The 3 Secrets of Meditation: What Every Beginner Should Know (And Some Bonus Info)

The 3 Secrets of Meditation:

What Every Beginner Should Know

So you just want me to sit here, close my eyes and breathe? Really. Hmmm…the simplest of tasks seemed completely unreasonable to me 5 years ago.

Meditation appeared unproductive, a waste of valuable time, and I honestly felt like I wasn’t getting it right. With a bit of effort, little by little, I began to see how meditation was becoming a life changer. Here’s my journey.

 I remember taking my first meditation class, and it was one of the most uncomfortable things I’ve ever done. I actually didn’t want to be in the class. However, it was part of my yoga teacher training so I felt compelled to learn.

Was this really necessary? I didn’t plan to be a meditation teacher.

 The time seemed to drag on. I couldn’t relax. I fidgeted and couldn’t sit completely still. Wasn’t that what I was supposed to do? I definitely cheated and peeked to see if my classmates were actually closing their eyes and “doing it”. Whatever that meant.

 After about the third attempt, the class was laying down, and as we started our meditation, I began to realize that my mind was becoming more relaxed.

Was this how I was supposed to feel? Like I was going to begin to nap?

 Laying down definitely helped me relax, but I felt like there was more to meditation than just feeling sleepy.

 One of my fellow yoga teachers in training decided to join me for a day-long beginner meditation class at Spirit Rock Meditation Center with Jack Kornfield. We were both struggling and interested to learn more.

Here’s the meditation secret sauce.

1.    Find a Comfortable Seat

Or not. Turns out, there’s not just one best practice way to meditate. You can sit in a chair, the floor, a cushion, whatever allows you to feel upright and physically at ease. It’s even okay to lay down.

Really. And get this, if sitting or laying down isn’t an option, you can walk and meditate.

Mind blown. Yes! Take a walk.

2.    Close Your Eyes

Please don’t close your eyes if you are trying a walking meditation. However, if you are sitting upright or laying down, your eyes can be closed or just looking down your nose. Closing your eyes allows you to go inward and become more fully present in the body, the moment and breath.

This was the part that I began to feel a bit scared. Don’t worry. We got this.

3.    Notice Your Breath

As the eyes are closed, just begin to notice the quality of your breath. Try breathing through your nose if you’re not feeling stuffy, and just take note.

What are the sensations? How are you breathing? Shallow? Or maybe you are taking longer sips of air?

Get super dorky on noticing your inhales and exhales. All we need to do is breathe.

 Okay, so now it can get a little more tricky. What about all those thoughts, you ask? We can never turn off our brains and the chit chat that comes and goes. So what next?

Bonus Tips:

1.    Let your eyes relax. If you need to focus your eyes while they’re closed, look at the space between your eyebrows. You may also want to unfurl your eyebrows as your eyes begin to settle.

2.    Meditation is a no judgment zone. Whatever thoughts or feelings appear, we recognize them, and we let them go on their way. Think of a snow globe settling or clouds floating in the sky and let your thoughts make their way.

3.    Cultivate compassion for your meditation journey. We are all perfectly imperfect, and each time you bring yourself to meditate, you will find a unique experience.

4.    Begin to notice thought patterns. Do you feel the same feelings? Are some of the thoughts racing more as you begin? Do you gradually feel more at ease? What keeps coming up?

5.    Set a timer before you begin. Oftentimes, we are carving out time for meditation so finding a timer like the Insight app can be super helpful in case you need to be mindful of the time. You won’t need to keep checking the time as you’ll have the time held for you. Don’t have 60-minutes? Give 20-minutes a chance, and even 5-minutes of meditation has its benefits.

So here we are. I’m 5+ years into my meditation journey, my dear, and I am still learning.

Our brains and bodies are super complex, and even though I’m not close to monk status, I definitely can take a comfortable seat and not become unnerved or unhinged by the process. I feel more present.

Meditation is a vital part of my self-discovery and self-acceptance and as I begin to feel more connected to myself, I feel more connected to others. Don’t we all need a bit more compassion and love in our self-care toolkit?

Your turn. I’m looking forward to learning what you discovery on your meditation journey. Drop a comment and let me know.

Come join a free Wellness Wednesdays class to explore a short and sweet meditation.

Namaste