How to Meditate
You can learn to meditate in three easy steps. Even if you've tried before and just can't get your mind to shut the f*** off!!!
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I promise you, following these simple steps, giving yourself time to practice, and not giving up, you will become a natural meditator... meditating person... let's just say you will learn how to quiet your mind!
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Follow me!
step one
Nothing fancy is necessary to begin your meditation practice. But a few things are helpful.
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Try to find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. When first starting out, you only need maybe 10 minutes.
Hopefully, the spot you claim for your meditation practice has a comfy seat of some kind. I like to sit on a little pouf, which raises my hips up but my knees can fall a little lower when I sit semi-cross-legged. I have a wall behind me to lean on if necessary. Sometimes, my back does get tired of holding itself up, but we do want to keep our back straight as much as possible, to allow for free energy flow - not to mention blood flow!
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I recommend having your eyes closed when you are learning to meditate. We don't want to be distracted. So there is no need for a candle or a crystal or any kind of doodad right now. Just you, the floor, comfy chair, or pillow and your breath. ​
step 2
Once you are comfortably seated and can sit relatively comfortable with an upright posture, you want to focus on your breath. We all have a regular rhythm of breath and that's all you're going to use. But first to start to train your brain that you are going to meditate now, we are going to take 3 deep breaths. This is important, if not for any other reason, than to tell your brain we are going to start a new habit of sitting quietly for a bit...
so BREATHE in through your nose as deeply as you can, then release that breath as SLOWLY as possible through your mouth.
As you are releasing this breath, focus on the lower part of your body, watching as all the tension is released from your toes, your feet, your lower legs, and then your upper legs.
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BREATHE in through your nose as deeply as you can, then release this breath as SLOWLY as possible through your mouth while focusing now on releasing all tension in your hips and pelvis, your lower back and stomach, the middle part of your back and around your diaphragm, your upper back and your chest.
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Now for the third time, BREATHE in through your nose as deeply as you can, then release this breath as SLOWLY as possible through your mouth, while focusing on releasing any tension from your shoulders, neck and head, releasing the jaw and softening the face.
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Now return your breath to normal
step 3
Now you have prepared your brain and your body for meditation.
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Set a timer for 5 minutes. (This is crucial. You do not want to be thinking about the time, or how long you've been doing this and interrupt your focus) Trust me, only start with 5 minutes.
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As you listen to your breath as you breath normally, we are going to focus on each in-breath and each out-breath, without changing it's rhythm. It is what it is!
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Now we are going to count the breaths. 1 on the rise and 2 on the fall, just up to a count of 10. Then we will stop and start over at 1. (Each in breath is an odd number and each out breath is an even number!)
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What's going to happen is you'll be counting and then your mind will start to wander, you'll start thinking about what you are going to make for dinner, or you'll remember that you need to add cheese to the shopping list, or you'll start thinking about a conversation your had that irked you!! This is all normal.
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And so each time you catch your mind wandering, you'll very gently acknowledge, 'thinking', and return to your breath. You'll simply start at 1 again on the next in breath.
You'll just continue to do this until your timer buzzes.
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You'll probably be surprised now at how quickly 5 minutes went by. You will feel very proud of yourself that you did it. Because YOU DID!!! You meditated.
If you are tempted to immediately increase the time on your next practice, please don't!! Your brain needs to have a period of adjustment to this new strange practice of being quiet. What it also needs is positive reinforcement. So after 5 minutes, you'll be thrilled and so proud that you were able to quiet your mind for 5 minutes that you can't wait to do it again tomorrow .. for 5 minutes - only!!
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I recommend that you stick with 5 minutes for the first week. Yep, 7 days. In a row!! 5 minutes a day!! This is how we begin a new habit.
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You will be surprised at how beneficial quieting your mind for only 5 minutes a day feels.
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As you progress, increase your time by only a few minutes at a time, stick with it for a few days, at least, before increasing your time again.
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progressing your meditation practice
As you get used to your new meditation practice, try a different focus.
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Here are a few suggestions.
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Picture a tiny pin point of light emanating from your pineal gland, which is directly behind your third eye chakra (center of your forehead) and down from the top center of your crown. This tiny speck of light now begins shining directly out the center of your forehead - imagine it is lighting up the way ahead of you in your life. See what you see. Remember when your mind wanders, bring it back to your focus. Keep a journal handy. You will most likely get an idea or some insight.
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Imagine a ball of light about 18 inches above your head. Once you notice the ball of light it activates and becomes brighter, glowing, sparkling... this ball of light is pure LOVE energy. It begins to drip it's light in through the crown of your head and it flows through your whole body. Watch as it flows in and fills up your cranium, then down your neck and throat and then into your chest, and down your arms and into your fingers, down into your stomach and back and so on. Imagine watching it feel every crevice of your body and lighting up every cell.