BEGINNERS MINDSET: MEDITATION TIPS

By Krissy McNeill

I’ve been practicing meditation for a few years now - practicing being the key word. It has become one of my favorite daily rituals, and I'm still learning! We are always in ‘life school’ and I believe deeply in a beginners mindset, so I always come back to these tips. Meditation can be so beneficial for your overall health! This post is to give you some tips and tools I have used, and still use, to begin my meditation practice. It starts with that one simple but oh so difficult step: beginning.

Tip 1. Show up

You’ll never make it to a meditation without showing up. It’s the first step to anything, really. If you can get yourself to show up, you can meditate. I promise.

Tip 2. Don’t hold any expectations

Meditation is a practice, and it can be difficult - just like anything else. Don’t expect to sit down and float to the clouds right away! People who have meditated for years still have days where they can’t seem to get it just right. Part of the process is the difficult moments in meditation - that’s why you’re doing it, don’t forget that. Thoughts never just go away. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. If you are sitting down and trying, you are accomplishing meditation, and trust me - you will see the benefits.

Tip 3. Drop the imposter syndrome

Just because you aren’t a full on yogi or practicing this daily does not mean you can’t do it. You can. And you are more than worthy of it, no matter how many times you decide to practice it. This doesn’t have to be your life to work, and you don’t have to study it 24/7 to be allowed to do it. Do what feels best for you and know that you deserve it just as much as anyone else.

Tip 4. Remember this: you’re helping the entire planet by meditating for yourself

Do it for you, show up for you, and keep in mind that when you do that, you help everyone around you. Deepak Chopra said “It takes as little as 1% of a population to create positive change, and I believe that if 100 million people underwent a personal transformation in the direction of peace, harmony, laughter, love, kindness, and joy...the world would be transformed.”

Tip 5. allow

When you sit down, let thoughts come. Meditating isn’t to avoid life, forget every thought and float away. It is to let the thoughts come and to let them pass. Be with them. Sit with them. Allow them to be there. Do not avoid them or get frustrated that they are there. Just let them come and then come back to your breath or a mantra.

Tip 6. PROP YOURSELF UP

Sit on a pillow or some yoga blocks to prop your hips a little higher than your feet. We hold so much energy and tension in our hips, this will allow you to let that energy out and get into a more meditative state. If this is too uncomfortable, find a different position that suits you best for now. Sit in a chair with your feet felt on the ground, lean up against a wall, or even sit in your bed. Just get comfortable and work from there.

Tip 7. SET YOUR TIMER

This can help when you’re first starting out, or even after years! Set a timer on your phone for 5 or ten minutes to start and settle in. Get comfortable, close your eyes and breathe. Focus on the breath, every inhale and exhale, and let yourself feel uncomfortable at first. Don’t push that away, feel it completely. Keep your eyes closed or at a soft gaze until the timer goes off.

Tip 8. BE PROUD OF YOURSELF

Be proud of yourself. You showed up and you tried. It doesn’t matter what it looked like. Congratulate yourself!