7 tips for starting a meditation practice that sticks
the many benefits of meditating
For over ten years, I’ve had a regular meditation practice. It’s given me less stress and more joy, along with deeper sleep, improved immune system and more resilience. But when I first started, it was really hard for me to meditate. I found the sessions almost unbearable. I couldn’t sit still. My mind bubbled over with thoughts. Even my hands shook. I ended the meditation feeling worse than when I started.
But I knew the many benefits of meditation and so I stuck with it. It took me months of practice, but I slowly got better. But my progress could have been so much quicker if only I had known a few things. This is what I wished I would have known before I started meditating.
Why Starting Small is Key
I knew I couldn’t start with a 30-minute or longer meditation, so I started with 15 minutes. But even that was too long. I wish I’d started with only a few minutes at a time. Even just a minute of meditation can help lower your heart rate and train your brain for mindfulness. I should have started with only 2-3 minutes and gradually increased that as the weeks went by. Starting small helps you build motivation and success.
Dealing with interruptions during meditation
Meditation is most effective when you are in a quiet, undisturbed space. But sometimes, that’s impossible. Life can interfere - a child interrupts you, a doorbell rings. And sometimes I wouldn’t start meditating, because I wasn’t sure if I’d have uninterrupted time. But interruptions are ok; life is full of them. I learned how to break the meditation with an interruption, but then return. It’s all about learning how to come back and center yourself. Knowing interruptions are okay helps with that.
Understanding your thoughts during meditation
I thought I was supposed to empty my mind and sink into nothingness. But our brains are designed to think, even when we’re meditating. In fact, when our bodies are still and the noises around us quiet, our thoughts can seem as if they’re even louder. That’s ok. Meditation teaches us to let the thoughts bubble up around us. It’s helpful to think of them as clouds gently floating by. Another image that helps is to think of our thoughts as cars driving by. We can watch the traffic, but we don’t need to get into a car and drive away with our thoughts.
Engaging with thoughts during meditation
Sometimes, we can engage with our thoughts. Meditation does teach us how to let our thoughts go by, but that doesn’t mean we can’t engage with them. Sometimes, we get a flash of insight, an idea for something or a solution to a problem. It’s ok to engage with those thoughts. It’s not about letting all of our thoughts go by, but choosing which ones we want to follow. Some people will simply note the flash of insight, knowing they’ll remember it. But I like to have paper on hand just in case I get something that I know I’ll want to remember. Meditation can often inspire our best ideas.
Experimenting with different meditation styles
There is no one right way to meditate. Some people prefer a mantra meditation or a smile one. Many prefer a guided journey or metta meditation, where you meditate on loving-kindness for both others and yourself. There are many different styles of meditation. Experiment with different ones to find the style that works for you. You can also experiment on body positions, whether it’s lying down or sitting on the floor, or in a comfortable chair. See which ones you prefer and keep an open mind to changing them and finding the one that works best for you in the moment.
The benefits of music in meditation
Many people won’t meditate with music, preferring a mantra or focusing only on the breath. But especially for beginner meditators, music can enhance a meditation. It can relax you, slow your breathing down and help you sink into a meditation even more. When I lead immersive meditations, I love being able to play my harp as I guide my clients through peaceful journeys. I weave in melody and rhythm and harmony, all designed to immerse my clients into a relaxing and healing meditation. Find music that can help sink you into a deeper meditation.
Double up on Anchors for a deeper meditation experience
An anchor is something you focus on that allows you to sink deeper into your meditation. And when your thoughts wander (which they will!) it’s great to have something to focus on to help bring you back into meditation. One of the most popular anchors is the breath. Focusing on your break can help calm you down and give something to return to when thoughts begin to swirl. Another anchor is a mantra, a word like OM that you repeat over and over inside your mind. When first learning to meditate, I find it helpful to layer in another anchor. Adding in music or movement gives your body and mind something else to focus on and makes it easier to allow your thoughts to come and go.
Meditation offers so many incredible benefits. By incorporating some of these suggestions, you can train your brain for mindfulness and learn how to meditate!
“There are so many incredible benefits to meditating, but I was stuck on the challenges. Here’s what I wish I’d known before I started meditating.”