Learn to Meditate

Learn to meditate for beginners

learn  to meditate –I am going to show you a simple yet powerful technique that will help you to begin to meditate in an easy and comfortable way. Firstly I want to demystify some things about meditation that may well have prevented you from attempting meditation in the first place, then when you learn how to meditate properly you will be free from those misconceptions.

The thing I hear the most from people who are struggling with meditation is that they cannot empty their minds. This is actually true, you cannot completely empty your mind, there has to be something there, a thought, an idea etc.This one misconception is often enough to put people off meditation for life. Once you understand that it is part of meditation to have something present in the mind, then it becomes a whole lot easier.

The second most common misconception is the idea that you have to sit in the lotus position and chant certain mantras. Although this is part of a very specialised form of meditation it is not essential for all or most meditation practices.

The third misconception is that meditation is in some way a complicated mystical act that is practised only by the gifted few, or reserved for Gurus or Yoga teachers. Thankfully meditation is available to us all and everyone can benefit from it given a little practice.

Before I explain a very simple way of how to meditate properly, lets look at the benefits that you can expect from regular meditation practice

Psychical benefits of Meditation

• Lowers Blood Pressure – decreasing the chances of heart attacks and other related illnesses.
• Increases serotonin manufacturing that improves temper and behavior
• Decreases tension complications which can result in ulcers, insomnia, muscle and joint troubles
• Improves the immune system helping to prevent colds, flu and viruses
• Increases energy levels, as you benefit an inner source of energy, thus enabling you to either lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

Emotional benefits of Meditation

Meditation brings us to an Alpha state that promotes more healthier thoughts and in turn can lead to the following,

•  Improved emotional stability
•  Anxiety & tension decreases
•  Creativity & ideas increases
•  Happiness increases, depression often lifts or improves.
•  Gain clarity and peace of mind
•  Troubles and worries become smaller and easier to handle
•  A sharper mind that becomes more alert, studying becomes easier
• Promotes Intuition and six sense.
• Spiritual unfoldment and a sense of self awareness

When you begin to mediate on a regular basis you start to realise that it is your inner mind set that determines your outer happiness. Meditation cleanses your thought processes and nourishes you from within bringing harmony, calmness and peace.

Often people report back to me that they have a sense of real transformation and that their view of the outer world changes to be more positive

Easy five Minute Meditation

Although this technique may seem simple it is highly effective and if practiced on a regular basis will bring long lasting results. The key to this practice is not to try to meditate for too long, this is why I recommend starting with just five minutes at a time.

The reason we set five minutes is that when you are learning to master meditation if you attempt to sit any longer you may well either fall asleep or end up becoming restless.

If you have an egg timer this will help you set the time frame. Sit in a comfortable position, in a chair with a straight back, put your hands palms down on your legs. Relax the whole of your body from head to toe and take some deep breaths.

Just breathe normally don’t try to alter or control your breathing at all.

Now with your eyes closed centre your awareness on the space between your eyes, this is often called the third eye or Ajna Chakra (read our article here about the chakra’s) In this space visualise the word “PEACE” in big bright letters.

You may wish to visualise this word glowing or pulsating, whatever works for you.  When other thoughts start to come in and you feel your attention being pulled away, bring it back to the word. Don’t be discouraged if you feel you have not succeeded on the first or even second occasions.

If you persevere the MIND will eventually begin to do as it is directed. Remember you only have to do this for 5 minutes to start with. When you have practiced this for at least a few weeks you can extend the time.

Why we use the word Peace

This word is actually one of the core states that  we are all searching for in all the things we do. An excellent book that describes the whole concept of core states and how to work with them is Core Transformation by Connirae Andreas & Tamara Andreas

Need some help with your Meditations

After practising the above technique for a while you will definitely see results in your daily life. However once you get past the basics of meditation you may decide that you want to explore other areas of meditation and also look at the various tools available to help enhance your practice.

Set the Scene

Its a great idea to set up a dedicated Meditation space or room. If you cannot set aside an actual room then a corner of a spare room would be fine. Think about dressing the room with items that promote peace and tranquillity. Also think about the ambience, soft lighting, candles, incense or aromatherapy oils. Here\’s a few ideas for these items you may like to use