How to meditate for beginners

Meditation is proven to be a great tool for the mind but it can be difficult to know where to begin.

For those that find it difficult to sit still, there are a few simple and easy ways that you can start incorporating a mindfulness routine into your daily schedule.

WALKING MEDITATION

A great way to begin with meditation is to go on a walk. Sounds simple right? well it is!

Adding in some minor adjustments to your normal walking routine is a great way to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life.

This practice can be used any time that you are walking - whether that's at home, in the garden or to your local shop.

Step 1 | As you begin your walk, the first thing to do is slow down your speed to a snail's pace.

Step 2 | Now you have slowed right down, start to pay attention to your feet as you walk across the ground. Try to feel the soles of your feet against your shoes and the foot as it touches the ground.

Step 3 | Recognise your breath. Ask yourself how the air feels as it enters your lungs. Perhaps even become aware at what speed you're breathing.

Step 4 | See if you can smell any scents as you walk. Are there flowers nearby?

Step 5 | Become aware of the different sounds you can hear. Is there a bird chirping? can you hear a car driving nearby?

Step 6 | As you walk make sure to stop and focus on particular things that you see, perhaps you pay attention to the cracks in the wall, or a flower growing through some concrete. Make a mental note of all the things you can see and next time you do that same walk try to notice something different that you didn't see the last time you walked this path, perhaps a small dot of paint on the wall or a new fallen leaf.

...

FOCUSING ENHANCES YOUR IMAGINATION

Another way to practice meditation is using your ability to focus on something.

An example of this is when you're watching a movie or reading a book. During this time you are completely focused on the story, characters and the emotions that they experience. When you are enticed in a book, you use your imagination to explore the characters and the scenery.

This exercise is similar when you are meditating.

When you are using meditation strategies; you are training your mind to focus on the world around you, to notice the beauty in nature and relationships, to be more aware and appreciate different aspects of this world. Carrying out this exercise for the mind enhances your imagination for creativity, similar to reading, you can explore the world around you and create imaginative stories or art that can bring about a positive change in how you view the world.

David Lynch, an American filmmaker says that meditation enhances "the ability to catch ideas at a deeper level, you know how to solve solutions and the enjoyment of life grows"

A good way to practice focusing for meditation is to hold an item such as a flower. When holding the flower spend some time looking at the flower as a whole. As you allow yourself sometime to look at it, you will start to notice the individual petals, perhaps you will notice a pattern of lines or shapes on the petals, maybe you see more colours, or different textures on the flower. Don't try to fight intrusive thoughts during this time, acknowledge them and then dismiss them.

In the book; The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Robin Sharma states that you should practice this form of focusing on something for at least 5 minutes daily.

Meditation has been proven to enhance the mind, improving memory, concentration and creativity.

"We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves. Whatever forms of meditation you practice, the most important point is to apply mindfulness continuously, and make a sustained effort" - Dalai Lama