These Meditation tips for beginners will help you set the right expectations and work through the most common obstacles you may encounter.
Meditation and mindfulness are some of the things most people talk about but never do. A year ago, I was one of those people, I had a vague idea about Meditation and its benefits, but I had not tried to put in its practice.
As I look back now, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I was pushed to meditate out of desperation. I was severely depressed, miserable, angry, and resentful.
Drinking heavily to mask the quiet desperation I felt and taking stress relief supplements in the hope of taking the edge off.
Why didn’t I see a doctor, you might ask? Because I felt Medication for me was not the best alternative.
I was already drinking heavily, I didn’t want to build a dependency on Medication as well.
One day, I was watching a YouTube, and a video came up of a “guru,” claiming Meditation could be a doorway to joy.
Joy? I haven’t felt joy in such a long time, but I have nothing more to lose why not give it a try.
I did, and although my life didn’t change overnight, I am a much better person to live with than I was a year ago.
There are several YouTube videos to show you how to meditate if you are interested.
Here I want to share some misconceptions I had about Meditation at the beginning in the form of tips.
These tips will only be helpful for the beginner to give you an idea of what to expect and not expect out of your practice.
Commit for 90 days
Meditation is like working out of the mind, just like you don’t expect to work out for a day and get in shape, you must commit to the practice every day for at least 90 days.
There is a misconception that it takes 21 days to build a habit. I strongly disagree; it may take 21 days to become consistent with a new practice but not to stick to it.
Recent studies show that it takes an average of 66 days to build a habit; this also varies and depends on the individual.
The reason we stick to a habit is that we start to see the benefits of the practice we are building; this makes us more inclined to stick to it.
The point I want to make is if you are serious about getting any real benefits from mediation, consider a 90-day commitment when you are starting.
Do not strive to get rid of your thoughts
Every activity we do to relax has one goal, to escape the narrator in our minds that never stops talking.
Drinking Alcohol, taking drugs, watching Tv, listening to music; we want a break from the voice inside our heads.
Most of us go into mediation, expecting our thoughts to disappear. You might feel frustrated at the beginning if you find that your mind won’t stop talking.
The goal of Meditation is to become alert to what the narrator (your thoughts) talks about; to create a distance between you, the observer who thinks, and the voice that won’t stop talking without trying to make it go away.
Start with a simple goal. To observe the thoughts in your head without judgment and create a distance between the thinker and the thoughts.
Instead of escaping or trying to get rid of them.
Do not try too hard
Typically, in our daily lives, we do something and expect results.
If we do not get the results expected we get frustrated.
Meditation is the opposite when you sit down to meditate, expect nothing, sit there with whatever comes to mind without trying to change it or escape from it.
Body Sensations
Over the year, each mediation session has been different. I started with 15 minutes a day. I have since moved up to 1-2 hours a day, depending on how much time I have that day.
You might never need to mediate that long. I do it because I know how much my mental health depends on it.
There have been times when I have cried, felt a stab of pain in my chest, body shaking, and pure bliss.
Each time is different; it’s for this reason you should have a meditation teacher if you can afford it who has enough experience to be your guide and answer any questions that may arise.
In most cases I sit with whatever sensations come up, you can expect them.
When the mind is still all the trauma and emotions you stored up in the body and refused to feel and let go of will come up.
It is all part of the healing process.
Do not expect Meditation to solve all your problems
Meditation has several benefits, including valuable effects on; drug addictions, binge eating, stress, loneliness, smoking cessation, ADHD, asthma, and depression.
Don’t however, expect it to turn you into a happy saint overnight.
You will become less miserable, but life will still happen, things may not go your way.
Occasionally you will even get angry and say hurtful words.
Is it still worth it? I can’t answer that for you but if am speaking for myself yes.
The negative aspects of life don’t push me into reactivity and hardly i drink.
I may not be happy all the time but I am better to live with and I don’t feel the need to distract myself.
I hope you will give it a chance if you do please come back to this article and let me know your thoughts.
Happy Meditation!
Did I miss any important tips? Please let me know in the comment section.
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