Meditation is a great technique for reducing stress. According to research, meditation effectively reduces the adverse effects of everyday stress. Many people practice at least one type of meditation daily to help them face life with less anxiety.
If you are a beginner at meditation, the amount of information about the topic might seem overwhelming. In fact, meditation has become so popular that there are dozens of apps for people to practice at home and hundreds of in-person meditation groups all over the country. Looking to learn how to meditate? Consider the following five tips to get you started.
1. Choose the Right Kind of Meditation
Meditation is not a single technique. There are several schools of thought and approaches to it. For example, for those who like to meditate with movement, there is tai chi, Qi Gong, and yoga to satisfy their needs. There are also different “classical” sitting meditation types, such as mindfulness meditation and guided imagery meditation.
It can sometimes take a few tries to find the right kind of meditation for you, so don’t give up if you are not successful the first time.
2. Make it Part of Your Routine
The best way to ensure that you practice meditation consistently is to make it part of your daily routine, like taking a shower or brushing your teeth. The benefits of meditation are stronger if you practice every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes in the morning or before going to bed. A study found that 15 minutes of meditation every day was just as good for stress reduction as taking a vacation day.
3. Create a Dedicated Space in Your Home
To encourage regular practice, create a little “meditation corner” in a room in your home. This space can become your meditation oasis.
If you are challenged for space, use one area for multiple self-care processes, such as exercise and meditation. You can store all your mediation tools with your exercise equipment such as resistance bands.
Then set up a cushion and a candle along with other tools you use, such as incense, when it is time for your meditation. If your space is beautiful and brings you peace, you will want to come back every day for a bit of meditation time.
4. Use a Meditation App
If you are technologically inclined, many popular and award-winning apps can help you meditate with habit trackers and guided meditations. There is even a meditation app called Muse that comes with a small headband that can measure your brainwaves while you meditate. This app uses a biofeedback principle to tell you if you are in a good meditation space or getting distracted by your thoughts.
5. Be Kind To Yourself
It’s common to find meditation difficult at first. With all the screens and distractions at our disposition these days, it’s normal to find meditation uncomfortable, even challenging. Saying you’re too distracted to meditate is like saying you’re too dirty for a shower! In fact, according to research, practicing meditation every day can improve compassion and kindness for self and others, meaning that the more you practice, the kinder you will be to yourself.
Happy meditating! When you’re not meditating, check out daily living and healthcare supplies at Simply Medical.