Karma and Calmer: Tips on Meditation

It can be useful to take a break, some time to yourself and recharge your energy before going back to the big wide world and facing the tasks you must do. Practising mindfulness and meditation gives you a chance to become aware of your thoughts and feelings by looking at them with a positive perspective and understanding.

Here are some meditation tips to help give you the breathing space you deserve:

1. What actually is meditation?

Meditation is not always the stereotypical act of sitting crossed-legged on the floor with your hands resting on your lap as you let out “hommmm” noises. It is simply just the act of taking some time to yourself to become present and understand your thoughts and feelings.

Your mind can be a busy place, it’s full of plans, to-do lists and a never-ending cycle of thoughts and feelings. It can be hard to find time to process all the traffic running through your mind but by taking even just a small amount of time to yourself, you can become more engaged with your thoughts and change your perspective and outlook.

2. Consistency is key

Taking time to yourself is important and meditating on a regular basis, it will help to keep your head feeling clear as often as possible. With the busy flow of life, you may find it difficult to make time and feel like you don’t have a minute to stop.

By making time to focus on yourself, mindfulness, and meditation you can take control of your busy life and prioritise your mind as you move forward. Even a few minutes a day can make a big difference!

To keep on top of meditation, you could schedule the time to do it in your life similarly to the way you’d schedule an appointment. That way, you’ll stay on top of clearing your mind and keep your focus on prioritising your mind. It’ll be something to look forward to too!

3. Time is precious, just like your mind!

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Everyone’s mind works best at different times, and it can be useful to be aware of this in the beginning stages of meditation. Whenever you feel more in tune with your own mind may be the best time for you to meditate.

If you’re an early bird, you jump out of bed and have no issue starting your day if could be that meditation works best for you in the morning. If you are more of a night owl and can stay up into the night, the end of the day may be your prime mediation time.

Try and find what works best for you and go with that. It’s all about what helps you and your mind so play around with timings and see what feels the most useful!

4. Dress for comfort

Meditation is all about feeling comfortable, relaxed, and peaceful. If you’ve had a busy day and you sit down to meditate in the pantsuit you wore to work, you may find it more difficult to switch the day off.

By scheduling meditation into your life, why not try to get changed into something comfy to ensure full relaxation can commence? Everyone’s mind works in different ways but feeling comfortable can allow you to have a sole focus on your thoughts and let mediation take over.

5. Set the scene

Meditation can pretty much be however you want it to be as it’s all about your mind and what works and feels best for it. By taking the time to find the best location and set-up for your meditation, you can fully indulge in the moment and focus solely on your breathing and thoughts.

You may find a dark room helps you to relax more, a flickering candle or two may also set the scene and offer a more peaceful experience as you switch off the outside world.

Find a place that is comfortable for you where you can lie or sit and let your mind do the rest of the work!

6. Let your breathing do the work

Once you’ve decided on a location, set the scene, and decided to begin meditating you can start by taking some deep breaths. Controlled breathing is a vital element of meditation and so being aware of the in and out movement is the best place to begin.

Close your eyes and focus on the movement of your chest. Feel and notice every breath, in and out, and let the sensation overpower your body. To prevent your mind from going to other places, stay in tune with your breathing and let it help you to begin to relax.

7. Notice your wandering mind

Life is busy and it can be hard to fully switch off when there’s so much to think about. It can be distracting when your mind goes off in different directions and can stop you from being in tune with your breathing.

Your mind wandering is normal, and it is expected when in a meditation setting. By being aware of it, you can bring your peace back and push the intruding thoughts to the side.

If you feel your mind begin to wander, keep on deep breathing, and bring your mind back to focus on the movement of your chest. This concentration will bring you back into the meditation mindset and allow you to continue to remain in control.

If it helps, try downloading an app or following the voice of a professional who can help guide you as you meditate.

8. Understand your thoughts

Being aware of how you’re feeling and what your mind is going through, can help to gain a sense of control over your emotions and your mindset.

If your mind feels like an emotional blender, whirling around with thoughts, feelings, and emotions it can be hard to keep track of them. Taking the time to understand how you’re feeling can help you to notice patterns and therefore cope with your emotions better.

Stripping your thoughts back and understanding how you feel is an important part of meditation as you can gain perspective and move forward with a clearer mind as a result.

Will you give this a go? Try meditation and let us know at Conturve about your experience!