How to start a meditation practice – a practical guide
For something that is meant to be calming and relaxing, meditation can arouse feelings of anxiety and stress for many of us. The thought of sitting in silence and being faced with ourselves and our thoughts can be incredibly confronting and really unattractive. Between media and our social circle, we are often bombarded with the message “you need to meditate”, but we are often left with little practical information on how to actually start the process.
I will save the details about the benefits of meditation for another post, but I hope that this guide can give you some practical advice on what to do before you start.
My advice for starting a meditation practice is as follows:
Don’t wait till a stressful period to start a meditation practice. A meditation practice can be deeply established when things are going well and it doesn’t feel like we “need” to meditate. Thus, when the stressful times roll around, we already have our practice established, which means there is no added stress of having to learn to meditate. It is already a part of our routine.
Start small. There is no need to start meditating for 20mins straight off the bat. This is a practice which needs to be cultivated and practiced over time. Starting with big intentions such as sitting still for 20mins can lead us feeling confronted or bored, after which we can often lose our motivation to keep trying. Start with one minute. Yes, one minute. Then slowly increase it to two, five, ten and so on. Oftentimes it is simply the act of sitting down which is the hardest part, so starting here and sitting for one minute is enough to begin with.
Find a comfortable seat. I recommend being seated rather than laying down for meditation as it helps prevent us from dozing off. A seated cross leg position is the most common positon. I personally find sitting like this on the ground quite grounding. If this is uncomfortable or painful on the knees, try sitting on some yoga blocks, a stack of books or some firm cushions. Having the hips above the knees is usually more comfortable. If sitting on the floor simply isn’t possible, take a seat in a chair with some back support.
Create your meditation nook. It can be a corner of a room, a spot in your bedroom, or anywhere else you feel comfortable and most likely won’t be distracted or disturbed. If you are using a cushion or props, try to use the same ones each time. Our minds are great at creating associations, so when we pull out “that cushion” the mind will start to learn that it is time to meditate and can help us have a deeper journey.
Meditate on an empty stomach where possible. My teacher would always say that a full belly is a full mind. Having a full stomach can make us feel heavy and sleepy, not ideal for a practice which is to cultivate lightness and awareness. I like to meditate on rising and/or before sleep. Not only have I not eaten, but at these times of day my mind is the calmest, which makes it easiest to go deep into my practice.
Set a regular time so that your mind/ body can create an association. Refer to the previous point for the best time of day.
Use a pleasant timer. There is nothing more startling than an alarm blaring at the end of a mediation. I use the app Insight Timer which allows you to choose between pleasant gong sounds and also has the luxury of interval timers. I use the interval timers to signal when I am halfway, but also so that I can switch practices if I am doing more than one technique, for example, breath work meditation followed by vipassana meditation.
Let yourself be guided. Having a teacher is important for any new skill, and fortunately, many of us have the convenience of accessing a teacher through the many apps on our phones. Some apps to consider are: Insight Timer, Calm, Headpspace and Aura.
Finally, and most importantly, release all expectations and the need to meditate. Having an expectation or need to meditate and clear our minds is a sure-fire way to not meditate. Meditation by nature is about allowing what is to simply be. When we are trying to force ourselves into meditation, it goes against the essence of meditation. Of course, we need to exert some effort into the practice, but we can exert the effort without expecting it or needing it to go a certain way. We can do this by not judging our practice or our experience during the practice. What is more important is that we turned up with the intention and effort to practice.
I hope this guide helps form a base to build upon a practice. Stay tuned for my favourite simple meditation practices!
MAYA BUTTI | Nutrition + Yoga
Maya is a holistic nutritionist and yoga teacher, available for corporate wellbeing and online 1 on 1 consultations.
“No matter your situation, I understand the need for true vitality and know we can find a way forward.”