5 Tips For Meditation

Meditation can be difficult, especially nowadays with everything else wanting our attention. Here are 5 tips to get you started.

TIP 1: Feel Presence

You hear it all the time from these Americanized yogis that you need to be present. I would argue that “being present” is nearly impossible for someone just starting out with meditation. To be clear: unless you are genetically and mentally superior, you will not be able to be present when first beginning a meditation practice. I also think it is damaging to tell beginners to be present because they have no idea what it even means!

But you can feel the potential of presence.

And you can do it this way: focus on your right ear. Try and feel the inside of it. Imagine the veins running through, the cartilage undulating into itself, and feel the air slowly grazing against the fine hairs. Focus on that. See if you can hold that focus for ten seconds.

That is feeling presence. And, as you go, you will be able to hold that focus longer. You will be able to expand that focus to your other ear. And, it will eventually flow to the rest of your body.

TIP 2: Do Not Worry About Intrusive Thoughts

When meditating, thoughts will pop into your mind:

“Uh-oh, did I leave the coffee pot on?”

“Did I email Marsha back yesterday?”

“I can’t believe I embarrassed myself in 2nd grade like that.”

These thoughts will happen. What I suggest is allow yourself to feel those thoughts; and the emotions that come with them. Do not judge the thoughts, however. Allow your mind to throw up all it can. Recognize the thoughts as only thoughts. Thoughts are not dangerous, but they can be when you treat them as reality. Thoughts are fantasy brought up by our evolutionary desire to examine our pasts to improve our future.

This may take a few times to master, but I would say it is maybe the most important tip on this list.

TIP 3: Comfort

This tip may seem obvious, but you would be surprised by how many of my coaching clients ignore this fact. Find a comfy space to meditate.

And, sure, physical comfort is important. Support your lower back with a pillow under your rump. Make sure the temperature of the room is how you like it. Sit up straight and stack the vertebrae of your spine. Support your shoulders so they do not sag. Brace your core to help your back muscles.

All of the above is important! But, what most people do not realize is that they need a comfortable mental environment, as well.

You will not be as successful meditating if you are in a place you do not feel comfortable. For example, I had a client around five years ago who had an abusive spouse. She would relay to me that she could no longer get into a good head space while meditating. I wonder why?

She was obviously feeling threatened. And, thankfully, she is now out of that environment. Hopefully, this goes without saying, but if you are in a threatening environment, you will not be able to meditate properly. So, if you need to, leave your home if leaving permanently is not an option.

TIP 2: Same Time Every Day

When we wake up with a plan, our brains are less scattered. And, you can imagine, having a less-scattered brain will lead to better meditation.

Beginning your meditation practice at the same time every day will get your brain in the habit of allowing you to slip into that beautiful world of approximating presence MUCH easier than otherwise. This is why most people, including me, meditate in the morning before their day gets started.

Whenever you meditate, do it at the same time every single day. If you do not believe me, try being chaotic in your meditation schedule for one month. You will see that the benefits you receive from your practice begin to fall off around the 2-week mark.

Routine is a good thing. And meditation is a good thing. Why not combine them?

TIP 1: Repetition

You will not be an expert in meditation after sitting on a pillow and humming for a week. You will not be an expert after a year. Nor will you probably be an expert after five years. It took me over a decade to nail down the way I meditate. And my methods will be different than yours.

This is why you must repeat your meditation daily. You cannot grow your practice by doing it once a week. That is just not how it works. Meditation is not like riding a bike—this is a use it or lose it situation.

Stillness is something you get better at over time. This is why most people give up after a couple days of uncomfortable quasi-meditation. To have a proper practice, you must commit yourself to the process. Make or purchase a calendar and put a red X on every day that you meditate. Once you get used to the habit, you will begin to like marking in that X every day once you get done.

BONUS TIP: Don’t Force It!

At first it will be difficult to hold your focus for more than a minute. And that’s okay!

When you sense yourself giving up, get up and go on with your day. Meet your mind with the least possible resistance. There is no reason to torture yourself. Set a timer for two minutes and do that for a month. Next month try three minutes.

There is no reason to bludgeon yourself with meditation. Ease into your practice.