7 Top Tips for Starting a Meditation Practice
Meditation is an amazing practice to bring into your life, with so many benefits physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It can be a challenge to maintain a regular practice though, alongside the many other activities and responsibilities that take up our time each day. Here are some tips to help you build a practice you can stick to and enjoy!
Know your why
Consider why you want to meditate and any positive changes you might like to see as a result. These might incude your health, relationships and work/life balance, for example. When you know why your meditation practice is important, it'll be easier to motivate yourself to stick to it.
Start small
The best way to make a lasting change is to start small and build up slowly. Guided meditations of about 10 minutes can be a great place to start, but even just taking a few minutes to focus on your breathing can be beneficial. Keep your goals achievable and stick with it.
Find what works for you
What works for one person might not work for you, so experiment. Notice how you feel when you meditate at different times and in different places, and see what fits in with your lifestyle. The 'right' time to meditate is the time that suits you and allows you to practice consistently.
Make a commitment
The key to a regular practice is simply to prioritise it! In a world of distraction, there'll be loads of other things you could do instead. You just have to commit to it and keep showing up. If you're short on time, is there something you could do less of to create more time for yourself?
Be patient
With 50,000+ thoughts a day, our minds are used to being busy and we can't just switch them off. When you start to meditate, don't expect to feel perfectly zen straight away! It usually takes five minutes or so for the body to settle, then you should start to feel calmer and more relaxed.
Be kind to yourself
Meditation can be feel really challenging sometimes, especially on a difficult day. Always be kind to yourself and remember that you're not alone. Perhaps consider what you would said to a friend and practice saying the same to yourself. Look after yourself and remember your why.
Enjoy it
When your meditation practice is something enjoyable that you look forward to, you're way more likely to keep it up. If it ever starts to feel like a chore, pause and think about how you could change it. Make it work for you and enjoy it. Remember not to take it too seriously!
So there we have it. I hope these top tips inspire you to give meditation a try and see what benefits it brings you. Start small, find what works for you, and stick with it… you may be pleasantly surprised at the impact it can have!
