There are so many benefits to meditation. It clears your mind, lowers your cortisol, and gives you this awesome feeling of Zen. The more advanced you are the longer you can hold your focus. When you first start out, you may only be able to hold your focus for 2-3 seconds before thinking about something. Give it some time and before you know it, you will be blissed out all day. Here are some tips and tools to get started on a meditation routine.
Guided Meditation
Some people prefer absolute silence when meditating, but the background music and calming voice really helps you get in the zone. There are tons of videos on YouTube that can help guide you into a state of eternal bliss. Start with ten minutes and build up in length as you go along. There are also guided meditations that utilize binaural beats and theta waves to get your brain into a deep meditative state.
No Distractions
Make sure you meditate at a time when there are literally no distractions. Ideally you should be home alone, your phone should be turned off, nothing should be on your mind. Just like you carve out a specific window of time to exercise, you should be doing the same thing for meditation.
Lay Down
Although meditation is usually done in a lotus pose, with you legs crossed and palms facing up on your lap, it’s not the most comfortable position. Lying on your back lets you completely relax every single body part, which allows you to go deeper with your meditation.
Master the deep breath
If you do any kind of guided meditation, you will notice deep breathing is always a big part of it. The idea here is to breathe in and fill up your belly with air, not your chest. Your shoulders shouldn’t be moving up and down at all. When you breathe in, try to keep your chest still, or better yet; picture a weight on your chest so it can’t rise up when you take air in. This is called diaphragmatic breathing and is known to calm the nervous system.
Witness your breath
Another reason why deep breathing is often used in meditation is because it forces you into the present moment. When you breathe in, feel it pass through your nostrils and down to your stomach. When you breathe out, feel it come up and pass through your mouth. You can also give your breath a color. White when you breathe in and black when you breathe out. Switching between colors will help you stay present.
Open your eyes
It’s a completely different experience when you meditate with your eyes open. It can also be easier to stay focused. Meditating in this way can actually train you to become more present during the day. It shows you what it’s like to look at the world in a meditative state.
