How to get started with Mindful Meditation

The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. - Thích Nhất Hạnh

Meditation in simple terms is to meditate; contemplate; think; reflect; muse. In a world full of constant streams of information, noise, and worries meditation can help you get hold of your mind and self.

• Mindfulness grounds you in the present moment and allows you to experience the moment fully.
• Meditation helps to reduce stress and anxiety because often, the mere acknowledgement of a troubling thought or behaviour is enough to help you feel better and push you towards finding a solution.
  
• Meditation helps you increase your self-awareness since sitting for 15-20 minutes alone with your thoughts will help you focus on your inner conflicts and ultimately solve them.

So, How do You Meditate?

Your meditation session can be as short as 3 minutes to as long as 20 minutes. It's a personal choice.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Start slow. Ev en 1 minute on your first day is enough. Increase time as you go from 1 to 3 to 5 to 7 and so on.
• A place to medita te. Even though you can meditate anywhere, anytime, having a place and time is important. It will help you find a pattern and form a habit. Designate a corner or place for meditation in your apartment or house. It can be a corner in your room, your couch or even your kitchen. Open a time window in your daily routine to meditate.
• Stretch before starting. Stretching before starting a meditation session is a good idea. Stretch your body before you sit down so, a cramp in your leg or your back doesn't divert your attention away from meditation. To stretch lie on your back and stretch your arms and legs out as far as they go and stay there for a minute before starting.

What Do You Think About (or Not Think About)?

Now that you are all set to meditate, the question you might have in mind would be, “what to think about when meditating?”, “what do I do?” This question is not uncommon and many people starting their meditation journey ask this question.

There aren’t many dos and don’ts of meditation but there are certain things that you should keep in mind when meditating.

Step One: Cultivate a Non-Judgmental Attitude Towards Self

The first thing that should be kept in mind is to have an open and accepting attitude towards self. You will notice that as soon as you close your eyes your thoughts and ideas will begin to pour in. It’s pretty similar to when you lie down at night to sleep. Since you are not actively doing anything, your mind begins to interject all that had happened during the day and all the silly things you said and did. You are trying to sleep but your mind is racing at a million miles per second. The same happens when you meditate.

The key is to let each thought come freely, focus on the issue at hand; think about it without judging yourself. Maybe you said the wrong thing at the wrong time; maybe you were not kind when you should have been. Put everything aside and ACCEPT things as they are now, learn from them, and vow to be better next time.

Step Two: Focus on the Present

Also known as the mindful meditation practice, the idea is to focus on “now”. Focus on the present rather than thinking about things that have already happened or are likely to happen. Put all your fears and guilt aside, see the world as it is now, not how you wish it to be or how it could have been. Focus on how you feel in this moment. Don’t contemplate past mistakes or what you plan to do later that day. Just breathe in and out, in and out and let all be... Imagine all your worries and anxieties melt in the background, they can wait.

Step Three: Body Scan Meditation

Body scan meditation has its roots in psychological tradition. Combined with meditation, a body scan helps you feel more in control of your physical and psychological self. Think about each individual body part one by one; starting from the top, focus on your head and evaluate if you feel any pain or stress there. Maybe you tend to scrunch up your forehead when you get stressed or when you are thinking about something? Maybe you are storing your stress there, if you feel any stress in your head muscles, acknowledge it and then release the tension, relax, breathe in and out.

Move on to your neck, relax your neck muscles if tense. Then move on to your shoulders. Notice each and every muscle group as you move down towards the lower back, arms, hands, legs, feet and relax them. Release all the tension you have stored in your body while breathing in and out, in and out.

Step Four: Acknowledge Thoughts

Meditation may require you to empty your mind while thinking about nothing, but it doesn’t mean that you need to push thoughts away. Acknowledge thoughts; negative and positive alike, don’t dwell on them for long, but rather find a solution. Realize why these thoughts come back again and again to haunt you, why are you worrying about something?

Worrying won’t help you. Work on the solution and slowly tread your way towards a peaceful and calmer inner self.

Step Five: Focus on Present Emotions

Lastly, while meditating, focus on present emotions and how you feel at the moment. Think about how the air feels on your face and in your hair. Think about the smell of grass underneath or your air freshener. Listen to the voices around you, of birds, of traffic, even the whirring of fan or AC. Follow your emotions one by one and let them guide you without forcing anything.

Tips:

Don’t focus too much on emptying your mind or thinking about nothing.

Count your breaths to increase focus.

Bring your focus back to the present when you wander off.