*Disclosure: This blog post includes affiliate links. Please note that I only recommend books, products, courses, and services that resonate with me and all opinions expressed are my own. The affiliate link below means that I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase at no cost to you.
We all know the benefits of meditation. It is scientifically proven that meditation helps to reduce stress, manage anxiety and improve sleep.
So how can we get started with meditation? Why is so hard to get started? There are so many resources online that can be overwhelming. And sometimes we may try one style of meditation that doesn’t “work”, and we may give up meditation altogether.
It took me years and lots of trials and errors until I found a meditation practice that I enjoy and look forward to. Meditation definitely can be fun, simple and practical.
Today I want to share with you my 8 tips on how you can get started with meditation.
There are so many styles of meditations out there, so if you have tried one that doesn’t really work for you, don’t give up just yet! Just like finding your partner (hello meditation!), stay open and trust that you will find one style that resonates with you.
The best way to immerse in meditation is to join a group class or a retreat. In a group environment and with the physical presence of a teacher, it is easier to dive deeper into meditation with fewer distractions compared to when we are practicing alone. See if you can find a local meditation or yoga class that incorporates meditation in your area.
If there’s no access to a group meditation class in your local area, or if you are traveling, meditation apps can be very handy. Many meditation apps offer free classes for you to experience before making any paid purchases, such as Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer.
“Motivation is overrated; environment often matters more”, wrote James Clear in his book “Atomic Habits” basically sums up this point. If your meditation space is already setup, then all you need to do is to move your body there physically.
A meditation space in your home does not need to be in a separate room, it can just be a corner of your bedroom with a cushion and/or a yoga mat setup. This way you see your space every day, you are more motivated to go for your meditation.
A lot of people believe that meditation needs to take a big chunk of time from their busy schedule, so it is difficult to find time to meditate. But in fact, the best time to meditate is anytime.
Start small. Even if you can practice just for one minute a day, you are still doing it regularly. You can then slowly build up your practice.
It is easy to let meditation slip if it’s a new habit we’re starting in our daily routine. It’s much easier to remember to meditate when we can pair it with a daily habit.
For example, if you usually have some free time after breakfast in the morning and before going to work, you can do your meditation after breakfast. If you keep on doing meditation the same time for at least one week, chances are, you will keep it going for more weeks to come.
A lot of us have expectations of how our meditation practice should help us, like we should feel calmer afterwards, or our mind should become empty of thoughts.
Yes, some days that may happen. But in reality a lot of time we may find ourselves distracted by our thoughts and it feels difficult to connect to that inner heart space of calm and content. We may then feel like we’re failing in meditation and then we give up.
The key here is to lose your expectations to be “perfect” and how you “should” feel after meditation. Just keep on showing up to your practice every single day.
Every day’s practice will be different, and that’s the beauty of making progress and not perfection. Just like with any kind of exercises, the more you practice, the easier it becomes.
As you start to reap the benefits of practicing meditation regularly, you may want to do it for the long run (which is great!). On days when you feel like skipping your practice, remind yourself of your “why”.
Why do you want to meditate? What brings you to meditation at the first place? What benefits have you already received from showing up to your practice regularly?
You can write down your “why” on a piece of paper, and place it somewhere visible in your meditation space as a reminder to keep you on track.
It’s never too late to get started. And it’s certainly never too late to get started with meditation.
Here’s a summary of my 8 tips on how to get started with meditation:
- Try out different styles
- Join a group class or retreat
- Use an app
- Setup a meditation space in your home
- Start small and build it up
- Pair it with a daily habit
- Lose your expectations, just show up
- Remind yourself of your “why”
Keep the first step simple and just go for it.
If you need more help, I’m here for you! Feel free to drop me any questions about meditation here.
At Museflower Retreat & Spa we also offer various meditation classes and workshops, as well as yoga and meditation retreats. Check out our class and event schedule here for the next upcoming meditation class.
Return to Your Heart with Cacao, Crystals, and Ceremony
Special year end classes to help us return to our heart space, to reflect and celebrate all the growth that happened the past year, and to set a new intention for 2024, including cacao ceremony + shamanic journey, cacao + happydance, and crystal meditation + fire release ceremony + kirtan.
