8 Tips for Starting a Meditation Practice

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Whether you want to manage your anxiety, strengthen your focus, or simply take care of your health, there are countless reasons that people find their way to meditation. If you’re just starting your meditation journey, developing a solid practice is an important first step. 

Meditation for many beginners is difficult at first. It’s not often that we take the time to sit and realize just how many thoughts run through our minds each day. Most are surprised by what they find. 

The ultimate goal should be to create a routine that is enjoyable and rewarding. To save you some frustration as you begin, here are a few valuable tips that will make the initiation process of your meditation practice a little smoother and hopefully more enjoyable.

How to Start Meditating

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Start Small and Keep it Simple

When you first learn how to start meditating, the information on the web can feel overwhelming and inconclusive at best. Instead of stressing over picking the perfect meditation, in the perfect environment, start small and stick to the basics. Meditation is a marathon, not a sprint.

Sitting in stillness isn’t easy. Don’t discourage yourself by making lofty goals right out of the gate. 

Start with where you are. Whether you can manage 5 minutes or 15, start right there and build upon it over time. 

Warm Up First

Hopefully, you don’t attempt to pick up every weight in the gym without warming up first. The same sentiment could be shared for meditation. Treat it like the mental sport it is and avoid just jumping into it. 

While an exercise warm-up is about creating blood flow, a good meditation warm-up should focus on creating calm and focus. Basically, don’t practice while you’re in a mental frenzy, but here are a few ideas.

• Journal your thoughts
• Do a body-scanning exercise
• Have a dance session
• Read a book
• Stretch or exercise
• Avoid food
• Detox from your phone first

Keep an Open Mind

You know that feeling when you try to get a song out of your head only to find yourself singing it 2 minutes later? The same is true of unwanted thoughts during meditation. The harder you fight them, the louder they become.

Many beginners of meditation think the goal of meditation is to silence the mind. You can see why attempting silence would be frustrating. That’s because the art of meditation isn’t about silence but instead becoming a bystander to your thoughts. 

Meditation is meant to help you cultivate awareness and find inner peace. You can’t do that in a rigid environment full of expectations. Ditch the idea of an empty mind and expect the mental chatter to be the loudest when you’re first starting out. Allowing thoughts to flow by will get easier as you get more practice.

Create a Designated Meditation Space

It’s more difficult to keep a solid routine if you choose a new spot each day. Make it easier to stay consistent by creating a space just for you, the silence, and your thoughts. 

Arranging a space designed only for meditation will help encourage you to meditate each time you see it. It’s even more effective if the space is cozy and inviting. Make it a fun project and create a space that feels like relaxation for you.

Prepare For Distractions

Life is noisy and full of distractions. It’ll be hard to find a place with the perfect silent background. Most of us have neighbors. 

Create an expectation that your ears are going to hear the things going on around you. Make it a part of your meditation. This will lessen the frustration when the neighbor’s car alarm starts going off or the dog starts barking. 

Consistency Matters

A lot of people think of consistency as all or nothing. The truth is, real consistency is just as up and down as life is. It also looks different to everyone. Ideally, you want to create a regular meditation practice that is ideal for you. 

Whether that’s 3 days a week or every single day – show up when you say you will to the best of your ability. No singular meditation will give you all the answers and provide your life with health and longevity. Keeping a consistent routine is the key to success here.

Know Your “Why”

Nobody does something for nothing in return. Before you learn how to start meditating, learn why you’re doing it in the first place.

Clearly define what it is you want to get out of your meditation practice and remind yourself of it every time you feel discouraged or like you might give up. 

Do What Works and Remain Curious

The best meditation for a beginner is the one that works for you. At the end of the day, we’re all unique and what might work miracles for you is another person’s nightmare. 

Do you need your eyes open to have something to focus on? Do you prefer to use a guided technique, or would you rather listen to music?

There are an infinite number of ways to practice meditation, so try not to stick yourself in a box. The best part about meditation is learning more about who you are. Part of this learning process is ditching what doesn’t work and trying new things until you find what does.

Keeping a curious mindset will help you get the most out of meditation.

Final Thoughts

Meditation is an art form. The cool thing about art is that there’s not one right way to do it. Even the most advanced meditators continue to learn new things in their practice. These meditation tips will help you start your journey strong. 

Ultimately, the best way to start a meditation practice is to just go for it. Don’t let the fear of being a beginner let you miss out on all the amazing ways that meditation can add to your life.

Inspired to meditate? We would love to know how it goes! Let us know by leaving a comment below.