Meditation for Beginners

The benefits of meditation are endless and it has been scientifically proven that meditation improves your life dramatically. Wether you have never meditated or you quit meditation a long time ago, here are the first and basic steps to start incorporating the great art of meditation into your life:

1. Start with just 2 minutes a day, preferably in the early morning Of course any time is better than no time, but the mornings are the best, since the day hasn’t started yet and it allows for you to have a great start in the day. It will allow you to be in a better mood and more focused. A good idea is to set your alarm clock a few minutes earlier, setting your phone to “not disturb” and then set the timer to 2 minutes. Our recommendation is to do this every day and then add 1 minute each week. So the week after you would do 3 minutes, the week after that 4 minutes etc.
2. Do not think about how you are sitting We are just starting, so the most important thing is that you feel comfortable and good. You can sit on the floor on a cushion, with your legs crossed or on the couch. You can also sit on your bed, but make sure you don’t fall back asleep!
3. Count your breaths Once you find the best position, close your eyes, feel your body touching the ground, chair etc. Be aware of the sounds around you and then start counting your breaths. Try to not think about anything, just counting. Count up to 10 breaths and then start over again.
4. Leave your thoughts aside  
5. It is the most natural thing in the world to start thinking about everything. Your to-do list, something that happened, what you want to do…. If you are actually able to count to 10 without having any thought whatsoever, congratulations, you are probably the next Buddha! 🙂 Our brain is wired to think and it is natural for us to start thinking about everything. The important thing here is that you become aware that you are thinking about something. So whenever you notice you are thinking, notice the though, acknowledge it and, with love and kindness to yourself, imagine you are taking that though and pushing it aside. Or under the water. Just make space for emptiness. And start counting again. As you will find, this is not easy at all!
   
6. You will never do it wrong.
   A lot of people worry that they are meditating wrong. Do not worry about this. Your thoughts are part of you, they will never be wrong. You can go back to them once you are done meditating. Even if you sit in a weird position, this is still your meditation. Never think you are doing it wrong!
7. Be aware when you are finished
   Once the timer rings and you are finished with your meditation, do not get up immediately. Instead, open your eyes and be aware of your surroundings. Take in to sounds, feelings etc. Finally, think about the things you are grateful for and start your day. Your meditation session is over!

The important thing is to keep doing it every day, no matter how little. Meditation can do a lot for you, improve your life and it is always better to do just a few minutes than nothing at all.