Would you like to start meditating, but don't know where to begin? Do you regularly hear around you that meditating can help you experience peace, but it actually only makes you restless? Are you looking for a quick course on 'meditating for beginners' so you can finally experience the numerous benefits for yourself? Then read on quickly!
Benefits of meditating
Meditation has many benefits. To name a few:
- More peace
- More focus
- Better memory
- More relaxed
- Higher libido
Yet many people find it difficult to start meditating either or they believe it does not suit them to wriggle themselves daily into a the traditional lotus position and fight a battle against all the thoughts that arise during meditation.
But there is no obligatory meditation posture at all, and thoughts while meditating are not bad at all. But where do you start if you've never meditated before? We have created a handy step-by-step plan for you.
Quick course in meditating for beginners
- In the beginning, choose a set time of day to meditate. Your brain takes 30 to 256 days to see something as a habit, so make it easy on yourself by making time for meditation every night before bed, for example;
- Sit or lie quietly in a place where you feel safe and where you will not be disturbed. Are you using your phone for a guided meditation? If so, put it on airplane mode;
- First, focus on your breathing. Are you breathing through your nose or through your mouth? Are you breathing across your chest or across your belly. Don't adjust your breathing, but observe.
- Now you can start meditating. This can be a guided meditation, a silent meditation, a sleep meditation or something else. Research which form suits you. And do thoughts pop up during your meditation? Observe them and then leave them alone again.
"Give your full attention to what the moment has to offer" - Eckhart Tolle
Does the above roadmap sound feasible, but do you still feel resistance? You're not the only one. Many people think meditation is something floaty or are afraid they don't have enough time for it. To conclude this article, we have therefore listed 4 common misconceptions about meditating and explained why these misconceptions should not prevent you from starting to meditate.
Meditating for beginners - 4 misconceptions
"I have to think of nothing while meditating."
The purpose of meditating is not to think about nothing; rather, the challenge is to be extra focused. Learn to hold your focus, even if only for a few seconds, and be aware of what is happening in the moment of meditation.
"In meditation, the 'one size fits all' principle applies."
There are so many different meditations, take the time to figure out what form you like. Is it a silent meditation, a guided meditation, a sleep meditation or something else? Keep looking and trying for a form that works for you.
"Meditation is floaty."
Terms such as auras, chakras and the universe can be considered woolly Yet meditation is really nothing more and nothing less than being very consciously in the now, working with energy. And energy is something very scientific ... nothing floaty about it!
"Meditating should be a daily habit"
To make meditation a habit, it can be nice to practice it daily in the beginning, even if it is only 5 minutes. Still, if you don't have or make time to meditate for several days, it doesn't mean you should throw in the towel. Try adding forms of mindfulness at specific times in your day. Very mindfully brush your teeth or take a few deep breaths in and out while washing your hands.
Are you planning to start meditating after reading this article and would you like some guidance? Then the meditation package of Charlotte Labee with 10 accessible guided meditations between 4 and 12 minutes and the handbook 'meditating is something you can learn' is really something for you!