Today, we will talk about how to meditate, we will review everything from What is meditation? Where to meditate? what to do with your body? and what to do with your mind and even how long to do it so that you can start reaping some of these benefits.

What is Meditation

 Meditation is a practice that’s been around for thousands and thousands of years. Yet, there is still a huge misconception about what it really is. Most people like to associate meditation with a monk sitting on top of a mountain, cross leg, staring into the horizon.

But in reality, it’s actually something that everyone can do, and everyone can benefit from. We have to look at our own lives first, there’s something that we’re doing every single day for the majority of the day, we’re thinking, we’re always thinking.

Humans are addicted to thinking.

Eckhart Tolle

Try to stop thinking right now for just 10 seconds. Chances are unless you’ve been practicing meditation for a while. you had at least a couple of thoughts pop into your mind, during this brief period of time.

you might say well thinking isn’t a bad thing, it’s good. we need to think in order to survive, don’t we? Well, that’s true. But, only to some extent. if you really sit down and take a look at it, the large majority of your thinking isn’t as useful as you think. it is a lot of, it is actually quite negative.

just to prove a point, sit down with a pen and paper for five minutes, and record as many of your thoughts that you could have.

Also, have a direct correlation with how you feel. for example: let’s say that you’re at a party and the following dot pops into your mind, what am I doing with my hands? I should be talking to people. am I being awkward? and all of a sudden you’re feeling anxious.

So, we know that we think a lot, and we also know that most of our thoughts are either negative or not constructive.

Finally, we know that our dots can affect how we feel so you can see how we came to the conclusion that thinking too much might just make you feel crappy sometimes.

Now, what does thinking have to do with meditation? Well, there are hundreds of different ways that you can meditate, There is:

• Breathing meditation
• mantra meditation
• guided meditation
• Body Scan Meditation
• Walking Meditation

Just to name a few, but all of them do one thing in common, they teach us how to slow down the number of thoughts entering our mind as well as the speed over, which thoughts enter our mind.

With practice, you can even reach points where you have no thoughts for short periods of time and this is why meditation has so many benefits.  

Where should I meditate

Technically speaking, you can meditate anywhere you like because it is an exercise for the mind. You can meditate:

• Sitting on a chair Meditation

• Sitting on the floor meditation

• Lie down on the bed meditation

• Walking Meditation

But the perfect way to meditate is to avoid meditating in bed. Because you tend to fall asleep. Meditating on the floor with your back straight is actually the most formal and beneficial way to meditate, and this is because it keeps you awake, and allows you to sit for long periods of time.

What do You do with Your body

The first thing you have to keep in mind when meditating is your Feet. Lots of experienced meditators will advise you on how your feet should be on top of each other (lotus).

But for the majority of beginners, you can sit in the way that is most comfortable for you. The important thing is that your legs and arms feel comfortable, your back is straight and your head is perfectly level. Don’t tilt your head up or down, just forward.

In terms of what you do with your eyes, you have the option to meditate with your eyes open or your eyes closed. But for most beginners, I recommend meditating with your eyes closed because it is easier to focus. If you choose to meditate with your eyes open, focus your eyes on something in front of you.

What to wear

Wear what you want. The most important thing is to be comfortable and relaxed. If you’re wearing a tie, belt, or scarf, you may want to loosen it ahead of time and take off any uncomfortable and tight shoes or heels.

How long should I meditate

For now, before you start your meditation session, you’ll want to set an alarm because the time tends to be a lot slower when you first start meditating, so setting an alarm helps prevent the constant need to wonder how much time is left in your meditation session.
For first-time meditators, it is best to start with just 5 minutes, as you make meditation a daily practice and get more used to sitting in the meditating position for long periods of time, you can increase the time to between 10 to 20 minutes which is recommended by most meditators.

What to do during meditation

There are many different forms of meditation. Some, focus on the things around you, some involve reciting words in your mind. The most commonly taught form of meditation is called: Mindfulness Breathing Meditation.

It’s very easy to learn, and it’s considered to be just as powerful and insightful as any other form of meditation. The basis of this meditation is to focus on the breath. Make sure you are breathing through your nose.

All you have to do is focus all your attention on your breath, and observe the way you feel as the air flows through your nose. Notice the way your breath goes from inhale to exhale, Notice the small pause between these two actions, Notice every aspect of the way you feel.

Don’t judge it, don’t criticize it, simply notice. What you will observe quickly is that thoughts will begin to appear in your mind, and will distract you from this simple task. Perhaps you will have thoughts from the past about what you did or should have done, or about the future.

When you notice that your mind wanders like this between the past and the future. Simply, pull the focus back to the breath. This is how you train your mental muscles, and you come back to the here and now

Now, most people who are practicing meditation for the first time will find it very difficult to focus on breathing only for a few seconds and will find themselves lost most of the time. This is completely normal, so don’t criticize yourself if this happens. All you have to do is simply return your attention to your breathing.

It is a very simple exercise, what is important to note is how often you meditate, and how much time you spend on it. By making it a habit, you will notice that you will be able to focus fully on your breath for periods of time, think of this as your mental muscles getting stronger and stronger.

How often should I meditate

In order to really start seeing the benefits of meditation, you must meditate daily. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger does this 20 minutes a day when he wakes up, and 20 minutes before he goes to sleep. And so do most spiritual teachers. As long as you make it a daily habit this is the most important factor.

when will I start seeing the benefits

Well, first of all, you have to do it on a daily basis and the length of each session also plays a role in how quickly you see the benefits. But, in the end, it’s hard to say because it really varies from person to person.

Generally because of the way they were brought up, your state of mind and psyche, where you place your focus and attention during the day. Overall, committing to meditation for 21 consecutive days will make a difference in your life.

When you don’t have time to meditate, you should meditate more than ever.

Frederick Dawdson

guys meditation is very simple. It’s just the act of making it into a daily habit that is hard.

If you guys have any more questions leave them in the comments below and I’ll try to answer as many of them as possible