What to think about during meditation. Meditation for beginners at home. Watching what is happening

For the year and a half that I have been working at MIF, I read several dozen books on business and self-development. And most of them contain advice: take time to meditate daily.

And I know very well how difficult it is to take the first step to this practice. I will share with you my meditative observations and tell you where to start and how not to turn off the path to awareness.

What is meditation?

Meditation is an ancient method of mental training. Thanks to meditation, you can clear your mind of unnecessary worries, get distracted and adjust the emotional and physical balance of your body.

Personally, meditation helps me deal with stress. Nothing so quickly relieves frightening thoughts, like a couple of minutes in silence alone with yourself. In addition, this short break helps me analyze my well-being, identify weaknesses and, if possible, strengthen them. I began to eat better, got rid of many bad habits and began to devote time to physical activity.

Also, with the help of the main component of the meditation process - proper breathing - I learned how to react correctly to extreme life situations. After all, simply changing my breathing, I can change my feelings and attitude towards the present moment.

Try it yourself. Look at the picture below and synchronize your inhale and exhale:

Breathe in this rhythm for a few minutes. What do you feel? Have your muscles been relaxed? Did you get distracted from routine worries?

When I first tried to breathe in this picture, I was almost suffocating from such rhythms - they were very unusual. But as soon as he got the hang of it — literally two or three minutes later — he began to understand the full power of breathing. If you like the effect, you can search the Internet and books for other breathing techniques that will help you better relax or, conversely, concentrate.

What is it for

Surely you heard that there is a huge amount of research that proves. This practice helps to relax, live more consciously, calm down quickly, find original solutions to problems and just take a breath.

For example, recently, researchers from the University of Oregon asked students to maintain a state of “calm concentration,” that is, to prevent such thoughts that could capture a person’s consciousness and distract him. The experiments lasted thirty minutes a day for a month. The entire course lasted eleven hours. At the end of the program, students again underwent brain scans using MRI.

Scientists have found that meditation has improved the condition of the so-called white matter that connects the anterior cingulate cortex to other parts of the brain. As a result, students improved their ability to control their thoughts, behavior and emotions and better respond to tense situations.

A couple of years ago, I made it a rule to conduct tests on myself, which I advise you. Moreover, for the first step you practically do not need anything ...

First steps in meditation

My meditation experience is directly related to my project. A few years ago, I made a list of 100 things that I have never tried in my life, and called it "Lifelist". One of the items on this list is learning to meditate.

Just then, I stumbled upon Andy Paddikom’s video from the TED conference and found out about the existence of the Headspace service. This is a smartphone application that teaches users to relax, breathe and meditate properly. Then I first thought that meditation is not some kind of Buddhist practice, but quite a working tool, which should be given a little time every day.

I downloaded the app, put on my headphones and tried to relax. Naturally, nothing came of this, although with a breath I kind of managed to make friends. Constantly thoughts flashed into my head, and my inner voice reminded me of outstanding business.

The next day, history repeated itself, as on the third day. But for the fourth time, I finally managed to relax and move a little away from obsessive thoughts. It was a small victory of awareness!

Personal experience

Almost three years have passed since my first steps in meditation. During this time, I managed to listen to more than half of the Headspace lessons, read several dozen books on the topic of mindfulness, and spend hundreds of hours alone with me. And I like it.

As I already said, the practice of meditation helped me to cope with stress, and also taught me how to breathe and live more consciously.

I can’t say that I practice meditation every day - sometimes breaks last for weeks. Nevertheless, I still return to this practice and continue to enjoy the meditation and its consequences.

Now on my calendar is a 15-minute task for every day called "Doing nothing." Immediately after lunch, I close my laptop and meditate. This is 15 minutes in peace and quiet, during which I can sit on the couch, lie with my eyes closed or just walk at a slow pace along the street. This time belongs only to me and the present moment.

Your first meditation

Try to set aside a few minutes immediately after waking up or during the working day. For starters, literally 5-7 minutes will be enough. Sit on a chair, straighten up and close your eyes. Concentrate on the movement of the inhaled and exhaled air - listen to the sensations that arise with each inhale and exhale.

Perhaps after some time you will notice that you are distracted. Having found this, do not scold yourself and try again to focus on breathing. In the end, your mind may calm down and become as smooth as the mirror surface of a lake, but it may not. Even if you manage to catch the feeling of absolute calm, it may turn out to be fleeting. Whatever happens, just take it for granted.

After a minute, open your eyes and look around. You have just finished your first meditation session.

More theory

When the first step is taken, I want to reinforce my skills with theoretical and practical knowledge. Almost every business book contains a note on how important it is to devote time to meditation. Unfortunately, this all ends. However, there are books that fully cover the topic of awareness and meditation and examine in detail the techniques.

I liked the two books best. It is noteworthy that one was written by a scientist and the other by a Buddhist monk, and both of them are confident in the benefits of meditation.

Awareness (Mark Williams) is an eight-week course of meditation. The author offers many meditation techniques, talks about the pros of each of them and answers many questions that will certainly arise for those who begin to meditate.

“Silence” (Tit Nath Khan) - the author shows how to maintain equanimity, despite the constant noise around. How to be calm even in the most troubled places. It also contains breathing exercises and techniques of awareness.

In addition, some books one way or another talk about the practice of meditation, without going into details. For example, the “Book of the Lazy Guru” offers to meditate in bed:

This is also a great way to escape from the hustle and bustle in the right way.

On a note

In order to meditate, you don’t need to cut your hair, go to monks and sit in the lotus position for days.
Allocate some time, for a start 5-7 minutes will be enough. During this time, try to find a quiet place and meditate.
The most important thing is to take the right rhythm of breathing. Try synchronizing your inhale and exhale with an animated picture.
Do not worry if thoughts continue to creep into your head. Keep an eye on your breath.
After meditation, do not rush to return to routine. Allocate 2-3 minutes to listen to your feelings: how do you feel? Did you like the break or not? Are you ready to return to routine business with a “clean head”?
Schedule a meditation break the next day.

Have you heard much about the benefits of meditation, its positive effects on both mindfulness and health, and would you like to start meditating?

But you have a poor idea of \u200b\u200bhow to do it right and how much time per day to devote to this occupation?

From the article you will learn:

what is meditation for
how to learn meditation
how much time a day to devote to her,
3 meditation exercises that even a child can handle
where to “put” the mind during meditation,
Super concentration technique from Sri Chinmoy.

What does meditation give?

Buddha also realized that ignorance of the true nature of man is the cause of suffering, and this ignorance stems from the tendency of the mind to be constantly distracted.

Stop being distracted by the chatter of the mind and suffering helps meditation.

She connects our divine nature with earthly reality.

Therefore, through meditation, you can bring heaven to earth, and live life happily, in accordance with its true nature, without suffering, unnecessary worry and fuss.

How much time per day to meditate?

Sogyal Rinpoche, the meditation master, says it doesn’t matter how long you meditate.

The main thing is that this practice leads you to a certain state of awareness and presence when you become open and attune with your own heart.

5 minutes spent in an attentive state is much more valuable than 20 minutes in a nap.

Later, you can spend hours in clarity and awareness. But this will require training, time, patience and

And if the time of meditation is not so important, you can choose a comfortable number of minutes for you.

If you are a very busy person, find only 5 minutes a day for meditation and devote them to yourself - and your life will change for the better.

Love and self-respect always bring wonderful results, and meditation also helps to get to know oneself better: to integrate previously unrecognized parts of oneself, not to mention the value of synchronization with the world.

How to learn meditation. 3 easy techniques for beginners

There are countless meditations in the world.

I offer 3 simple and effective techniques that can be successfully used even by a person who has never before meditated.

1. Respiration Monitoring

This is a very ancient method of meditation that is used by all schools of Buddhism.

You just need to settle down comfortably, and focus on your breath: how cool air enters your body, bringing with it relaxation, lightness and energy of life; and then leaves heated from the body, taking away all the negativity, low vibrations and fatigue.

Try while breathing just watch how you breathe. If at this time distracting thoughts appear in your head, do not pay attention to them - let them go as they came - easily and freely.

This practice will teach you to “turn off” the constantly chattering brain and improve your attention management skills.

2. Focusing on the spiritual heart

Sri Chinmoy’s book “Silent Learning” states that “the spiritual heart is the center of infinite and universal love.”

In the human body, the spiritual heart is in the area of \u200b\u200bthe physical heart, at the level of the heart chakra - in the center of the chest.

The whole way is to direct attention to the area of \u200b\u200bthe spiritual heart - because it is through this place of our body that we can connect with your Higher Self.

Having fully focused on the heart, we “dive” deep into ourselves and gradually comprehend the deeper levels of bliss, peace and love.

One can also imagine a flower blossoming in the spiritual heart, and with its flowering stream of love, tranquility and bliss will expand and pour out more and more from the heart.

I will describe another variation in the transfer of attention to the region of the spiritual heart.

At the beginning of meditation, imagine the boundless sky. Look at this sky or feel it from the side, like an observer, and then become this sky yourself, identify with it.

When this succeeds, shift your attention to your heart — feel or see the sky in your spiritual heart.

Feel how your heart expands and expands, it becomes bigger than you and you yourself become the heart of the universe!

And inside you - this huge heart - feel the sky with which you were identified earlier. Since the Heart of the Universe is much larger than the sky, you can easily put the sky inside you.

3. Singing or reciting mantras

The word "mantra" is translated from Sanskrit as "that which protects the mind."

Traditionally, singing or simply repeating mantras expels negativity from the mind.

In the East, they believe that mantras embody truth in sound form, and while working with mantras, the mind and subtle bodies are charged with the energy of this truth.

This practice is especially useful for people who are often distracted by the chatter of a restless mind.

Sri Chinmoy claims that the most powerful mantra of all is Aum.

It is believed that this sound conveys the vibration of God, and with its help the Almighty set in motion the first vibration he created, and every moment he creates himself anew inside the “Aum”.

The sound “m” should be at least three times longer than the sound “ay”.

When you pronounce the sound “Aum” loudly, you feel the omnipotence of God, in a whisper - his delight, and to yourself - his peace.

In special books or on the Internet you can find mantras that will be closest to you.

If you are looking for a simpler practice, instead of traditional mantras, you can sing or say just one word in your own language, the meaning of which you understand, and what it means is most desirable or necessary at the moment.

For example, you can work with words such as “Love”, “Freedom”, “Kindness”, “Beauty”, “Humor”.

How to calm the mind during meditation?

Those who have tried to meditate know that it is not so easy to calm the mind - it keeps chattering, thoughts jump and distract from meditation itself.

What to do? How to tame the mind and make it silent?

And this is not necessary.

Thoughts will still appear - because they flow from the mind itself.

They are like waves, which are sometimes raging, then subside in the ocean of mind.

What to do with thoughts during meditation?

Accept them, allow them to be, but not get involved in endless thoughts, and then the mind will become clear and thoughts will calm down.

Sogyal Rinpoche compares the mind during meditation with a can of muddy water.

The water in the jar will become cleaner and more transparent if you stop balamut, stir and shake the water. Then the dirt particles will settle to the bottom, and the mind will become transparent, like water.

Concentration during meditation

Sri Chinmoy offers a wonderful technique of concentration, which helps to stay in meditation or in the present moment and forget about distractions.

The whole secret is that concentration should not come from the intellectual mind, but from the light of the soul that enters the mind!

Then it becomes very easy to concentrate on something, because doubts and fears disappear.

When you concentrate, feel and visualize how

the light of the soul fills your heart;
the light of the soul moves to the third eye and passes through it;
you merge with this light and scatter the light around you;
identify with the space and time around you;
expose the intention to discover in the object of concentration the hidden, original truth;
watch how your perception changes.

This exercise helps me a lot to write texts when I cannot concentrate.

After visualizing the proposed points, I find myself in a stream, and, according to intuitive feelings, I begin to better imagine how my work should look in the end.

When practicing meditation, you will notice over time that you are changing for the better, as if you are cleansing yourself of other people's beliefs, opinions and prejudices.

You will become more of yourself: clear, bright and true. Learn new, your horizons will expand, the heart will open.

Gradually, you will notice more and more beauty in yourself, in the world around you, in people.

And, most importantly, you will understand who you are: whom or what you love the most, WHAT you came to give the world in this earthly life, what value, contribution you first want to create, and then give to those who will bring your work the most benefit.

And the world, of course, will not remain in debt. He will more than give you for your selflessness and a pure heart - will make you very happy!

There is nothing mysterious in meditation, everyone is capable of it. Moreover, you have more than once been in a meditative state, even if you never tried to. Remember how many times, while on board the plane, you did not stop looking at the porthole, watching the movement of cirrus clouds.

Surely you will recall many similar situations when you did not look at yourself from the side, did not think about serious problems, did not analyze your emotional state. They did not think about anyone or anything. At these moments, there was no past or future for you - there was only “here” and “now”, and you were completely dissolved in the current time. So this, in fact, is meditation.

We believe that all meditation is a kind of autism, a withdrawal into oneself. And we are mistaken.

Sometimes meditation may require attention to many things at once, as if you are cooking a five-course meal. Its essence is not at all detached, on the contrary, we are so involved in what is happening that we merge with it. That is why meditation charges with optimism, because with our whole being we feel unity with the world around us.

While meditating, you are both completely relaxed and very focused - a dual, contradictory state, but only at first glance. As a result, problems that were previously considered unsolvable can be easily overcome and, as it were, by themselves - either turn out to be not yours at all, or not as fundamental as you thought.

Meditation gives you the opportunity, time and effort to try to understand yourself. The question: “What do I want?” Seems to be very simple. But many do not have enough of their whole lives to find an answer to it. And meditation helps in this.

Meditation rejuvenates, and often does it better and faster than any cosmetic procedures. Suppose in the morning you were sitting on the floor for a quarter of an hour watching a bunch of energy - a ball located two fingers below the navel, at the most important energy point. Believe me, when you come to the office, you will be surprised at the number of compliments and kind words spoken to you.

And if you reveal your secret to your colleagues and to the question: “How do you do this?” - answer: “I meditate in the morning,” few of them will be suspicious of you and will turn a finger at the temple. Because those around you will certainly notice that you have become calmer and happier, but at the same time you have not at all turned into a "weirdo with oddities."

What meditation to choose

If you decide to master meditation, try starting with the following basic techniques. As soon as you start practicing, you will immediately feel that it is simple, there is nothing supernatural in it.

Choose any technique and practice one to two weeks before moving on to the next. Do not rush to conclusions, continue to be engaged, even if negative feelings arise and it seems that something is not working out and this option is not suitable for you. Then try a different technique. As a result, you will choose the most suitable method and enjoy meditation with pleasure.

Conscious breathing

One of the main methods of maximum concentration. Just keep a close eye on how air enters and exits through the lungs. Observe the duration of each inhalation and exhalation. And do not be alarmed if your attention suddenly jumps to something else - just bring it back.

Singing mantras

Mantras can consist of one syllable, word or phrase. Christians often repeat the prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner." Praying Jews repeat: “Shema” (“Hear”). The most common mantras are Om Amen and Om Mani Padme Hum. If this option does not suit you, take as a basis just the word “love” and see what happens. The mantra can be repeated both aloud and to oneself - synchronizing it with the breath.

Visualization

To begin with, carefully consider a simple geometric figure, for example, a circle or a triangle. Then close your eyes and try to imagine it mentally. When you can do this with ease, move on to other images that are of particular importance to you. Imagine, for example, a quiet, cozy place in which you would be comfortable indulging in meditation.

Mettabhavana

Meditation, not only developing concentration, but also generating a comprehensive love for all living things. "Metta" in translation from the ancient Indian language Pali means "love", and "bhavana" is translated as "development, education." taught by Buddha.

Vipassana

Meditation of inner insight. She calls to pay attention to feelings as such, and not to thoughts and emotions caused by them. Find a comfortable place to sit for 45-60 minutes. For its implementation, it is important to keep your back straight. The eyes should be closed, and the body should be as motionless as possible. Use what is convenient for you: a low bench, pillows, a chair. No special breathing technique - just smooth, natural breathing. Watch your every breath in and out.

Vedanta meditation

As soon as absolutely any thought arises in my head, for example, “I’m bored” or “I have a lot of urgent matters,” I must ask myself the question: “Who takes this thought? For whom does it arise? ”The answer seems obvious:“ For me. ” And then you ask yourself the following question: “And who am I? Where and what are my sources? ”As a result of such a chain, you will come to liberation from your own ego and to community with the world.

Meditation in motion

You can practice while doing Hatha Yoga, tai chi, walking, etc. Suitable if you find it difficult or simply not like to sit still for a long time. Meditating while walking, you inhale and exhale to the beat of your steps. On inspiration, you gradually tear one foot off the floor, starting from the heel and ending with the toes, and rearrange it forward. Then, with an exhale, lower the foot to the floor, transfer the weight to it and get ready to raise the other foot on the next breath.

If you meditate regularly, then you stop wasting time and energy, swapping things and sharply reacting to things that you cannot change. You no longer take offense at life, but instead begin to take what is happening for granted. You are approaching harmony with the world.

Photo: danielle_radulski / instgram.com taramichellebrose / instgram.com

Orgasm, dervishes dancing, yoga, shamanistic dances, peak sports loads, dreams, trance techniques, prayer, creativity, holotropic breathing, hypnosis, cinema ...

What common?

All of the above applies to different methods of achieving an altered state of consciousness (ASC). One of the easiest and most affordable ways to achieve an altered state of consciousness is meditation. All that is required of you to practice meditation is desire, an open mind, and a little time.

And why, you ask, is this altered state of consciousness in general?

So, the pros.

1.Quiet. Meditation allows you to stop the internal dialogue and free yourself from a million multidirectional conflicting thoughts, desires and motives, to achieve inner balance.

2.Interesting. You can watch a movie with you in the title role and find out a lot of interesting details about yourself. From the present, past and future.

3.Fair. Lack of conscious control allows you to feel and see yourself real.

4.Nicely. The transition to ASC is accompanied by the release of endorphins - substances of joy and happiness.

5.Sharpened. The possibilities of perception are enhanced, visual and sensory images appear.

6.Resource. Staying in the ASC gives you the opportunity to achieve psychological balance and join the internal sources that are in the unconscious.

7.Transcendentally. You can get out of your own head and stop cooking thoughts in the broth ... and even further - beyond your own experience. Touch a source of power more powerful than our own.

Underwater rocks

Meditation requires perseverance in the practice of immersion. Like any skill, it must be practiced regularly. In five minutes of being in the inner world, much more can pass in the ISS in the outside world (and vice versa). Until you have acquired the skill of tracking time (it will appear with experience), you can simply set a timer. Perhaps the appearance of pseudo-hallucinations: visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory. Do not be afraid of them, this is normal. When they return to normal, they disappear by themselves. Unpleasant sensations (flowing, light headaches, dizziness, nausea) will disappear with a quick exit if you take the time to reach a truly comfortable posture and return to normal state slowly to allow your body to rebuild at a comfortable pace. Do not drive immediately after practice. In ASC, the threshold of suggestibility is lowered. An accidentally abandoned phrase can “get stuck” in the unconscious and have an unnecessary influence, so do meditation in a place where you are guaranteed no one will disturb for the necessary time.

The word "meditation" comes from the Latin verb meditari, meaning in-depth reflection or mental contemplation. In order to focus on something and contemplate, you must first collect it in a directional beam, that is, focus. It is extremely difficult for a modern person to do this. Constantly thinking about something completely inappropriate: what to eat for breakfast, when the salary, why the foot itches, what is on Facebook, the winter is approaching, when ours will start playing football well, etc. Therefore, it is very important to accustom yourself to focus attention.

There is no need to create a vacuum. Let ordinary sounds surround you. For some, it’s important to remain silent, while someone needs to turn on background music.

Sit back as comfortable as possible, best sitting.It can be a lotus position, or it can be a chair, chair or car seat. Take the time to get really comfortable: your back, legs, head, neck, arms should be as comfortable as possible.

Focus on your surroundings.Look at familiar objects in a new way. Table, clock, lamp, pharmacy, sky, chair, plane. Shadows of objects, lighting. You can see yourself as if from the outside.

Pay attention to the sounds that surround you. The voices of people, the sound of cars, the slamming of doors, the rumble of the street, the noise of the TV, the birds, the train that passed away, the music of the neighbors ... Left, right, foreground, background, far and near. Without being attached to everyone, string a new sound on an imaginary thread, like beads. You can imagine a veil of sounds that surround you, and hide behind it.

Move focus to the skin - an organ that protects us from the world around us. Feel the air temperature, the difference in sensations between open and closed areas of the skin, the humidity of the air, its currents, how clothes fit on your body, more tightly, less tightly, like shoes sitting on your feet, what your hands touch ...

Muscle sensations.Heaviness and lightness, warmth and cold, mentally compare the weight of your legs, arms, mentally “scan” the skeleton from the toes to the skull, check how confidently the legs touch the floor or the ground, feel comfort and peace.

Watch your breath: as air enters through the nostrils, passes through the nasopharynx, enters the trachea and bronchi, and fills the lungs. Feel the exhale: lungs, bronchi, trachea, nasopharynx, nose. Better breathe through your nose. Track several respiratory cycles.

Usually by this time your eyes are already closing themselves, if this is not so, you can close them yourself. Now you are completely ready to begin meditation. You can set yourself a specific goal (to solve the dilemma), you can ask a question (for example, “What should I do today?”) Or focus on some image, nature, space.

Or you can just be in silence and listen.

Over time, the diving process will take less and less time. Your meditations will become active, you can meditate in transport, running in the forest, walking around the city. Perhaps you even think that you can not get out of this wonderful state, but stay in it all the time, because it is more natural than usual, and certainly more enjoyable.

How to start meditation for beginners at home? Most beginners to practice meditation greatly complicate this process. In fact, meditation is a very simple practice, but it is incredibly effective. People who start meditation change and grow very quickly. Inside, a rod appears, a support, which gives a feeling of confidence and calm. Of course, this also has a positive effect on health and in all other areas of life.

This article is written based on frequently asked questions by beginners. Many people want to meditate every day to see how the mind works and how it prevents us from living. But most quit after a couple of attempts. But meditation really gives calm confidence and strength to achieve the desired. You just need more patience and perseverance to form the habit of meditating every day. I analyzed what most of all excites my readers and wrote these meditation lessons for beginners at home. So let's go.

The right meditation for beginners

If you are completely new to meditation and just want to learn how to practice meditation for beginners at home, you do not need to follow the strict tips that were written for Buddhist monks. Just like you don’t need to follow the training schedule of the Olympic champion in alpine skiing, if you just want to sometimes enjoy a vacation at a ski resort on weekends.

Moreover, these tips can only harm you. It is unlikely that you will have enough patience for 3 months to sit every day getting used to the lotus position with a straight back and not receiving any result other than an internal struggle and damaged nerves.

Meditation can be practiced in everything, in any daily activities. The only thing you need for this is to keep your attention on what is happening at the moment, without going into thoughts of the past and future.

If it seems to you that nothing interesting is happening at the moment, then watch your breathing or the sensations in the body. Unlike thoughts, breathing and body are always in the present.

Meditation Poses for Beginners

When I was just starting to get involved in meditation, I read several tutorials for beginners and several times came up with meditation in yoga classes. All training materials began with tips on how to sit and how to prepare a place for meditation.

Usually, everyone is taught to sit in a pose with crossed legs, straightening his back. This, of course, is very good if you have been doing yoga daily 5 years before. But if you, like I at that time, do not have the flexibility of a gymnast, then in this position there is nothing even to try to achieve peaceful states. Your back and joints will hurt very soon, if of course you can even sit in the lotus position.

Such a pose will only harm your meditation. For an unprepared person, still holding the body in the lotus position requires physical activity. And an increase in physical activity leads to an increase in mental activity, while in meditation we, on the contrary, tend to decrease the activity of the mind.

Therefore, I strongly advise you to postpone all issues related to body position for the duration of learning the state of meditation.

Meditation is a state of inner peace and quiet. The body should be in a relaxed, calm and still state. In what position you can be in a stationary relaxed state for a long time, in that and meditate.

Often this advice is met with resistance, and even resentment, especially among yoga instructors. They give dozens of reasons why it is important to sit in the lotus position with a straight back. But don't worry too much about it. If you seriously want to understand the art of meditation, you will still have a lot of time to train the correct posture. But I'm still sure that at least the first month you need to deal exclusively with comprehension of internal states, discarding all that is superfluous. And then you can think about improving practice.

When the body is in comfort, the desired mental experience is achieved easily, especially if you know how to use the nature of the mind to your advantage.

Meditation Practice for Beginners

Summarizing all of the above, you can write a short instruction that will help beginners to meditate at home.

Position yourself as you feel comfortable and where you feel comfortable. As if you were about half an hour to watch TV or sit on the phone.
Decide in advance how much time you will meditate. You can set a timer with a soft and quiet signal.
Place a clock or phone nearby so that during meditation you can see how much time is left until the end of the meditation. Feel free to look at the watch as many times as you like. Every time you think, “I wonder how long I meditate,” satisfy your curiosity instead of fighting your desire.
Close your eyes and watch everything that happens inside of you, resisting nothing and accepting everything as it is. Everything that happens during meditation is what should happen. Just be aware that this is happening.
Then start observing your breathing. To make it easier, first focus your mind only on inhalation, and on exhale release control. Repeat to yourself: “inhale - concentration, exhale - relaxation. Inhale is concentration, exhalation is relaxation. ”
Even if you concentrate the mind on one object, for example, on breathing, thoughts will continue to spin on the periphery of consciousness. This is normal. Mental relaxation and a state of meditation will still be achieved; thoughts will not hinder this.
When attention is distracted and you forget, this is also a normal part of the meditation process and is not a mistake. Calmly return attention to breathing and continue.
After finishing the meditation, sit still a couple of minutes calmly. Just tell yourself: “meditation is over” and continue to sit, gradually returning to the normal state of consciousness.

That’s probably all. Such an easy approach to meditation is the best way to learn how to meditate at home. Already after you learn to concentrate on breathing for at least 20 minutes, and achieve as a result of such mental concentration deep mental relaxation, move on to more traditional methods of meditation.

Meditation Lessons for Beginners

Lesson 1 - Sit in meditation for 2 minutes every day

It seems ridiculously easy to sit in just 2 minutes. It seems to us that the heavier the action, the greater the benefit from it. Meditation can be compared to physical training. Often, in a fit of enthusiasm, we want to do as much as possible, squat a hundred times a day, and as a result we have enough for two workouts. But what if you take your time and do the first week 2 squats a day? Just in order to form a habit, and then gradually increase the difficulty?

With meditation as well. Start with 2 minutes a day for the first week. If all goes well, add another 2 minutes and meditate for 4 minutes for the second week.

At this rate, for the second month of practice, the duration of daily meditation will already be 10 minutes. And this is wonderful! But start small.

Lesson 2. Make meditation first thing every morning

It is easy to say: "I will meditate every day." And then forget about it.

Put a reminder on the phone at the time you get up. And place in a prominent place the note "meditation!". Link meditation to an existing habit. For example, always practice after brushing your teeth. Soon you will not be comfortable if after brushing your teeth you did not immediately sit down to meditate. So the habit has formed.

Lesson 3 - Don't Get Bogged down in Perfectionism

Do not get caught up in perfectionism. Most beginners of meditation worry where to sit, how to sit, which pillow to use ... It's all good, but it’s more important to just start. Start by sitting on a chair or sofa, or in bed. If you are comfortable on the floor, then just sit with your legs crossed. In any case, at the beginning it is only 2 minutes, so just sit there, not really thinking whether you are meditating correctly. Later you will slowly improve the practice, and now just sit comfortably in a quiet place.

Lesson 4 - Observe your well-being

As you gradually enter the practice of meditation, simply scan how you feel. How does your body feel? Is your mind busy, tired, or troubled?

Lesson 5 - Count Exhalations

Now that you are settled down, begin to observe the breath. Focus on inhaling as air enters through the nose and into the lungs. Then watch the exhale. At the end of exhalation, count: times. And so on until 10, then start again from one.

Lesson 6 - Come Back When Distracted

Your mind will wander. The probability of this at the beginning is 100%. And this is completely normal. No problem at all. When you notice that you are distracted, calmly, with a soft smile, return your attention to your breath. And again, start counting from one. You may feel some frustration, but know that this is normal. This is practice, and you will often be distracted for a while.

Lesson 7. Develop self-love

Distracting from meditation, out of habit we can get angry at our thoughts, criticize ourselves. It is better to get away from this gradually. When you notice thoughts and feelings that arise during meditation, treat them kindly. Think of them as friends, not as enemies. This is part of you, be friendly to yourself.

Lesson 8 - Don’t worry that you are meditating incorrectly

It will seem to you that you are doing something wrong. Do not worry, there is no perfect way to meditate. Meditation is always different for each person. Just be happy that you do this.

Lesson 9 - Don't worry about stopping internal dialogue

Many people think that meditation is the stop of internal dialogue and the cleansing of the mind of all thoughts. This is not true. Sometimes this can happen, but that is not the purpose of meditation. If you have thoughts, this is normal. Everyone has them. Our mind is a factory of thoughts, and we cannot just take and close it. Instead, just try to focus your attention, returning it to the object of meditation whenever it starts to wander.

Lesson 10 - You Can Distract

When you have abstract thoughts and feelings, try to stay with them for a while. Yes, I know that I said above that you need to return attention to breathing. But after you have practiced this for about a week, you can also try just staying with your thoughts and feelings. As a rule, we always try to avoid unpleasant feelings and thoughts, such as anxiety, irritation, disappointment. But it is surprisingly useful sometimes not to avoid them, but to stay and stay with them for a while. Just be with these feelings and look at them with curiosity.

Lesson 11 - Know Yourself

The practice of meditation is not just concentration, its purpose is to find out how your mind works. What is going on inside? By observing how the mind wanders, becomes frustrated, avoids complex feelings, you can begin to understand yourself.

Lesson 12 - Make Friends with Yourself

When you begin to know yourself, do it without criticism. You meet your best friend. Smile and give yourself love.

Lesson 13 - Practice Body Scanning

When you have some success in concentrating on breathing, try another exercise. Take a careful scan of the whole body. Focus on one part of the body, feel the sensations in this part of the body, tension or relaxation. Move attention throughout the body, starting from the toes and slowly rising up to the top of the head.

Lesson 14 - Focus on Light and Sounds

Again, after practicing to observe breathing for at least a week, you can move on to other objects for observation. For example, the light around you. Just sit with your eyes open, look at one point and pay attention to the light in the room in which you are. The other day, just focus on the sounds around.

Lesson 15 - You Can Meditate Anywhere

If you travel or work hard, you can meditate anywhere, even in the office. In the park, on a trip, or while you’re going somewhere. Sitting meditation is a good practice to get started. But gradually awareness turns into everyday activities, and then a simple walk can become meditation.

Lesson 16 - Use Audio Meditations

You can try meditating with audio instructions if this helps you. Many people find them very useful.

Lesson 17 - Meditate with Friends

I love to meditate alone, but you can try to practice with friends, with your wife, or with your husband. Or just make a commitment with a friend to meditate every morning, test each other and support.

Lesson 18 - Find a Community

Even better is to find a community of people who meditate and join them. Or find an online group and chat with them, ask questions, get support, support others.

Lesson 19 - Do Not Look at the Clock During Meditation

When the time of meditation increases to at least 10 minutes, it will be tempting to open your eyes and look at the clock during practice. How much is left? I decided for myself that it’s better not to do this for two reasons. If there is still a lot of time, then you will feel disappointed and ruin the practice. And if there is not enough time left, then you will scold yourself that you did not hold back and interrupted your meditation just before the end.

Lesson 20 - Smile After Practice

When you finish 2 minutes of meditation, smile. Thank yourself for taking the time to get to know yourself and make friends with yourself. These are amazing 2 minutes of your life.

Meditation is not always easy and pleasant. But this lesson really benefits. I am sure that these beginner’s meditation lessons will be useful to you, and the practice of meditation will firmly enter your life.

See you later!

Your Rinat Zinatullin