Meditation has become popular over the last few years. It is particularly useful to incorporate daily to improve your mental health, especially during this pandemic, racial injustice + police brutality we are dealing with on a daily basis.
Although it sounds like it is an easy task, it is not as simple as it sounds to master. I attempted meditation for the first time three years ago. I knew that focusing on breathing was one way to meditate so that is what I set out to do. I sat comfortably on the floor, closed my eyes, and took slow deep breaths through my nose and out through my mouth. After about 15 seconds, I realized I was rehashing thoughts of a conversion I had an hour before. I tried to refocus, “back to breathing” is what I told myself; “breathe in, let it out”. Less than a minute later, I was on to thoughts of dinner. I decided at that moment today was a good effort and I would try again the next.
I did give it another go the next day and my mediation practice began to deepen seconds by seconds. Being patient with the practice has led me to the point of where I am today- sporadic and wavering.
You may have assumed I have meditation mastered- not true at all. Sometimes I am disciplined + focus, meditating for 30 minutes or more at a time. Other times, I am back to not being able to sit still for longer than a minute.
I realized starting on the right foot increases the odds of maintaining your meditation practice and getting the most benefits from it. There are several common mistakes + misconceptions about meditation. You will want to avoid pitfalls if you are new to the practice.
Use these tips to avoid meditation pitfalls:
- Sit up straight. Slouching may be comfortable for a couple of minutes, but it takes more strength than you think to support poor posture. Sit up straight and let your skeleton support your weight.
- Start slowly. Just a couple of minutes is enough to start. There are two good reasons for this. It’s easier to be compliant when you only have to sit for three minutes at a time. It’s also challenging to meditate for an extended period of time if you’re not experienced.
- Meditate multiple times each day. By sitting for just a couple of minutes, you should have time to sit for multiple sessions. You might want to try meditating for a few minutes each hour.
- It’s all about the breath. Your breath connects you to the moment and helps to keep your mind focused. The breath isn’t something to be focused on intensely, rather it acts as an anchor to maintain awareness of the present.
- Count if necessary. If you’re struggling to maintain awareness of your breath, count your breaths. Count each inhalation until you’ve reached five and then start over.
- Keep your eyes opened slightly. It’s easier for your mind to wander from the present if your eyes are closed. Keep your gaze lowered and soft.
- Acknowledge thoughts but avoid dwelling on them. All thoughts should be treated the same. They are just phenomena passing through. Let them go and return your attention to the breath. Sometimes I like to let my thoughts flow and witness them from the perspective of being “a fly on the wall”. Watching from this view helps me see the situations/thoughts for what they are unattached to any preconceived emotion. DO NOT ENGAGE THE THOUGHTS, JUST LET THEM FLOW.
- Be patient. It seems like it should be easy to concentrate for a few minutes, but the mind likes to stay busy. It’s a challenging habit to break. Be patient.
- Sit comfortably. It’s not necessary to sit with your legs folded up like a pretzel. Any position that can be held comfortably for the planned time is good enough.
- Use a timer. Without a timer, you’ll find yourself worrying about the time and continue to peek at the clock. Set a reliable timer and you won’t be as preoccupied with the time.
- Increase your meditation time by 5 minutes each week. Avoid the temptation to progress too quickly. Ideally, you’ll look forward to your meditation sessions. Progressing too quickly causes restlessness and agitation.
- Consider getting assistance. There are many free opportunities to meditate with others. Look for local or online meetups. With so many people meditating, you’re bound to find someone to learn/practice with or an expert willing to help. You can find meditations on YouTube and other music platforms. Two of my favorites at the moment are RZA’s “Guided Meditations” + Londrelle’s “Stay Free”. Both are albums with multiple meditations to choose from.
- Take every opportunity to meditate. Meditating at home under perfect conditions is great practice, but the ultimate goal is to have the ability to meditate anywhere. A skilled meditator can meditate at packed Titans game on a humid, 98-degree day Nashville.
- Be persistent. If you’re meditating each day with the full intention of improving, you’ll eventually become a skilled meditator.
- Stretch first. Your meditation position should be comfortable and easy. If your position feels like a stretch, you won’t be comfortable. Stretch first.
- There’s no reason to be concerned about your hands. Just place your hands comfortably on your lap. Allowing your hands to be lower can eventually pull down on the shoulders and become uncomfortable.
Meditation can bring you both mental and physical benefits. Use these tips when beginning to meditate and you will quickly become skillful at a practice you can enjoy for the rest of your life.
The key is to keep at it, give yourself some grace and remember that meditation is a PRACTICE.
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