9 Tips for Meditation.

1. Routine: It’s a good idea to set aside the same time for meditation each day. Make a sincere effort to meditate every day at your chosen time. This is an important thing because if we don’t make meditation a habit, we probably will not do it.

2. Move around a little: It helps to do a little bit of exercising before meditation. Yoga postures are a great way to stimulate the body and mind before or after meditation. Pacing around is also helpful. Some people have a lot of trouble sitting for longer than a couple of minutes. A little bit of moving around and stretching beforehand can make a world of difference.

3. Find a place: Set aside a room or part of a room for your practice. Try to find a quiet place, although I understand this can be. If you make one specific area your meditation spot, it will be a little easier to settle your mind because you will get used to using this area for meditation.

4. Sitting: Make sure you sit up straight. Slouching is unmindful. Sit on a pillow, cushion, bench or blanket with your back straight and your head raised.

5. Time: Don’t set goals that are unrealistic. It’s better to meditate for 5 minutes each day, increasing time as it becomes possible than it is to do longer meditations less consistently. But, one longer meditation each week can help deepen shorter meditations.

6. Teamwork: It helps to meditate in groups, if you can find a group of like-minded individuals. It is especially helpful to sit with someone who has been doing it longer than you. People usually are able to meditate a lot longer with others than they are on their own.

7. Be committed: As you sit, it’s important to have the resolve to put aside the things that distract you. It’s important to try not to set aside the rest of our day while we’re meditating.

8. Include breathing exercises: these are very useful for relaxation. Inhale, feel tension in the body, exhale, and relax. Then do some controlled breathing. Inhale, hold, and exhale. After this, relax and breathe normally, becoming aware of your breath.

9. Be positive: Remember, we aren’t doing this because we’re supposed to. We’re doing it because it brings benefits to us. We’re doing it because we’re on the journey to Awakening. That’s something to get excited about. So let’s get excited about meditation.

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Author: Daniel Scharpenburg

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: flickr