Meditation is a practice that involves focusing your attention on a single thing. It can be anything — your breath, a mantra, or an object like a candle. When you meditate regularly, it has a positive effect on your life. You become more relaxed, less stressed, and generally happier. If you’re just getting into meditation, it might seem quite complicated or even intimidating. There are so many different kinds of meditation and so many different ways to do it — but they all share the same basic principle: quieting the mind and focusing on one thing in order to achieve peace of mind. It doesn’t take much time to meditate — most practices last between 5 and 20 minutes — but you need somewhere quiet in order to get the most out of each session. Here are some tips for how to meditate both at home and when you’re away from home.
Find the right place to meditate
When you’re looking for a place to meditate, you first want to consider the time of year and time of day — the hours that are best for meditation are early in the morning, before noon. It’s possible to meditate during any season, but there are some that are better than others. In the summer, it’s preferable that you meditate indoors as the heat doesn’t help with relaxation. The autumn and spring are good times of the year to meditate because the temperatures are moderate and the fewer mosquitoes and bugs that are out. Winter is great for meditation, too, because the lack of sunlight means you can meditate indoors all day long if you like. In the winter, you’ll want to make sure you have a space that is warm and comfortable.
Breathing exercises
Breathing exercises are a great way to calm your mind and prepare it for meditation. They can be done either seated or lying down, and even with your eyes closed or open. You can focus on visualizing the air moving in and out of your body or you can count your breaths to 10 and then start from the beginning again. Breathing exercises are also great when you’re in a situation where you can’t meditate — on a long car ride or flight, or when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store.
Mantra meditation
A mantra is a sound or a word that you repeat silently in your mind. Depending on the type of mantra meditation you choose, you might repeat the same word or phrase over and over again or you might choose a new mantra for each meditation session — either way, the goal is to clear your mind of all other thoughts. When you first start, you may find yourself thinking about what you’re saying, and that’s okay. The more you practice, the easier it will get, and you’ll reach a point where you hear your mantra in the background and you don’t notice it anymore. If you’re not sure where to start, there are a few popular mantra meditation practices to choose from.
Body scan meditation
A body scan meditation is a form of mindfulness meditation where you focus your attention on one part of your body at a time. You can start with the top of your head, working your way down to your toes, or vice versa. The goal is to focus your attention completely on each part of your body, without judging it in any way. Doing a body scan meditation requires a little bit of mental preparation. Before you sit down to meditate, you should arrange yourself in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and try to let go of all the thoughts and worries that are running through your head. When you reach a part of your body that feels particularly tense or stressed, focus your attention on that area and try to relax it as much as you can.
Confession booth meditation
This one is a little bit more out there, but it can be a lot of fun to try. In a confession booth meditation, you create a space for yourself that feels like a confessional — you can do this by closing the shades and putting a pillow in front of you. While seated in the “confessional,” you should try to let go of all your “sins” and focus on your breathing. Thoughts are bound to come up and you should just let them pass and let them go without ruminating on them. When you notice that your mind has wandered off, just come back to your breathing and start again.
Conclusion
The most important thing to remember when you’re learning how to meditate is that you don’t have to do it perfectly. No one meditates perfectly — even experienced meditators make mistakes and have off days. The important thing is that you make the effort to clear your head and spend a little bit of time each day focusing on yourself — not the things you have to do or the things you have to worry about. You don’t have to spend hours in a silent room in order to be able to clear your head and relax. You can meditate for as little as a few minutes, even while you’re walking or driving from place to place — as long as you’re willing to make the effort to take time for yourself.