Many people incorrectly view meditation as something involving a collective group of lifelong dedicated monks, all sitting around idly while chanting an assortment of colorful incantations. How wrong this perception is. In addition, meditation is often confused with prayer. The two have similarities, but there are differences. Some explain prayer as being a time of petition to a higher source, while meditation is a peaceful time without words. Countless self-awareness theories and models propose a blend of the two. Practicing meditation helps to center the mind. It is a time when a person strives to become emotionally still, relaxes physically, and cultivates their mental focus to open up levels of spiritual awareness. For a beginner, someone new to the practice who aspires to add meditation into their lives, this can seem like a monumental challenge. Don't worry, even the learned experts on meditation started gradually. Here are some tips to try for anyone new to meditation.
1 - Begin Early in the Day
One of the key benefits of meditation is an ability to defuse the hectic mental chaos of life's struggles. Many who are new to meditation have noble intentions to meditate every day. Nevertheless, once the day begins to unfold; their busy world can push meditation far down the list of priority things to do. A helpful tip is to post a note or other form of reminder to help remember to set aside a few moments in the morning for meditation. It won't take long before the notes are unnecessary and carving out the time to meditate in the morning will become a healthy habit. This helps establish a more relaxed emotional state, plus there is no rule anyone can only meditate once a day. The best way to establish and build a consistent meditation routine is to begin early in the day.
2 - Begin Slowly and Build Gradually
It is rare to find anyone who can master meditation immediately. In fact, there are thousands who have been meditating for years, who profess to still have to exercise diligence in their meditative practices. There are probably as many people who tried meditation, but quit after losing their patience, as there are those who enjoy the satisfaction. Even though there has been increased interest in meditation, the number of those who meditate successfully is still minimal. Certainly, part of the reason for the small number is a result of many who try, but give up. One reason for frustration in learning to meditate is to try for too much too fast. Begin slowly. Set aside as little as two minutes initially. Some can produce a successful period of sincere focus for up to five minutes, but don't overdo it. Begin slowly and build gradually on these little successes.
3 - Be Gentle
The ancient art of meditation is founded in a core belief of gentleness. For a beginner, this concept should be instilled in them as they gradually expand their meditative horizons. They need to be gentle with themselves if they have days or longer where they cannot seem to find their meditative groove. They need to appreciate that the mind is a tricky machine. There will be times in life where life's perplexities can be overwhelming. That is precisely one of the key benefits of meditation; learning to accept and flow with these seemingly overwhelming life experiences. However, no one is perfect. A person who loses their focus during a meditation should smile at their humanity. They need to be gentle with themselves and simply begin afresh.
4 - No One-Size-Fits-All Approach
The final tip is one that can help relieve the confusion when someone uncovers the variety of approaches and theories there are for meditation. In simple terms, there is no one-size-fits-all method to meditate. The classic experience is sitting or lying down in a relaxed physical state. However, there are other ways to meditate. There is walking meditation, bathing meditation and spot meditations sitting in a work environment. In fact, there is even a practice called chocolate meditation. The thing for beginners to remember about meditation is to avoid being confused about which theory or model is the best. The best meditative approach will be the one that produces results. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to meditation.