Meditation for Beginners

Photo by Simon Rae on Unsplash

I started meditating 3 years ago when, at that time, I did not know how to harness peace and compassion for those who angered me – to say it bluntly, I was ready to turn ghetto on my husband’s baby mama.
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I realized then that there are always “special” people in our lives that we cannot always avoid. We encounter them at work, in our personal lives, in social groups, or in line at the store. Why do we allow people to take hold of our emotions, take hold of our mind and our reactions? How can we take control over obsessive worries, thoughts, and emotions?

I looked myself in the mirror and began to hold myself accountable, because let’s face it – you can’t just get ghetto on the “special” ones when you have a career, a family, self-worth, and worth for others.

So I began to meditate.

I researched it and read about it but like anything, you just need to start.

For Beginners:

1. You can meditate anywhere, but try to pick a quiet space with little distractions to start.
2. You can meditate anytime. I meditate in the evening when it’s quiet in my house. I also meditate at 2pm on weekdays outside of my work office, under a tree.
3. *Optional: you can listen to background meditation sounds/music. You can also just sit in silence and listen to whatever natural sounds are around you.
4. Sit with your legs crossed.
5. Start a 10-minute timer and commit.
6. Close your eyes and rest your hands in your lap.
7. Focus on your breath. Focus on the breath in and the breath out.
8. When your mind wanders, and it will, be very gentle with yourself. Do not shame yourself for worries or even angry thoughts that enter your mind. Just say to yourself “thoughts,” and reset to your breathing.
9. Step it up: while focusing on your breathing, think about a person in your life that you want to send peace, compassion, and love to. Envision them in your mind. Envision sending a bright light toward them. Start with someone you like and love.
10. Continue to send kindness, peace, and light to this person. Come back to your breathing.
11. Times up

Sounds a bit boring right? With everything always at our fingertips, with social media always there ready to tell us what we should look like or feel, I challenge you to take a 10 minute break each day to meditate because the benefits of meditation are backed by science – just like the negative effects of social media is backed by science. So what’s stopping you and others? Is it just the leap?
 
What’s In It For You If You Meditate Only 10 Minutes Each Day:

1. Calmer in stressful situations
2. More compassionate towards others, even the “special” ones
3. Learn to live and think in the NOW, moment by moment
4. Catch your wandering mind and bring it back to the NOW more easily
5. You will be happier
6. You will be healthier
7. You will feel less stress and stress causes so many health issues
8. Things that usually phased you, won’t
9. You will learn how to forgive
10. You will appreciate the smallest actions like washing the dishes <-- it’s true!

What are your questions on meditation?

Check out my last blog on Beautiful Lessons from Difficult People and thanks for tuning in!

-Sterp