A beginner’s guide to meditation
The thing with meditation is that it’s hard. Its like beginning a running practice, hard. The mind is going to rebel. It is going to get very loud in there when you first sit down to give it a go.
Preparing your body with yoga helps. Yoga class helps us come into union with our body and it slows down our thoughts so that when we sit, it is not as intense, not as crazy.
It is not just you. In Buddhism it is called the Frist Noble Failure, when we realise that it is hard to sit with ourselves. It is expected.
But just like running, after the first five minutes or so, the mind realises that it is losing and it might as well do what you want it to do, the thoughts start to slow. There is more space, more clarity, more relaxation.
During meditation the body and the mind get to rest.
So to begin :
Set a timer (5-15 minutes)
Prepare for it to be hard at first.
Follow the flow of the breath in and out of the body.
Try not to follow the thoughts and keep bringing yourself back to your breath.
Stay till the timer goes off. Notice any differences in the way you feel.
Get curious about how you go about the rest of the day when you have sat in meditation.
I find that life flows easier, the things I was worried I wouldn’t get done, get done.
Meditation is a practice that is well worth fifteen minutes of your day.