5 Super Easy Ways to Meditate to Help You Start Your Practice
If you think meditation is only for “those” people, think again! I present to you these simple ways to meditate in order to debunk the myth of its “other”-ness. Meditation is super dynamic and there are a gazillion ways to get its benefits, and now you can do it, too!
When I first started to meditate, it was out of desperation. I was in my mid-twenties and depressed. Back then, my mind was always just constantly going and going. Always trying to “figure it out,” scheme, analyze, and judge. Because if I didn’t, it wasn’t safe. I catastrophized in my head until I felt physically sick.
Thankfully, I eventually started therapy. I also tried to find some stillness through sitting quietly in meditation. I had a friend who also wanted to start, and we’d put on some yoga music and just sit together for that song. In a very hodge-podge way, my meditation practice started to take shape.
I still remember what I’d told my therapist then: “I feel the sense of ‘I am’ when I meditate.” These were the first steps in my long healing journey, which continues today. To connect with my true self, the one that’s connected to the Universe, and the one that needs nothing and knows everything.
As for how meditation has benefited my life, I’d need to write another post to do justice. But I managed to start a legitimate meditation practice during the most turbulent time of my life. And I believe that you can, too, if you wanted to.
This post is all about how these simple ways to meditate can help you get a taste of its benefits. It’s not meant to be an exhaustive list, but a quick menu, if you will, for your consideration.
Easy Ways to Meditate to Start Your Practice
1. Take Time to Breathe
Closing your eyes and focusing on your breath is a classic technique to calm your mind and nerves.
Close your eyes and situate yourself where you can take at least a few moments to be still. Then, place your attention at the tip of your nose or on your nostrils. Slowly start inhaling through your nose with a count of four, hold for a moment or two, then exhale through your nose slowly with a count of four. Hold for a moment or two, and inhale to repeat. Do this at least four times, or as long as it feels good to you. And there, you spent a little bit of time in meditation!
This technique is so easy to do and so effective. Did you know that even Navy Seals use similar breathing techniques to relieve stress and regain focus (presumably in ultra-stressful situations)?
The breath is integral to our overall health and has surprising impacts on our cognitive functions. This is the point of this amazing book, Breath: The New Science of Lost Art, which presents a fascinating study of something that we do every second of the day and take completely for granted.
There are numerous breath techniques to help you relieve stress, improve health/performance and grow spiritually. Some of these can get pretty rigorous.
But the technique outlined above is so accessible in its simplicity. You can do it while standing in a line, or after you’ve just parked your car, or even do it out loud with your kids. I sometimes do, while we’re in the drop-off line at school in the morning. When they’re in the mood to do it, it leaves all of us refreshed and relaxed before we start our days.
2. Sit or Walk in Nature
Being outside in nature has many overlapping benefits with meditation. When you’re hiking, for example, you’re focused on the walk and the path you’re on. Maybe you’re enjoying the beautiful blue color of the sky, or noticing a hawk sitting majestically on top of the tree. Your focus is naturally expanded. This is similar to what happens in meditation, when you’re constantly surrendering your thoughts to loosen that mental focus, which goes hand in hand with our modern lives.
There are many ways to take advantage of the healing power of nature.
Take a moment to sit outside. It could be just on your front stoop, if you live in a city, at a nearby park, or the mountains. Close your eyes, breath slowly while focusing your attention on the sounds that you hear. I often sit in front of my home that is next to a large protected meadow and surrounded by tall trees. I hear many bird songs, the leaves bustling in the wind, and tree trunks squeaking against one another. Stay focused on these sounds and you may be surprised how much is really going on out there if only if you pay attention. Again, you’ve expanded your focus.
Take a walk. You don’t have to cover a long distance. Pick a spot outside and stand still. Get really present with your body, like how your legs and arms feel, and relax it. You can gaze down at the ground about three to four feet in front of you and slowly start walking, paying attention to how your movement feels in your body. Try to place all of your attention on your body and its movements. You can also stop to get really present with the squirrel on the tree, or even the bark on the tree trunk. Do this as long as it feels good to you.
3. Use Music or Guided Meditation
These days, there are so many resources with which you can start meditating, including on this blog. It is so easy to find a sound file that you can play while sitting quietly somewhere. There are beautiful classical or spiritual music, and even music with frequencies that are meant to help with specific conditions.
Music: As I mentioned earlier in this post, meditating with music was such an easy way to meditate for me in the beginning. It gives you something to focus on outside the chatter of your mind, and it gives you a clear starting point and an end point. Certain music can also help elevate your mood, your energy and state of being. Music by Mei-Lan, who is an intuitive singer, always helps me connect to the frequencies of love, beauty and wholeness. Really. So if you could sit 10 minutes quietly just listening to Mei-Lan, I’d say that’s a win.
No matter how busy your mind was during the sit, you know you’ve accomplished something when the music ends. And yes! Just sitting through the intended time is definitely a win. My teacher Dr. Joe Dispenza always says, “There are no such thing as a bad meditation.”
Guided Meditations: A guided meditation is different in that you’d have to mentally follow the blueprint laid out by the host of the meditation. I personally love guided meditations, especially those from Dr. Joe, mentioned above, or my reiki teacher at the Muktinath Holistic Center. With such powerful teachers, you can open yourself up to connect to some powerful energies, provided that you are ready for and aligned to it.
You can find guided meditations with a variety of intentions, including on healing, abundance, love, and peace. They vary in length, too, from just a few minutes to hours.
Meditation in bed? Music and guided meditations are really useful if you want to try meditating in bed. Now, it is generally best to at least sit up to meditate if you don’t want to fall asleep.
But if you do need help falling asleep, it is a great tool to help you relax and unwind from the day. All you need are some comfy head phones and your phone (or a sound player). My recommendation for deep and peaceful sleep would be Yoga Nidra, a powerful type of meditation designed for sleep. And this brings us to my next pointer, the meditation app.
4. Use a Meditation App
Using a meditation app is perhaps the most useful and effective way to start your practice. I’ve been using the Insight Timer app on my phone for years, from when it was in its Beta form and offered a timer and just a handful of dharma talks. Certainly, this is not the only meditation app and I’ve heard of good things about others, too.
Meditation apps like Insight Timer offers a wealth of resources, including classes on spiritual topics, a timer for your silent mediation practice, healing music, and even a virtual community of like-minded people. There are meditations and sleep stories for kids, Yoga Nidra for grownup sleep aids and gentle music with which to practice Reiki.
Much of this content is offered for free, too, which makes it a no-brainer if you’re interested in learning to meditate. If I had today’s Insight Meditation app when I first started to meditate, it would have really super-charged my practice. So easy, I say!
5. Join a class
My final recommendation for easy ways to meditate is to attend a class. Often, yoga studios or holistic health centers offer a weekly gathering of meditation. This is a great addition to your meditation repertoire. Some people, more than others, might find it difficult to generate the motivation to actually meditate, alone. By attending a meditation class, you make it as easy as getting yourself there.
In addition, something very special happens when you join others in meditation. Especially if the others are more experienced than you are. Meditating as a group, your energies can synchronize and amplify, making the experience more powerful.
Lastly, in a meditation class, there is usually an informal discussion period at the end, during which time the teacher can answer any questions you may have. You can also hear others’ experiences or share yours, which can provide useful insights or add a different perspective to your experience.
I LOVE joining others in meditation. I frequently attend classes and try to make it to retreats, as well, for this very reason. I promise that you might be pleasantly surprised!
Meditation is like brushing teeth, and you really have to do it regularly to get the most out of it. I hope this information helps you and that you try them out! If you do, please comment below and tell me how it went!