Are you interested in meditating, but fear it’ll be too hard for you?
Does the idea of quieting your mind for 10-15 minutes scare you?
Have you heard some of the positive benefits of meditation – increased focus and productivity, decreased anxiety, and better relationships – but fear you don’t have the time to do it?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re not alone. As a meditation coach, I hear from people every day who feel excited and uplifted by the benefits of meditation but have a false idea that meditation won’t work for them.
Why is that?
Most of the time, the people I speak to that want to prosper from meditation but haven’t tried it yet have a faulty idea of what meditation actually is. They may have a belief that meditation is a religious thing – (it isn’t) – or that it requires a mind devoid of thought – (it doesn’t).
Then, there are the people that believe meditation is “too hard”, to which I say, “It doesn’t have to be.”
In truth, at least in my world of meditating for 10 years and teaching and coaching meditation for 6, meditation doesn’t have to be related to religion in any way. It can simply be a conversation between you and your Higher Self, or you and the Universe, whatever that symbolizes for you.
On a similar note, while the goal of some types of meditation is to empty the mind, a la Zen Buddhism, it isn’t for all. In fact, if you were to research types of meditation, you would find plenty of other types of meditations – guided meditations, mantra meditations, and mindful meditation – where the meditator is actually asked to focus on specific things during the practice.
And, as for the individuals who believe “meditation is too hard” to even try, I invite them to consider the following list of easy ways to meditate and see if they seem too daunting. (I have a hunch that they won’t.)
5 Easy Ways to Meditate
Easy Meditation Method #1: Get Quiet.
Note: This meditation method is probably what most non-meditators imagine when they think about meditation. Give this method a try, but experiment with the other forms of meditation listed below, too, because there are others that may appeal more to you.
To do this type of meditation, find a quiet place in your house, car, or wherever you are. Close the door and ask that you not be disturbed for 10-15 minutes. If you have one, it can be helpful to some people to light a candle and “meditate” or gaze at the flame. Set a timer for 5 minutes, and see how it goes. Try keeping your mind focused on the candle flame, or, if you don’t have a candle, choose something in your environment to focus on. As you focus, you will find that random thoughts pop into your mind. These thoughts are often unrelated and can vary from what you ate for dinner last night to what you want to wear to a party next month. Your goal here is to simply notice the thoughts, thank them for showing up, and then let them go, bringing your focus back to the candle or your object.
If you enjoy this type of meditation, consider increasing the amount of time you spend doing it. For instance, you could start out with 5 minutes a day, and then, after a week, add another minute. The goal with meditation is to make it a daily practice, but the truth is, any time you spend meditating is better than none at all, so just do your best.
Easy Meditation Method #2: Take a Walk.
Easy Meditation Method #3. Practice Mindfulness.
Easy Meditation Method #4. Listen to Calming Sounds.
For this method of meditation, you’ll need access to something with calming sounds, such as a spot in a forest, a stream or ocean, or even a fan or white noise machine.
If you don’t have any of these, you can also use your laptop or phone to find some calming music.
Easy Meditation Method #5. Use a Guided Meditation.
If you’ve never meditated or fear meditation will be “too hard”, guided meditations are a fantastic option for you to try. Designed to create a deep, sensory experience, a good guided meditation takes the guesswork out of meditating; a boon for first-time meditators or those new to the process.
As the infographic explains, guided meditation is a great choice for anyone who “can’t sit still”, turn their brain off, or feels like they’re too inexperienced to meditate.
Links for beginner meditations can be found here:
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Free Guided Meditation: http://bit.ly/Iwanttomeditate
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Free Mindfulness for Moms Meditation tracks: http://bit.ly/mindfulmoms