An Easy Meditation:
Instructions for Beginners
If you're new to meditation or looking for easy meditation techniques to help you relax, here are some simple instructions.
Frequently people think meditation involves complex breathing, elaborate visualizations, out of body states, and all sorts of other things.
All you really need to do is sit down, relax, and watch your breath.
That meditation process is at the core of all other meditations.
Easy Meditation Instructions:
Sit down and relax. Close your eyes. Bring your attention to your breath in your abdomen and watch your breath rise and fall. As your mind wanders, do not struggle or strain. Simply notice the thought and gently return your attention to your breath. Do this for as long as you'd like to meditate.
That's it!
"But, that's so simple," you say.
It is indeed. The best meditation occurs when you can let go of "doing." If you make meditation something complicated you must struggle to achieve, you reinforce the patterns causing stress in the first place.
While the basic process is very simple, below you'll find step-by-step instructions to transition into a state of mind to get the most from this easy meditation technique.
Easy Meditation Prep
- Do a quick brain dump and get your to-do list and worries out of your head and onto paper, so you can relax and focus. Trying to remember your to-do list makes meditation more difficult.
- Find a quite place where you can remain interrupted. Set a timer for 10-15 minutes, or however long you'd like to meditate.
- Sit in a straight backed chair with your feet on the ground, your hands in your lap, and your spine straight, as if you were a puppet and someone was pulling a string attached to your head. (If you want to sit cross-legged on the floor, that's great too).
- Take ten deep breaths to come down into a state of relaxation.
- Set your intention for your practice. Relaxation. Clarity. Peace. Whatever it is, be clear with yourself.
- Close your eyes. Breathe. Open your eyes half way. Breath. Close them. Breath. Open your eyes a quarter of the way. Breath. Close them. Breathe. Open your eyes ever so slightly. Breath. Close them. Breath.
- Say the word "Om" or "AUM" and draw it out as long as you can. (You've probably seen people do this before. Just give it a try and let it rip.) This is a spiritual word, but studies have also shown the vibrations in your skull when you say "OM" cause relaxation brainwaves. Hold the "M" sound and feel it reverberating in your forehead, where most worry and stress resides. Do this 3 times.
Easy Meditation Instructions (With a Few More Details)
- Close your eyes. Put your attention on your breath, slightly below your belly button. Feel your abdomen rise and fall with each breath.
- Watch the breath rise and fall. Do not try to control it. Simply watch it and notice the pause at the top and bottom of each breath.
- Keep your focus on your breath, and count 10 breaths. If your mind wanders, do not struggle. Simply notice the thought but do not get involved with it. Just return your attention gently to your breath. Do this until you can reach 10 breaths.
- After you reach 10 breaths without your mind wandering, keep your attention on your breath, but drop the counting.
- When your mind wanders, which it will, do not struggle or strain. Notice your thoughts but do not get involved with them. Just gently return your attention to your breath. As many times as your mind wanders, gently bring it back.
- Continue for as long as you'd like to meditate.
Concluding
- When your meditation time concludes, do not jump up immediately.
- Instead, take 10 deep breaths and "come out" slowly."
- Set your intention for the remainder of the day.
That's it.
If you'd enjoyed this meditation and would like to learn several other types of meditation, please click here.
Namaste. ("The divine in me salutes the divine in you.)
Note: Your mind will wander at first. Meditative traditions often call this "Monkey Mind" or "Beginners Mind." It is all part of the process. When thoughts arise, gently notice them and avoid getting involved with them (no arguing, no debating, etc.) Just notice them and gently return to your breath. Do this every time your mind wanders. Over time, you build concentration muscles that allow you to maintain focus on your breath.
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