When life feels stressful and you start to feel worn down, meditation is one of the natural remedies recommended to refresh and recharge your mind and body. Meditation has a long history of proven benefits for enhancing mental, physical and emotional well-being and hence overall health. So how do you get started? We’ve asked experts in lifestyle and fitness to give you some pointers on where to begin.
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“To practice meditation, rest your attention on a focal point, such as the feeling of your breath moving in and out of your body or a smooth stone that you hold in the palm of your hand. Every time your attention wanders, gently bring it back to your focal point—even if it’s every second or two. This repeated shift of attention back to your focal point builds your mind’s muscle and your power of awareness.”
Joy Rains, Mindfulness Trainer, Author & Podcast Host
“A scientific study has revealed that meditation expands your consciousness, reduces stress, and brings increased creativity and efficiency of the functioning of your inner self. Meditation is bringing attention to your breath, when your attention wanders, noticing it and bringing it back. When you try to focus on your inhaling and exhaling, you will understand how your mind keeps wandering in thoughts even without your conscious effort. By practicing mindful meditation, you can learn to pause your mind for a while and focus on one thing at a time. It helps you to build a healthy relationship with yourself and with the world around you. This mindfulness practice needs consistency; its effects can be better experienced over time. Being aware of your thoughts without being judgemental is the key to this meditation.”
Dr. Rashmi Byakodi, Health and Wellness Writer and the Editor of Best for Nutrition
“Find The Space Behind The Waterfall: Meditation changed my life! I have been practicing meditation for fifteen years, and as a business owner, I have used mediation to effectively quash the stress and anxiety that is all too common with my lifestyle. The best mediation tip I ever received was: find the space behind the waterfall. I use this in my life every day. Imagine that all of your egoistic thoughts and emotions are a waterfall, chaotic and powerful, and unrelenting. Then imagine the space behind the waterfall. This is the place where mindfulness exists, where you can see the rush of emotions and negative thinking for what they are and not be directly affected by them. Every single person is prone to negative thoughts. It’s part of being a human! But the ability to not let yourself be ruled by negative thinking is the secret to unlocking a more productive and happier life. Every day in the morning, I meditate for fifteen minutes and use this waterfall metaphor as my starting point. When I allow myself to find that space behind the waterfall, I know that I have found the calm, meditative headspace that helps me the most.”
Natalie Sullivan Co-Founder of Cooler Air Today
“The biggest mistake people make when getting started with mediation is that they believe there is only one way to meditate. The truth is there are lots of different ways to meditate and what works for one person may not work for another. It’s all about finding a method that works for you. Some people like guided mediation, some like music and some people prefer silence. Dancing, exercise or walking can all be a form of mediation. My top tip for anyone getting started with meditation is to try a variety of different styles and see what resonates with you. There is no right or wrong way to meditate. It’s also important to release any notion of ‘getting a result’. People often start mediation expecting something to happen which completely defeats the object of meditation. The point is to let go, surrender yourself to the universe and most importantly enjoy the experience. If you get hung up on expecting results it takes away from the experience itself. If you find your mind wandering whilst meditating always bring your thoughts back to your breath. Focus on creating a steady rhythm in and out.”
Georgina Caro is a certified spiritual life coach & Reiki Master
“An important tip for beginners when trying to start meditating is to find the right type of meditation for you. There are so many different ways to meditate, and some will suit you better than others, so try a few different methods and you are much more likely to find a way of meditating that actually benefits you. This could be one of many, such as guided meditation, yoga, sound baths, breathwork meditation, body scans, and mantra meditations. I have been meditating consistently for around four years, so I wanted to share with you a tip for beginners, from a beginner, that really helped me develop my love for meditation.”
Lily Hope, Polyphony Arts
“Through “no thought “ meditation, we can get to the deepest connection with ourselves, we can actually get to an incredibly deep connection with the world, as we learn how to observe and release thoughts, allowing ourselves to be at peace in our own presence. This type of meditation can help boost immune system functioning, reduce addictions or cravings and bring about a sense of inner peace. People have said that they receive deeper sleep, a reduction in anxiety, an increase in self-control and joy! In our world today, as we are all struggling with stress and anxiety from the pandemic, this tool could be an absolute lifesaver… And that’s not an understatement at all! People who move through these incredibly stressful times all have special tools that they use, and this is a unique special tool to help you deal with the stress of what we are all experiencing right now. And the great news is, we only have to start with 5 to 6 minutes a day, in order to master, completely master this beautiful form of meditation. David has been practicing meditation regularly since 1987, he has gone through almost every form of meditation known to man, and has created this “no-thought form of meditation“, as a way for people to learn the art of meditation in bite-size samples. There is no rush to get it right. In this form of meditation, every time we sit to meditate is perfect, we could never make a mistake doing this type of meditation. Anyone can master it, all it takes is learning the art of this meditation and practicing it for a couple of minutes every day. There’s no special position you have to be in, you can do it seated, lying down, in an airplane, in the lotus position. There are really no rules to get it right. And that makes this meditation perfect for everyone!”
David Essel is an expert in meditation forms, the author of “30 days to the power of ‘no thought’ meditation! Meditation for beginners”
“Healing happens when the brain is not busy (and our brain is busy even during several hours of sleep). When you are looking at the clouds letting your mind drift with them or meditating to quiet your mind, your brain doesn’t have to process a huge amount of information and can focus on healing. If your mind is constantly busy you are not allowing a key part of healing to occur. If you don’t have time to look at a leaf on a tree or to sit quietly not thinking about anything, this is a sign that your life has gotten out of balance. You have lost control. Your brain is no longer serving you if it is always active. You have become a slave instead of a creator. But even 5 minutes of meditation allows us to recharge our mental batteries and this improves well-being. The best way to get started is to have several mini-sessions throughout the day. During the day, take a short break and sit quietly with your eyes closed. Breathe slowly and deeply for about 5 minutes. Tense and relax all muscles in your body. Breathe in and hold your breath for a few seconds, breathe out and hold your breath again. You will notice that you have no thoughts while you are holding your breath. To stay on track, diffuse frankincense or cedarwood essential oils or just put a few drops on your hands throughout the day. Alternate these meditation-enhancing essential oils.”
Milana Perepyolkina, International Bestselling Author, Gypsy Energy Secrets
Regular meditation can work wonders on your mind and body, your overall health and emotional balance. All that equals increased productivity and who wouldn’t want that in their day? With the stress and restrictions resulting from the pandemic, now is as a good time as any to begin prioritizing your overall wellbeing.
