Meditation is a simple (though not always easy) practice that we often make more complicated than it needs to be. It is well worth the effort as a wonderful to get out of your head and into the body. If you’re new to meditation, here are some tips to get your meditation practice started.

Settle into a comfortable space- Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down, wear comfortable clothing, and aim for a comfortable environment. Ideally, the space would be distraction free. That’s not always possible though so you can make the distraction a part of the practice. Over time, with practice, you’ll discover you can meditate anytime, anywhere, and under any circumstance – so hang in there.

Take baby steps- It’s the quality of your meditation practice that counts not quantity. A consistent practice of five minutes a day to start, matters more than a sporadic 30 minute practice. Being able to focus on your breath or some other focus, like sound, and clearing your mind for a matter of minutes is success. Meditation isn’t about entering in a trance-like state. It is about slowing down and connecting your mind and body and becoming aware of the two working in unison.

Don’t be hard on yourself or have expectations- Mindfulness meditation is about nonjudgmental awareness. Observing your thoughts and feelings and noticing them rather than putting judgment on them is an important component of the practice. Don’t feel you should or should not be doing things in a certain way. Don’t give yourself a hard time when the mind wanders. That’s natural. Notice how your body feels, when it feels resistant, tired, painful. Begin to pay close attention to those feelings and sort through them.   

Create a meditation practice routine- Meditation works well when it is integrated into your routine. Try meditating the same time and place until you feel you have a system in place that works well. Ultimately, you can meditate any time you want to slow down, reconnect your mind and body, and refresh yourself.

Accept the challenge- Your meditation practice should grow. As in all things, the more you meditate, the better you’ll get at it. Keep challenging yourself to go deeper, meditate longer, and build a more meaningful relationship between your mind and body.

Meditation is designed to bring the mind and body back into sync. The art of meditation doesn’t have to be intimidating. Use these tips to begin a simple meditation practice and discover the benefits of a renewed mind and body. To help you get started, visit my meditations page to explore the meditations on my website. I also invite you to join our weekly meditation classes.