Sunday, September 14, 2014

12 Tips for Building or Enhancing a Meditation Practice

1. It is called a practice for a reason! Be gentle with yourself if you have a mind that wanders frequently, it is perfectly normal! Your mind has been able to do what it wants for as long as you have been alive, it takes time and practice to get out of this habit!

2. In the beginning, your body will also rebel, it is normal to get physically uncomfortable within the first 10 minutes of a mediation practice, and that is okay too. Take the time to try out different cushions, chairs, and positions and find what works the best for you, and supports your body.

3. You don't have to meditate for an hour to consider it mediation! If you find that your mind and body get uncomfortable and rebel after 5 minutes of meditation and want to stop, that's okay. The more frequent you practice, the longer you will be able to sit for. If you try to sit and focus for an hour to start, you will set yourself up for failure and undermine your whole meditation experience (and your practice). Start small and work your way up to longer and longer times.

4. Use a focusing tool, whether it is a mantra (om and so hum are great), a thought, feeling, or idea     ( love, peace, calm, centered, connected), an affirmation ( I am calm, I am healthy, I am sacred) be creative, change it as you see fit, and find ones that really resonate and speak to you.

5. Use breathing to calm the body and focus the mind, check this out for info on breathing

6. Use guided meditations - find an app, listen to Deepak Chopra (him and Oprah have free meditation series regularly keep an eye out for them they are really great!) Find some on iTunes, or find some at 'New Age' stores or Yoga studios, find meditation classes (I lead a monthly one at Omnia Wellness)

7. Do some research, there are different forms of meditation, some are sitting, standing, walking, moving. Find different styles that you can try, so days when you are physically uncomfortable you can try movement or walking.

8. Carve out time in your day to dedicate to yourself, and your practice. If the morning before work, in the evening before bed, outside in the sun on a sunny day (or inside if it is winter!), find what time of day works for you and go with that, don't try to get it done in the morning if you aren't a morning person!

9. It's okay if you miss a day! Don't let missing a day or two throw your practice off completely, do your best to start back again as soon as you can (again, even if it is for 5 minutes, it'll make a difference)

10. Spend a few moments near the end of your meditation with gratitude, for yourself for doing it, for your mind for focusing, for your body for relaxing, and add in anything else you are grateful for. This helps your mind and body to know that meditation = gratitude, happiness, and calmness!

11. End your meditation with grounding. Imagine your energy connecting to the energy at the center of the earth, and allow yourself to ground and connect into that energy, then allow it to come through your physical body bringing that feeling of being grounded with it. Connect into the physical sense of your body, wiggle fingers and toes, then gently open your eyes and take a few deep breaths to bring your full awareness into the present!

12. Have Fun! Do what ever you can to make it the most enjoyable experience possible! Create a sacred space, burn candles, use an incense or an oil that you love, imagine yourself in a place in nature that you love like a forest, beach, cave, or at the top of a mountain, let your imagination take you anywhere!

Happy Meditating!

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