Where to begin?
Perhaps you’re brand new to meditation — you’ve been told by friends, family, co-workers and maybe even your therapist that mindfulness meditation may be helpful for you. Great. Now what?
Simple. Begin in the present moment.
Determine a comfortable space that is likely to be undisturbed during your practice time. Sitting upright in a chair may feel the most comfortable at first, with feet on the ground and a straight spine. There is no need to cross legs or hold hands in any mudras or contorted positions. It is not recommended to practice laying down, as it is likely to cause drowsiness, rather than alertness in this position.
It is common to practice with eyes closed, jaw relaxed and teeth gently separated. If this brings any level of anxiety you may try opening your eyes and softening your gaze onto a low space in front of you. Breathe in and out of your nose.
Set aside a specific, designated, re-occurring time for your practice. When you’re going through the process of scheduling your practice, be wary about trying to “fit it in” to your day. This may be impossible to do when your life is already quite full. Instead, consider “building it in.” No matter how busy your life is, you make time to brush your teeth — give your meditation practice the same importance.
It may flow easily to practice five days a week on days when your schedule is relatively similar, allowing the weekends to be less structured. Perhaps you will find that three days a week works well for you — or you notice that you find greater results when you commit to a daily practice seven days a week. Take the opportunity to be curious about your days and see if you can find a sweet spot.
It may feel correct to begin with a five minute practice. Remember, there’s no winning, in fact there’s not even a finish line, and there are no prizes for meditating longer. Add five minutes to your practice time when you have found a level of comfort and commitment.
I recommend using a guided meditation to help explore mindfulness of the breath, the body and physical sensations. You can find my collection of free guided meditations on Insight Timer.
It is also helpful to work with a teacher or mentor as you begin to look inward with a formal practice. Contact Larissa to learn whether she may be a good fit for you.
