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
