Starting a Meditation practice / Meditation 101 / Part 2
Hi, hello and welcome to part 2 of Meditation 101. This post will be focused on how to start an at home Meditation practice, as well as what to expect once you start. Starting new things can be tough, but stick with it I think you’ll like it. I’ve bulleted the main points below, so if you don’t want to read scroll until you see you steps bolded. Let’s get into it.
“Loneliness is a sign you are in desperate need of yourself.”
- Rupi Kaur
Starting a meditation practice
Setting up a home practice is a lot easier than you may think, You don’t need much other than yourself. Many people think a wandering mind is a failure, when in reality it’s perfectly normal. Focus can range from thoughts, to bodily sensations, or even external stimuli. Meditation is not meant to make the mind perfectly still, it’s meant to teach you that thoughts and feelings come and go and that you have a choice to engage with them or not.
What does starting a practice actually look like? Lemme tell you, I’m going get into starting a mindfulness practice as simply as I can, so peep the steps below. Alternatively if a self guided practice doesn’t work for you, you can always follow along to my guided meditations here. There are countless resources and teachers that have amazing content to follow along to online, so dive in and experiment to see what works best for you.
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A great place to start is 2 minutes, once that feels good you can increase by a minute or two until you reach your time goal.
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Choosing a space that is free of distractions is best. Comfort is the most important thing, so bring what you need to practice to ensure you can relax. Traditionally meditation is done seated, but you’re welcome to take any shape you want.
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This is an optional step but I think it adds to the practice. Music helps give the mind something to focus on if your thoughts are overwhelming. Choose anything you like, Spotify has tons of great playlists for ambient meditation music, or you can listen to one of mine
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Pretty practical step here, get your timer out and get started, I like to add an extra 5-10 seconds to adjust and settle in. Lastly make sure your alarm sound is set to a soft tone, it can be pretty displacing to finish your meditation to a blaring alarm.
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This is the hardest step, it’s time to practice. Tune in and start to settle into your body. Notice how the breath is moving and how the body moves with it. You may notice stimuli around you like sounds, smells, or itches. A mix of thoughts, memories, and emotions will cross your mind, just let them do their thing. Simply sit back and notice what happens during your time. There is no right or wrong way to feel during your sit.
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Slowly blink the eyes open and let reality back in. Take as long as you need here, sometimes it’s nice to follow up with a journaling session to note your experience.
Quick Tips: When I meditate I like to remind myself that there is no negative or positive, it’s all experience. It’s easy to get wrapped up in “doing it right” but trust me when I say you are, the trick is to let the practice unfold for you. Some days will be good, and some won’t.
What to expect?
Meditation is a very personal and intimate experience, it’s going to look and feel a little different for everyone. I’ll list some common experiences, but if you anything that I’ve left out do not worry as your practice doesn’t need to fit into a box. Before I get more in depth, I want to mention all of these sensations are very very subtle, there’s nothing to be worried about and if you become overwhelmed for any reason throughout your practice you can always open your eyes. Now that that’s out of the way, lets get into some examples
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Don’t try to control the flow, instead observe it. What do you catch yourself thinking about?
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Sensations aren’t limited to these, but I notice these tend to be common. If anything you experience becomes too much try to come back to the breath
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For most folks starting out, a two minute sit can feel like ages - It’s tough to sit still. If you start getting uncomfortable you’re free to change positions at any time throughout your practice
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A lack of proprioception can lead to a light spinning or swaying feeling. If this becomes too much you can change positions any time, laying down is a nice option.
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This can be localized or throughout the whole body, if you’re a cold person like me the best thing to do is keep a blanket close by if you need to warm up.
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Some folks notice moving colors, or light visuals. Personally I find engaging with these helps push me deeper into myself, so experiment and find out what feels best for you
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It can feel like you’re heavy and weightless all at once, let yourself lean into whatever type of deep chill comes over you
Quick reminder: there is no right or wrong way to feel or practice. Everything listed on this page is a guideline that’s designed to help you get the ball rolling. Feel free to pick and choose what you like and build a practice that feels right to you
Continue to part 3 to learn about meditation styles
Meditation 101 / Part 1
So, you’re new to meditation. There’s plenty of information strewn across the internet about how to start, but I thought I would create my own guide to help you develop your practice.
I’ve recently created a 4 week program to help you reconnect with self. This self guided intro program lets you dip your toes into new practices, and helps you unlock the ways you can start self soothing and getting comfortable in your self care practice. The program is completely free, and will be launching March 1st so keep your eyes peeled. Anyone can take part, whether you’re completely green or if you’re a self care enthusiast.
I’m creating this series on mediation as a resource for everyone who is taking part, as well as folks who are just here for curiosity. Now, whether you’re joining over the next 4 weeks or not, lets get into some Meditation 101.
“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”
-Buddha
Where did meditation come from?
Meditation - like many other spiritual practices - is ancient, the earliest records of it being in 1500 BCE. It’s exact origins are hard to pinpoint, as meditation was born before modern society, and while the technique doesn’t truly belong to anyone the practice has religious and spiritual ties to many traditions around the world. Some include Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Judaism, and was even prevalent in early China and Egypt. Some of the earliest teachings come from ancient Hindu, and Vedic schools of practice in around 5000 BCE - my personal understanding of meditation comes from the Vedas. No matter where in the world you were, or what religious tradition you were tied to, if you practiced it meant that your teachings would be passed down from generation to generation, naturally infusing with local tradition and creating all the teachings we have today. It wasn’t until the 19th century that meditation began spreading to the west, not truly booming into trend until the 20th century, and for many folks it’s lost the spiritual ties that it once had - an unfortunate side effect of the west. Now a lot of what we see is a blend of ancient rituals and trend, it’s important to honor the roots of this transformative practice. The beauty of modernized meditation is that it’s becoming less and less “sudo” and instead becoming recognized as an alternative health practice that’s recommended by Doctors and health care professionals. Science has got it’s hands on mediation, which has really opened the scope of people who practice.
Quick Fact: “meditation” stems from the Latin word “meditatum” or “to ponder”
What are the benefits of Meditation?
Meditation has a myriad of benefits associated with it, but some of these “well known” benefits have come under question due to the limited scientific studies available. There’s a few things for certain though, Meditation reduces anxiety, depression and chronic pain - the science shows it. One of the best parts about the practice is that there are no downfalls, and no prerequisites so you can start anytime and you wont loose a thing. Meditation is also linked to improved mental function by sharpening your focus and giving you more control over the natural loop of worries life tends to bring. Now lets get into some some physiological benefits, those include an increase of serotonin which is a mood stabilizing chemical, regulation of the production of dopamine, Reduces cortisol - an overproduction of this can lead to inflammation in the body - as well as blood pressure, and norepinephrine or commonly known as adrenaline which lowers the amount of stress hormones circulating in your body. You can feast on piles of content on why you should be taking a few minutes a day to sit in the flow of your mental river. The benefits are clear to see, but outside of all of that meditation is an intimate experience you share with yourself, sinking into your own experience as a human is inexplicably moving, and often overlooked by so many. Whether you practice to get well, to move forward, or simply chill you may as well dive in and see how it feels to wade in your depths.
If you’d like to sit with me, check my meditations out here
Learn how to start a home practice + what to expect in part 2
How I got here
Growing up I was always told about the moon, the stars, fairies in the tall grass and my natural ability to pick up on energies in the room. While I always thought I was a little different than the people around me, I never took it to be anything out of the ordinary. Childhood memories stayed with me as I grew, but I stifled the part of me who was connected to the subtleties of the world, and remained that way until I untangled the person I thought I was. Always connected, but not sure to what. My first Yoga Teacher Training was a catalytic moment in my spiritual growth, I can still feel the lightness in my step that I walked with in that time. It was through Yogic philosophy that I found a sense of understanding, and comfort in the ways of the universe. Energy flows into focus, and every bit of knowledge spilled over into my personal life. I became more aware of myself, and my space in this web of connection - plants, and creatures alike. This experience gave me time and space to find understanding of what I truly needed from myself, it was this that paved the way for the rest of my journey. Naturally, as I grew my practice grew with me and a fascination for Witchcraft was born through appreciation of the organic moments in daily on goings - discovering a sense of ritual in each one. For me the subtle energies carried from herbs, flowers, oils, and crystals brings harmony - a way to naturally balance your energies with the earth. Tarot provided me a new perception, and connected me to whatever it is that’s guiding me down this path. Reiki felt like the fuse of it all, it instilled a sense of trust. Although it wasn’t always simple, and was wildly far from logical It took me to a place of quiet confidence. I was reminded with each session that there’s no harm in moving slowly. The most bewildering things happen gently, and quietly. Cards connect me, Mother nature supports me, Reiki powers me. All of these practices have helped weave together the idea that is myself today, and while nothing is ever one way these beliefs have at least given me some sort of peace within my own little world. Before I found my way to all of these complex and beautiful practices I found reconnection to myself through weight lifting When I found the gym things started to change, Bodybuilding was the first practice I had that taught me to “trust the process”. Finding connection to my body was what saved me from myself, and whether I knew it or not at the time it taught me so many valuable lessons, allowing me to expand into the person I am today. This is where my passion stems from, and I hope along this beautiful journey I can help guide people to their connection - whatever that may be.
The inexplicable feeling to be human, the connection a brief moment brings. Subtle pangs of nostalgia while revisiting the past, or the intimacy of a shared glance, the first breath at the top of a mountain, and the first release after a loss. While the world moves around us so rapidly - earth, air, water, fire - we forget about the still simple and lingering, we forget about Ether. Unseen and unheard, hidden in stillness, it shows itself in the rhythm of the breath, and the softening of the muscles, It is the space between thoughts, and emotions, it is both time and timelessness. Just as we get wildly lost within the physical elements - our external world - we must get lost into the Ether, that is ourselves.Hello, and welcome to Ether
Dec 6
If you've stumbled upon these words, I can imagine that you're looking for something a little bigger than me. Maybe you're looking for clarity, healing, movement, or connection. I hope that in finding me, you can get a bit closer to finding yourself. What you can be certain of, is that things won't always be how they are in this moment - no matter how scary or relieving that is. Regardless of why you've made your way to me, I'd like to introduce myself. I happen to be chatty, so prepare for a flood of words. My name is Tiagra, I am the owner of Ether Wellness. I'm pleased to have the opportunity to be connecting with you.
I work in the field of Wellness - if you haven’t figured that out already. It goes without saying that this blog will be a place of education and support for those who view it, but mostly it will act as a virtual place of ramblings, studies, and expression for me. Not only will I create content to support the work that I bring to you, but this space will be used as a place for me to create, practice, and expand on what it is that I already know. I look forward to building this virtual space, maybe one day a community.