Meditation Tips & Benefits

I had dinner with a friend the other night and over the course of catching up, she smiled and said, “You’ll be happy to know that I’ve started mediating and I’m really loving it!” And, she was right, it did make me happy to hear it. Meditation has become an important ritual to me – a chance to get centered before the bluster of the day threatens to take over. Often when I share with others that I meditate, I often get a reaction along the lines of “Oh that’s great, but I could never do that” or “I tried meditating once and just couldn’t sit still for THAT long!”

Now before you dismiss meditation as a little too new-agey for you, consider some of these benefits, so well summoned up in this infographic:

OK – so now that I’ve got your attention, here are my tips for getting started:

Start small — Start with 5 minutes and build up to 10 minutes, but don’t push it.

Location matters – Pick a spot in your house, garden/yard, wherever you feel a sense of peace. Find a quiet spot, a place that will help you to feel calmer and not distracted.

Breathe —  While some people like mantras, I found that when I first started meditating that trying to remember the mantra was distracting and stressful. I think it’s easier to just focus on your breath – just breathe naturally, focusing on the natural in and out rhythm.

Thoughts happen — If you try to “clear your mind,” you will make yourself crazy! Thoughts are going to come – notice them but then bring your attention back to your breath.  I will admit this one will take a bit to get the hang of, but it will get easier with practice.

Be consistent — Do your best to carve out some time every day. Consider this time a little gift to yourself and enjoy it.

Do you meditate? What tips would you add?

Infographic courtesy of Emma Seppala, PhD.