Meditation is easier than you think! Here are 3 easy ways to meditate when you think you “don’t know how”.
I can’t tell you how many of my clients have claimed they “can’t meditate” and then are amazed after trying a few exercises and finding it wasn’t as hard as they thought.
After all, meditation is more than sitting quietly and sweeping out thoughts with an imaginary broom. Meditation is actually just focused attention, and there are many different ways to meditate.
This is the core foundation of meditation — being present in the body and in the moment. And a big part of how to do that is…
- Learn to follow your breath
Breathing is something we do unconsciously. (Could you imagine what life would be like if you had to constantly remind yourself to breathe?) When we tune in and consciously follow our breath, something magickal happens.
During the time when we can follow the breath, the mind starts to clear, the body begins to relax, and overall we can feel a shift from tightness to lightness. This is because we are creating space within the body and allowing a change to occur. Relaxation is a byproduct of consciously breathing. The nervous system comes back into balance and we evoke a sense of peace and calm.
Following the breath is as easy as feeling the expansion and contraction in the body. Also, noticing where you’re breathing from will give you a clue as to where you’re at on the relaxation scale.
Typically when we’re stressed or overwhelmed the breathing tends to be short, choppy, and higher up in the chest. However, when we are relaxed the breathing is lower in the belly and sustained longer.
Honor wherever you are at in the moment and don’t intentionally try to change things. Part of meditation includes acceptance, and accepting where you are emotionally, mentally, and physically can allow you to be more present. You don’t want to force yourself to be in a place you are not. Your goal is to give yourself the opportunity to get there on your own, at your natural pace.
Trying to be on step 100 when you’re only at step one doesn’t work and can leave you feeling disempowered with the whole process. Breathe into any resistance or judgment that comes up and be willing to be right where you are.
- Use the Sound of Music
The hills are alive, and so are you! We are naturally in tune with the rhythm of life and carry our own unique song with us. We’ve got a natural beat we can move to — our heart. And tuning into your heart is a perfect way to start a meditation practice.
Here’s a super easy way to meditate. All you’re going to do here is tune in to your body and listen to your heart beat. Sit and listen to it for as long as it feels good to you (at least ten bu-bumps). Notice how you feel afterwards.
You can also add some deep breathing noticing the space the breath creates in the body and around the heart.
A little more advanced would be to go grab a rattle/ shaker, chopsticks, or even a pot and a spoon like when you were two. Pens work too, fingernails on a glass — anything that makes a sound is all you need for this exercise.
After you’ve tuned in and listened to your heartbeat, match up a physical sound outside your body to the beat. You don’t have to be perfect, the goal here is to just get in a rhythm. And don’t worry if you feel like you don’t have any! Your heart and body work together and you will naturally be able to follow it.
- Notice your thoughts
“I wonder what my next thought will be”? This is a great question to ask yourself to find the space between your thoughts.
Too often we get caught up in our heads, letting our thoughts control us instead of the other way around. You can easily gain control of your thoughts if you take some time to simply notice them.
When you notice a thought that doesn’t make you feel good, take some time to explore it. Notice where in your body it lives (this is a massive hint to clearing it).
Being aware of our thoughts is part of the meditation process. We’re not just dismissing the thoughts that come in. In fact, we’re acknowledging they’re there and consciously choosing to hook into them or not.
And this is both in meditation and while in “waking life”.
Our thoughts create our reality, and we get what we think about, whether we want it or not. So, noticing our thoughts is imperative when it comes to meditation. You see, the brain and the body don’t know the difference between what’s real and imagined. So, anytime we’re in an elevated state of emotion (positive of negative) we are powerfully calling to us what we are thinking of.
Noticing the negative (or less than good feeling) thoughts will help to deter manifesting the things we don’t want. When meditating on things that feel good, we emit a frequency that returns to us with more of those good feelings.
Meditation is simply focused attention. When we focus on our thoughts we can determine which thoughts are helpful and which are not.
Final thoughts
To sum it up, there are many different and easy ways to meditate. These three suggestions will help you get started. Even if you only spend 60 seconds noticing your breath, you are on your way to being able to meditate.
In reality, what you need is consistency. By carving out a few minutes a day to practice you will start to notice a difference. From there, you can add another minute or two, and before you know it, you will be able to meditate for ten or fifteen minutes at a time.
If you still think you can’t meditate, here is a short Five Minute Energy Cleanse you can listen to. It’s designed to clear out the clutter and help you relax and focus.
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