7 Meditation Tips for Beginners

Meditation is simple but very powerful method to relax and develop your inherent potential. Many beginner mistake it for concentration and are afraid to try as they think they cannot concentrate. I am always asked to give some tips for beginners and my first advice is to stop thinking it as an exercise in concentration. Instead, think of it as an exercise of awareness. It is about being more aware of oneself and environment.  It’s about observation and NOT concentration. You OBSERVE , that’s it.  Mind has no ‘thinking’ role to play in observation .
Here are 7 simple meditation tips for beginners to get started with your own meditation practice.

1. Start with normal breathing process
Breathing meditation is the most powerful meditation form of meditation. Begin with simple breath and just focus your attention on your breath process but do not try to change or control it. Just OBSERVE. Just count your breaths as they flow in and out and it. Breathe deeply as you can. Gradually, It helps to control your mind and you will realize that your distraction, stress and anxiety all gone after experiencing regularly. Start with mindful breathing it help you to live in present moment which is essential for meditation practice.

2. Focus on your body and bodily sensations
Meditation is an inward journey into oneself. Just the simple fact of observing our own body is meditative. Yog nidra meditation is just about that. In our ‘thinking’ driven life we forget to be aware of our own body. Awareness of body will lead to harmony between body and mind and lead to relaxation.

3. Don’t try too hard
Meditation practice is technique to eliminate all stress and anxiety from body. We should be in relaxed state and just observe. We should stay away from performance anxiety.. Pay attention to live in present moment and make your session pleasant and joyful.

4. Practice
Our mind, used to being active about everything, cannot simply observe. It wants to indulge in chatter and constantly being active. You need practice  to just give you this discipline of just observing. This would provide you essential and extensive training in meditation practice which you learn beginner level to expert level.

5. Attend meditation workshop/class
If you have no experience with meditation, you should join meditation class or begin with guided audio/cd meditation tracks. After a short time you will see that you become a good meditator and your life is full of joy and stress free. Seek expert help and start the journey . You will find you own way

6. Try ‘thought observation’ meditations
For beginners, I advise meditations where we observe our thoughts. Chidakaash meditation is very useful as it involves observing our thoughts. It’s simple and easy . It breaks the habit of constant thinking to observing. This is very useful in building our mind’s capacity to meditate and they are very relaxing also.

7. Find a regular place
You can meditate anywhere and anytime but its good to do it regularly at the same place. So choose a place, either you are at home or outside home like park but do there regularly. Doing it at the same place sends positive trigger to the mind and it’s easier to reach meditative state.

The above seven tips are useful for beginners to start building a habit of meditation. It seems difficult but once we adopt the above tips , it would seem quite easy and effortless to do.