Do you feel overwhelmed, anxious, and exhausted? You're not alone. Busy lifestyles, increased commitments, and draining technology have taken a toll on our wellbeing. Thankfully, there’s a simple way to restore inner peace and balance: meditation.
Meditation has been around for thousands of years, with benefits that run far deeper than stress reduction. It’s been proven to reduce physical and emotional stress, increase mental clarity, and increase feelings of happiness and well-being.
If you’ve never tried meditation before and don’t know where to start, we’ve put together this beginner's guide. Here’s a quick introduction to the practice, and a few simple techniques for calming the mind and body.
Meditation is a mental practice that helps quiet the mind and soothes the body. It’s widely used as an alternative form of medicine to reduce stress, help cultivate wellbeing, and create physical and emotional balance.
One of the primary goals of meditation is to quiet the Mind Chatter, or that inner voice that constantly runs in the background throughout the day. When we meditate, we seek to listen to the voice within, instead of being overcome by our Mind Chatter. As we practice, we become more aware of our feelings, our connection to the present moment, and our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.
Ready to get started? Here are 5 simple meditation techniques you can practice to tap into inner peace:
1. Body Scan
By bringing awareness to each part of the body, this technique helps to calm the mind and relax the body. To begin, get in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Start with the toes and slowly move up the body, focusing your attention on each area for a few moments. With each breath, notice how you feel in the present moment.
2. Mindful Breathing
Also known as Centering Breath, this is a popular mindfulness practice to promote inner peace. All you need to do is take a few slow, deep breaths through the nose, paying close attention to the sensation of air entering and leaving the body. Focus on the natural rhythm of your breath and how it makes you feel.
Guided visualization involves focusing on a pleasant mental image and letting your imagination take you on a calming journey. Pick a peaceful place you'd like to "visit," such as a beach, forest, or mountain. Spend a few moments imagining the sights, sounds, and smells of the place—this will help to ground you in the present moment and allow you to relax.
4. Loving-Kindness Meditation
Also known as Metta Meditation, this practice focuses on cultivating loving-kindness and compassion towards yourself and others. To begin, sit quietly and focus on your heart. Start by offering positive thoughts to yourself, and then extend your love and kindness towards others.
5. Five-Minute Rule
If you’re pressed for time or new to the practice, commit to meditating for five minutes. This may not seem like much, but by having an achievable goal and committing yourself to a short exercise each day, you may be surprised at just how much progress you can make.
There are many different meditation techniques, and the best way to find the one that is right for you is to experiment. With practice, you can learn to quiet the mind and body, and find inner peace and harmony.
When you are ready to take your practice deeper, you might consider guided meditation classes, retreats, books, and websites.
We hope that this beginner's guide to meditation has provided some insight into the practice, and offered you a few simple tools to help find balance and inner peace. Whether you use formal practices or simple meditations throughout the day, by creating the time and space to be mindful, you can find relief from the noise and chaos of life.
