Beginner Meditation Techniques
Beginner meditation techniques can help to calm the mind, reduce stress and strengthen focus. It is best to start small and gradually build upon them over time.
Meditating is not meant to completely clear away all thoughts from one’s mind; instead, its purpose is to gently bring one back towards their breath when thoughts begin to wander off course.
Focus Meditation
Concentration meditation can be a useful starting point for newcomers to meditation, helping them focus their thoughts for extended periods. You don’t have to fight thoughts during this type of meditation – simply come back to whatever object of focus such as breathing or counting has caught your eye!
To begin practicing focus meditation, find a comfortable seat without being rigid or painful, close your eyes, and begin listening to the sensations of air flowing in and out of your lungs. You can count each inhalation and exhalation – “one” when inhaling, “two” when exhaling – which may help beginners keep their attention focused on one object at once and become mindful of your body.
Focus meditation can also help relieve stress by concentrating on an object in front of you, such as a candle flame. Focusing on its colors, smells and sounds allows you to remain present while leaving other distractions behind. This practice will allow you to hone in on what matters in the moment while forgetting any stress-inducing distractions in life.
Concentration meditation requires returning your focus several times throughout your session; this is normal; to stay on track, set a timer so that you know how long you have been meditating for.
As soon as your mind wanders during meditation, smile and gently bring it back onto what was your object of focus. Remember that it takes practice to clear away thoughts from your head. Some days may prove harder than others for staying on track with staying focused; just keep coming back to breathing or counting until eventually your thoughts can be managed more easily.
Candle Gazing
Candle gazing meditation can be used to relax the mind, focus on breath or clear your thoughts in an effortless manner. All it requires is a candle and quiet space – this practice can be practiced by anyone! For optimal results it should be conducted in an ambient room without artificial lighting or noises, using candles that emit soft lights with little smoke output (our Intention candles contain only clean ingredients!). Also make sure they’re non-toxic (our Intention candles use sustainable practices!).
Starting off by placing your candle approximately three feet (one meter) in front of you at eye level and gazing directly upon it, then switching your gaze from eye level directly at its flame. A scented candle can have an even deeper impact depending on what goals you hope to accomplish during meditation.
Once the candle is in its spot, take a deep inhale and close your eyes for one full minute without blinking or moving your gaze from up the candle stand towards its flame itself where you can see its inner workings such as its wick. As you gaze into this flame, visualize all of your old ways burning away while welcoming new energy into your life through it.
Continue to observe the flame and its movements, colors, and shapes. Let your thoughts and emotions come and go but always return your focus back onto the candle flame. If your mind begins to wander away from this practice, try gently redirecting it back onto it or practicing another meditation technique such as lovingkindness or mindfulness meditation.
Meditation known as Trataka (or gazing upon an object) entails training your mind to focus on one point, thus clearing away mental clutter. It may have originated with our ancient ancestors who would congregate around campfires for survival and socialization purposes; the challenge in this form of meditation lies in maintaining open eyes for an extended period.
Repeating a Mantra
Mantra meditation is an effective beginning meditation technique that involves repeating words, sounds, or phrases as mantras to transform consciousness. Mantras serve as powerful tools for transformation when repeated for extended periods, with long periods having an amplifying effect when repeated over long distances. They may take the form of sacred sounds or words recited over and over or even prayers repeated silently – though what matters more than repetition itself is their meaning and its significance to your practice.
When practicing this style of meditation, it’s essential that you find a quiet spot where you can concentrate on breathing and repeating the mantra. Sit or lie down comfortably while trying to remain still. For beginners to the practice, beginning with shorter sessions can help; as your experience increases so can the length of sessions.
Keep a small notebook and pen close by; writing down each repetition of your mantra will help you focus on its power rather than simply the sounds or words themselves. Over time, you may find that your mantra becomes part of your thoughts without you realizing it; don’t allow this distraction from taking over; rather focus your awareness onto its deeper layers, where true peace awaits.
Repeating the mantra should gradually lead to less distracting and scattered thoughts, helping you maintain focus more easily. Over time, repeating it may become part of your everyday routine.
Some people like to say their mantra aloud while others may repeat it silently in their head, or it can also be repeated internally without vocalization. Chanting can also be soothing. Reciting your mantra faster may energize or calm depending on its repetition rate; repeating slowly calms more than fast repetition does.
Counting Breaths
Counting breaths is an easy and highly effective beginning meditation technique for beginners. This practice can recondition breathing muscles that haven’t been exercised recently, expand lung capacity, calm the nervous system and help beginners focus their attention on their breath while tuning out distractions.
Sit comfortably on either a chair or on the floor, close your eyes, and begin breathing slowly and deeply into your belly as though pushing air through a funnel. Inhale for three counts before pausing for about three seconds and exhaling to five counts.
Breath counting is an ideal introduction to meditation as it trains your mind by strengthening concentration. Once you can reach 10 and back down to 1 without difficulty, increase to 20 and then 30 counts before moving on to other forms. As your concentration improves and your thoughts become clearer and your body relaxes further, breath counting can bring immense peace to both mind and body.
When your mind wanders, simply count breaths again. Meditation can be difficult when starting out; to make things simpler, schedule meditation during an established part of your day such as before going to sleep; this increases the likelihood that you’ll stick with your practice.
One useful way to ease into meditation is a body scan. Start at your feet, work your way up through the center of your chest, then shift focus onto top of your head, shoulders, stomach area until it reaches back down again into your pelvic region – this will send a message to the brain telling it to slow down and relax.
No matter your meditation level or experience, taking a mindful approach to daily practice will yield significant advantages in your life. Finding something that works for you and then sticking with it daily will become the cornerstone of effective meditation and enrich your everyday experience.
