Create a Meditation Practice - Part 1

I'm going to share simple tips to become more mindful, self-aware, and less stressed through meditation & mindfulness.

Using various practices, you’ll discover what meditation is, what it isn’t, how meditation changes your brain, the essentials of successful meditation, experiences you might have, and many benefits that will unfold for you.

The first thing I want to mention before anything else - meditation has become “ultra” trendy these days, even esoteric in a way, and I get it if you’re thinking this practice is too good to be true. 

I intend to share my knowledge of how meditation works and teach it to you without the fluff. I want to provide you with simple yet effective practices that can reduce anxiety and enhance your life even in the most hectic times.

The word meditation stems from meditatum, a Latin term that means ‘to ponder.’ The oldest reference originated back to 1500 BC mainly in India & China.

Meditating is like planting a seed, an intention that you watch grow over time. You don't have to sit cross-legged on the floor, change your diet or alter your beliefs to practice it.

> Meditation Is A Technique For Quieting The Mind And Nervous System

> Meditation Is A Practice For Cultivating An Expanded State Of Non-Judgmental Awareness

> It Is A Natural Form Of Deep Rest

Meditation is not the answer to all of life’s problems or controlling your emotions & thoughts. It teaches you how to cultivate awareness to improve your ability to deal with challenging emotions as they arise. You become a witness to your thoughts and feelings as opposed to getting caught up in them.

I like to compare teaching meditation to explaining what ice cream tastes like to an alien. It's challenging to describe it without actually experiencing it.

Let’s think of your body as a car for a moment. Imagine you turn it on and let it run without ever shutting it off. Over time, parts of the vehicle begin to shut down. Many of us are in the stress response on auto-pilot and don’t notice the effects of stress until things break down.

Your nervous system (sympathetic) is designed to get you through short-term stress. Engaging that response over a long period can have significant effects on your body. “Chronic Sympathetic Overdrive” is a term used to describe becoming extra heightened to stressors over the long-term. Effects may leave you feeling on edge, tired, foggy, disrupted sleep, muscle tension, etc.

Developing a practice of meditation helps you bring your body & mind into the parasympathetic. This is the process of rest and digestion and is essential for optimal health. This includes restorative sleep, digestion and allowing your brain mental down-time. It is imperative to take time each day to calm your nervous system.

There are a lot of misconceptions about what meditation really is. The one I hear most often:

The idea that to meditate, you need to stop thinking. It is actually completely the opposite.

Meditation Misconceptions:

1. I Can't Stop Thinking

It is nearly impossible to stop thinking by thinking about it. The nature of your mind is to think. As you practice meditation over time, you'll find that you can easily access more and more subtle ways of thinking. The act of meditation is to find an anchor point, and each time you notice yourself in thought via the monkey mind, you bring yourself back to your anchor point. Again and again. It doesn't matter how many times you have to do this. This is the very act of meditation. You don't have to try to clear your mind, as thoughts will always be part of meditation.

2. It's Too Difficult

Meditation does take willingness and the ability to sit relatively still. The act of meditating itself is a natural, relatively effortless process. The most challenging part is committing to the practice consistently.

3. I'm Too Busy

The busier you are, the more you are likely to benefit from adding meditation into your daily routine to give your body and mind the opportunity to settle and cultivate rest. How much time do you spend on your phone? Most of us can spare five minutes each day, and meditating for a short period of time is better than not doing it at all. Making your health & well-being a priority.

4. It's Not Part Of My Religion/Culture

Meditation is a personal practice, not a religion. Many of the techniques originate from Eastern religion and philosophies, but the practice of modern-day meditation doesn't depend on either. Meditation is about reducing stress, getting still and reconnecting with the present moment.

5. I Can't Sit Cross-Legged

The lotus position, which is a traditional yoga posture for meditation, is not required for meditation. The key here is to find a comfortable position where your body sensations don't become a distraction. The exception to this is the recommendation to not lay down during meditation, as your body associates that with sleep. Meditation and sleep are not the same - in meditation, there is awareness, whereas in sleep there is not.

6. I Don't Want To Wear Weird Clothes

Wear comfortable clothing. Meditation is a personal experience, and what you wear has nothing to do with the practice.

Let’s Practice!

Try the following steps or watch the video where I personally guide you through a simple breath meditation.

• Sit comfortably in a quiet, undisturbed place.

• You can sit on the edge of a small cushion, a chair, the couch, wherever you feel comfortable.

• Keep your spine straight, shoulders relaxed, and your hands resting gently in your lap, either facing upward or downward.

• Gently close your eyes, begin to notice the natural flow of your breath.

• Your breath is a focal point to return to each time you catch yourself in a trail of thought.

Stay tuned for the next part in this series where I’ll share tips on how to develop your own practice.

Parts of This Article include McLean Meditation Institute Copyright