What To Expect When Starting Meditation

Many of us recognize the value of a meditation practice but struggle to achieve the unbroken attention that brings us wellness and bliss. Meditation is something that rewards a dedicated practice, and though there are instant wellbeing benefits from the very beginning, everybody has their own schedule to becoming a successful practitioner. Like anything, meditation is a practice that rewards effort and repetition. To help you get the best from this complementary therapy, take a look at our top 3 meditation tips.

Meditate on an empty stomach – don’t eat or drink anything for an hour and a half before sitting (except sips of water). Your body takes a large amount of energy in digesting food, which makes your mind sluggish. You’ll also feel sleepy directly after eating and this will interfere with your aim of achieving relaxed concentration.

Practice a breathing technique – a conscious breathing technique is an excellent transition between your busy mind and your still mind. Learn some yogic pranayama for this purpose. They relax and balance the system while boosting your body’s vital energy, enabling concentration and sensations of bliss. A simple deep breathing technique to regulate your breath and pacify your mind is to breathe in to the count of four, and breathe out to the count of eight.

Let go of expectations – check that you are not putting any pressure on yourself, or imposing any expectation of success. This is especially important during the sitting practice. Many people try to fight their thoughts and create an inner conflict which itself corrupts their meditation. Whatever thinking patterns occur, it is important to simply observe, and never ever judge yourself. Be relaxed in the moment, and do not try to control it.

Your first experience with meditation may be unlike anything you’ve known before. Our lives are made up of ‘doing’ and meditation is simply a ‘not-doing’. That does not mean that it is empty or oblivious, like sleep. It is an experience of continuous attention and awareness of the present moment. The practice filters through to the rest of your life and its benefits will multiply indefinitely!

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