You are about to learn techniques that require virtually no effort. While they do require a small commitment of time, easy is better as effort during this practice can actually stunt your progress.
Basic meditation
Let me explain. The purpose of the following easy techniques are to have you simply be aware without any effort. There is no forcing of anything to happen. Forcing and willfulness will not allow you to reap the amazing benefits of a regular practice. There’s nothing to achieve here.
There is nothing difficult about this
You will simply notice your breath, an object or your thoughts during these exercises. There is nothing difficult about this. Simplicity is the key. You are likely seeking an easy meditation technique because life has been stressful. You’re tired of struggling and need some relief. You want things to be easier rather than harder.
Basic meditation
There’s so much information about meditation online but what about this that can be learned quickly without much effort? You’ll learn three here that you can start immediately!
Let’s clear up a major misunderstanding
Before starting, let’s clear up a major misunderstanding that may keep beginners from starting a practice. In its purest form has nothing to do with religion or spirituality. You don’t have to “believe” in anything to gain incredible benefits quickly.
While meditation appears to have its origins in the earliest Buddhist texts, the easy techniques you’ll learn here have no religious or spiritual requirements. Sure there are some that involve visualizing on deities or reciting endless mantras containing words of religious significance. However there’s no need to involve yourself with or detach from any denomination or religion you may currently follow.
Knowing nothing about meditation will serve you best
Knowing nothing about meditation (or dropping any misconceptions like above) will serve you best as you begin practicing these techniques with a fresh, uncomplicated mindset. Try each one of the following techniques and then go with whichever method you find the easiest.
You’re more likely to practice regularly and derive the full value of the technique if you find it easy and simple to practice.
Easiest meditation
This will become a lifelong habit you willingly add to your day so there’s no rush to decide anything. Experiment and settle on one exercise when the time is right.
You’ll find that you’ll willingly choose to meditate longer as you see immediate benefits
In the beginning plan on allowing 10 minutes daily of quiet, uninterrupted time. Although even 10 minutes daily will garner results, ideally each technique practice time should extend to about 20 minutes. You’ll find that you’ll willingly choose to practice longer as you see immediate benefits.
When beginning all meditation techniques, set a timer so that you’ll have one less thing to be distracted by. It’s pretty amazing that after making it a regular practice your body clock will begin to know when its time to stop with preciseness but for now leave it to the timer.
Easiest meditation
Is it easier for you to set aside time in the morning, afternoon or before bed? Really first thing in the morning and just before bed are useful in different ways. When you practice first thing in the morning it will put you in a grounded state right off the bat. When you encounter the unpredictable challenges your day will bring, you’ll be much better equipped to meet those challenges effectively.
Easy meditation
Meditating before bed is also easy and relaxing. It’ll assist you in decompressing from any experiences or leftover bits and resentments from your daily interactions. You’ll be more relaxed afterwards and sleep better.
Eventually you’ll willingly do both morning and evening sessions when you get tangible positive results in your life. For now start with once a day until the meditating habit is ingrained.
Find a comfortable and quiet area
Find a comfortable and quiet area in which to meditate that also is of a pleasant temperature. Locate an environment where you won’t be disturbed – maybe ask those around you to allow you a few minutes to yourself. Try to find a location where there is minimal noise from outside.
Keeping with the goal there will be no complex or difficult positions to assume. Rather than sitting in the lotus or half lotus position, you will be sitting upright in a comfortable chair. Just keep your back straight and feet touching the floor. Hands can just relax softly in your lap.
meditate for beginners
Even easier is to practice while lying down with your arms by the side. The inherent problem with this position is the likelihood of falling asleep before your exercise is completed. So try sitting in chair unless you need a relaxation technique to help you fall asleep. The goal here though is to teach beginners easy techniques during which you will stay aware and alert so sit in a chair for now.
Let’s start.
Find a comfortable chair and sit.
Set a timer.
Relax and close your eyes.
Starting in a relaxed state is essential so that your positioning doesn’t have a negative impact on your ability to just meditate. Ok, we have our quiet room, comfortable chair and allotted time.
All easy meditations have a similar core principle
All these easy techniques have a similar core principle. We just notice something without effort or strain. It may be our breath, our body or the thoughts in our mind but in all cases we are just practicing becoming aware.
Easy meditation
It’s easy because there’s nothing to do. You already are. You are simply noticing and focusing on something. Focusing and gaining awareness of the separation between you (the witness) and the object of the witnessing contains everything. You’ll see how easy this is.
Easy exercise # 1 – Start with breathing
Just sit quietly with your eyes closed and begin to become aware of your breathing. Just notice the breathing. There’s no effort necessary as you are just noticing. Simply become aware of the sensation of air entering your nostrils.
Notice the temperature and quality of the air. Continue to be aware of your breath as it fills your chest. Feel how your chest rises and fills. Follow the breath as it exits your lungs and flows out your mouth into the room. Be aware of a slight pause as once again the air enters your nostrils and so on.
meditation beginners
Take it easy
That’s it. Take it easy. Don’t force or rush the breath. Your only task is to keep your awareness on your breath repeatedly. There’s nothing new to learn or analyze or figure out. You are simply placing all your awareness on your breath.
Meditate for beginners
Now here’s where the power of this mediation is. As you simply notice the breath as described without effort or strain, thoughts will arise in your mind and attempt to take your focus away from the breath. This will happen constantly. Expect it.
Whenever thoughts arise…
Whenever thoughts arise and attempt to take your focus from your breath, simply notice that it it is so and gently return your awareness to the breath. Notice the thought with the same ease that you notice the breath. Thoughts will arise constantly and likewise you will constantly return your awareness to the breath without effort or frustration.
so….
be aware of the breath
notice the thought that interrupts awareness of breath
return to the breath
rinse and repeat
Be easy on yourself as you initially find your attention being drawn away over and over. By noticing the thought, you remain objective to it.
There is you the witness and what is being observed. Just as you notice your breath, you will notice your thought which will immediately loosen it’s grip.
Meditate for beginners
Every time you notice that you have become caught up in a thought and lost awareness of your breath you gain more awareness. This ability to remain aware will increase tremendously both during and outside of the technique.
Meditation easily
All these exercises will involve simply noticing that your attention has been pulled away by a thought. In this technique, it happens to be taking focus from the breath. When you begin practicing, there may be a tendency to be overwhelmed by the number of interruptions that take place.
Just know that your ability to remain focused improves dramatically as yo practice daily. From your first meditation onward you set an awareness gaining process in motion.
Focusing on the breath is usually the easiest technique for beginners. If the breathing technique is working for you then continue and gradually build up time as mentioned. If you want to try another easy technique try this object meditation.
Easy exercise # 2 – Start with object
Positioning is the same as the breathing except the eyes are left open with eyelids relaxed. Find a comfortable chair and sit still. Set your timer. Just choose a single point to focus on. It may be an object on the wall, the flame of a candle or statue.
For simplicity and ease, I recommend that you select a precise point within a painting or photo or wall hanging of some sort. Make it laser focus. This is easy. You are simply placing all your focus on a specific point within an object on the wall.
This is just as easy as noticing the breathing. The intent is the same. You will simply focus all your attention on the chosen object. Whenever thoughts arise and take your awareness away from your focus on the object, just notice that is so. Just be aware that it has happened and easily return your focus to the object.
Don’t judge your inability to remain focused
Don’t judge your inability to remain focused on the object 100%. As you practice the object meditation, your ability to become aware of intruding thoughts and swiftly return to the object will steadily increase. This increased awareness will also spillover into your time away from this practice.
Subtle changes will begin to take place after you complete the exercises and move about your day. Every time you are able to become more aware and notice that a thought has interrupted your focus, you increase your powers of concentration.
In your day to day activities, events and interactions will take place that previously you responded to in a negative manner. Now armed with new tools, you’ll be able to notice the thought and remain distant from it without reacting negatively. Co-workers, friends and family will ask what’s different about you.
Meditation beginners
Ok.. back to the easy object meditation. Continually return your attention to an exact point in the object without straining your eyes. A painting on the wall can be ideal. Zero in on a specific point in the painting. Whenever thoughts swoop in to pull you away, return your attention to that laser focus.
That is how easy it is
That is how easy it is. Remember you are simply noticing and becoming aware continually. You aren’t forcing anything. You are simply becoming aware of what is already there. But that increased awareness will quickly have a profound effect on your life. Reducing stress and gaining peace of mind are only the beginning. Keep practicing.
Think of the metaphor of sitting by the side of a river. The water moves downstream carrying leaves and debris on top. You observe this flow of objects but remain grounded on the side of the river. You simply observe the objects floating on by. Likewise you are training your mind to observe thoughts flowing by as well. Remaining safely by the river side and not being caught up in the flow of the river – or in this case all manner of useless and negative thoughts.
You start to realize definitively that you are the witness of the thoughts but not the thoughts themselves. Prior to beginning these easy exercises, negative thoughts and impulses had the ability to take all of your awareness and lead you away from your center. With continued practice, you’ll be able to remain objective to these thoughts and reduce them to mere debris floating downstream.
You will also notice unfinished business
You will also notice unfinished business – maybe old resentments and regrets bubble up – just observe what you notice dispassionately and remain detached. Things will resolve themselves without effort on your part. You’ll identify resentments and easily let go and move on.
Easy exercise # 3 – Start with body
Another easy technique for beginners is the full body scan. Rather than focusing on the breath or objects, we’ll focus our attention on something as easy – your body. You simply begin from your toes and move upwards becoming aware of each part of the body.
Begin again in similar easy fashion.
Find a comfortable chair and sit.
Set a timer.
Relax and close your eyes.
Now becoming aware of your toes. Become intensely aware of how each toe feels in this moment. What temperature do you feel? Are they cold or warm? Continue to place all attention on each toe individually and as you move your awareness from one toe to the next become aware of your circulation. Be aware of the blood circulating from toe to toe.
Notice also that you are able to feel warmth and circulation in any area
Notice also that you are able to feel warmth and circulation in any area to which you give focus and attention. Once you have awareness and understand the exercise, move on to the next area. Your feet and calves and so on. All the way to the crown of your head.
Realize how easy it is to just scan your entire body. Notice areas of warmth and coolness. Notice any tension or soreness. Keep your attention on the body scan and when a thought arises to grab your attention, just notice it happened and promptly return to the last scanned body part.
When the timer goes off stop no matter where you are in the scan. The only goal is to focus your awareness; how far you scan doesn’t matter.
There is no effort needed. Your body will exist whether you have awareness or not however we are training your powers of concentration and your ability to focus despite the interruption of thoughts and ideas.
Stretch and pause a few seconds
Stretch and pause a few seconds when you hear the timer. Realize how easy the techniques are and how it will get easier to maintain awareness each time you practice any of them.
Start now; today or tonight. You can practice any of these easy meditation exercises right now and enjoy immediate results! Keep it simple and just remember what you need to remember.
