Meditation tips/techniques

In the media (TV/magazines etc) meditation tends to be portrayed as someone sitting cross legged, holding their fingers in a certain way, either chanting or in complete silence with an empty mind. Yes that is one form of meditation, however, those portrayals/stereotype can put people off.
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Meditation is not about emptying the mind (almost impossible unless you dedicate your whole life to this), but learning to slow down, breathe and control your thoughts. Meditation can be easy to fit into your day and will provide you with significant health benefits, both physically and mentally.
But many people don't know where to start. Or others will try it and give up as they're still having thoughts after 10 mins - if that is you, then don't worry as it is really common as even when you do it regularly that can still happen (some days I can settle my mind within 2-3 mins and other days it takes 25-30 mins).
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Meditation tips
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Here are some tips that you may find helpful:
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Try different things until you find something that works for you - there are loads of free resources out there to help - web articles, Youtube videos, free and paid apps. There are lots of different types including:
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focused meditations (where you may count mala beads, or focus on an object like a candle)
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guided meditations (where someone will have recorded or be doing a live narrative for you to follow)
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movement meditations (such as walking meditations, chi gong, tai chi etc)
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mantra meditations (where you will say a mantra repetitively, either silently or out loud) to clear the mind
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Loving kindness meditation - this is used to strengthen feelings of compassion, kindness, and acceptance toward oneself and others. It typically involves opening the mind to receive love from others and then sending well wishes to loved ones, friends, acquaintances, and all living beings.
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Practicing Mindfulness
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If you struggle to focus you may find it easier to start with a guided meditation (using any of the free resources already mentioned above) - that way you can focus on the speaker guiding you through the practice.
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If your thoughts start to come back then don't panic:
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Firstly, don't judge yourself for it - it takes practice and time
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Try not to engage with the thoughts. Think of them like passing clouds - acknowledge it's a thought but let it float on past.
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Focus on your breathing - noticing the breath in and the breath out. If needed, even silently say the words in your head 'breathe in....breathe out.....breathe in....breathe out....' until your mind settles and you can do this without needing to use the words.
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Don't worry about your posture - you don't need to sit crossed legged on the floor. Ideally you will keep your spine straight but you can sit in a chair (if possible have your feet flat on the floor for grounding) or lie down (if you're likely to dose off to sleep lying down then maybe try sitting in a chair).
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Pick a time of day when you can relax, not be in rush and switch off easier - not be clock watching that you need to go catch your train to work. Try setting your alarm for 5 mins earlier in the morning and do it then.
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Start little - even just a few mins a day and build up from there. Try 5 mins a day the first week then maybe 7 mins a day the second week, 10 mins a day the third week. Whatever works for you!
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Try mindfulness throughout your day. We spend a lot of our time thinking about the past (often with regrets) or worrying about the future. However, this causes stress and achieves nothing as we cannot change the past, nor can we predict or control the future. We only ever have the present moment. Try to stay in the present moment, only focussing on that moment - you can use your senses to help noticing what you can see, hear, smell, touch, feel. We are often doing several tasks at once overwhelming our minds and bodies. If you are doing a task, for example, washing the dishes then focus solely on that task, noticing how your hands feel in the water, the pattern on the plates, how your body feels today, etc. The more you do this the easier it becomes and you will notice an improvement in your mental health and stress levels.
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Don't give up! Some days will be easier than others. If you consistently practice it will get easier over time. There is no right and no wrong way. Find something that works for you.
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