tinker with the brainwaves you are trying to regulate. The train, tube or bus are great places to meditate…nobody knows what you are doing and you look as if you are just sitting there (that is, after all, what you are doing).
5. If one style does not work for you then try another
There are many methods for accessing the world of meditation and all eventually lead to the same place. You could try: body sensing, breath meditation, reciting mantras, visualisations and guided meditations. There are lots of apps and classes out there to help you get your practice off the ground. One of the most simple methods is following your inhalation to the count of 5 and exhalation to the count of 5. Listen to the sound of the air coming into and leaving the body, and try to keep it smooth and steady.
The benefits of a regular meditation practice are improved focus and energy, reduced symptoms of stress and improved sleep patterns. If you have any questions that I might be able to help with, please reach out through Yogaloft.
Simon Hoten is a meditation teacher at Yogaloft. You can see his upcoming classes here.