In this day and age, there are more and more people who are trying to establish a daily meditation practice. For those who don’t know what that is, it’s simply the act of taking time out of your day to sit quietly and focus on your breathing.
It’s been proven that meditation can have wide-ranging health benefits, ranging from stress relief to improved sleep quality.
But how do you develop the habit? How do we make this simple act into something that becomes part of our lives?
Here are 15 simple tips for establishing a daily meditation practice:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Establishing a daily meditation practice can have numerous benefits, including reduced stress and anxiety, improved focus and concentration, and increased emotional well-being. |
| Set aside a regular time for meditation practice that works for you, start with just a few minutes each day and gradually increase the time as you become more comfortable. |
| Create a calm and comfortable meditation space that is free from distractions, incorporating tools like cushions and candles to enhance your practice. |
| Experiment with different meditation techniques, such as mindfulness, visualization, and loving-kindness, to find what works best for you. |
| Be patient and compassionate with yourself as you establish a daily meditation practice, understand that it can take time and practice to cultivate a deeper sense of mindfulness and inner peace. |
Tip #1 – Practice First Thing In The Morning
Why is this important?
Meditation in the morning has several benefits.
How to do it:
Choose a time when you are alone and can be undisturbed for at least 20 minutes. It’s best to sit cross-legged on a cushion or mat on the floor, though if you can’t sit in this position comfortably, it’s okay to sit on a chair with your back straight.
Set aside enough space around you so that your arms are comfortable as well (you might want to leave some personal items out of reach).
Practice focusing on your breath by inhaling through the nose and exhaling through pursed lips without making any noise just like Darth Vader! You may find it helpful to keep one hand resting lightly on top of either thigh while doing this.
Breathe naturally at all times; don’t try too hard or strain yourself by making any effort that is not natural and necessary for us humans!
Also don’t think about anything else while doing this exercise; simply focus solely on breathing quietly into your body until there’s nothing else left but peace within yourself.”
Feeling stressed? Incorporating just five minutes of mindfulness into your daily routine can make all the difference. Learn more about the power of mindfulness in our article on The Power of Mindfulness: How to Manage Stress in Just 5 Minutes a Day.
Tip #2 – Get Into The Habit Of Meditating Daily
In order to get into the habit of meditating daily, you need to start small. Don’t set yourself up for failure by trying to meditate for an hour every day from the get-go.
Instead, make it a priority in your schedule and set aside time each day or week that’s devoted specifically for meditation. Make sure this time is blocked off in your calendar and always kept sacred: don’t let anything interfere with it!
Once you’ve decided on a specific time of day (or times) when you will meditate every day, try setting aside a few minutes before bedtime as well.
Even if all you can manage is five minutes at first which would be perfect! the more often you practice meditation on any given day, the faster it becomes integrated into your life as routine and habit rather than something new or different that requires additional effort beyond simply deciding when/where/how much time will be spent doing so.
Tip #3 – Keep Sessions Short And Sweet
Keeping sessions short and sweet is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my meditation practice. It’s so easy to get caught up in the idea of how long you can sit for, but that shouldn’t be your focus.
The quality of your experience is what matters most. The more you meditate, the longer you may want to stay in a session.
However, whenever possible, keep it brief and leave plenty of time between sessions for other things – like eating breakfast or going for a walk (which are great ways to make sure that meditation isn’t just another thing on your to-do list).
Meditation is not just a spiritual practice, it also has proven scientific benefits. Check out our article on The Science of Meditation: How Regular Practice Can Change Your Brain to learn more about the benefits of meditation.
Tip #4 – Make A Meditation Schedule
Schedule in advance.
Don’t just meditate when you feel like it. Rather, meditate on a regular basis so that your brain gets accustomed to the routine and grows accustomed to the practice.
Allow yourself enough time to meditate without feeling rushed or pressured by other obligations.
To help make sure that you stick with your meditation schedule, try setting an alarm for exactly how long you plan on sitting down and meditating each day (say 10 minutes). Then set another alarm for how many times per day this should happen (3 times per day).
If possible, set these two alarms at different times during the day so that they are less likely to interfere with each other or other important obligations/routines in your life (like work/school).
| Time of Day | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Early Morning (5-7AM) | Provides a stillness of mind and deeper concentration. |
| Mid-Morning (8-11AM) | Enhances focus and productivity for the rest of the day. |
| Lunchtime (12-2PM) | A mid-day reset to calm the mind and reduce stress levels. |
| Mid-Afternoon (3-5PM) | Helps to boost energy levels and increase concentration. |
| Evening (6-8PM) | Promotes relaxation and helps to unwind after a long day. |
Note: The best time for meditation practice depends on your personal preferences and schedule. Experiment with different times of day to find what works best for you.
Tip #5 – Have A Reason To Meditate
A reason to meditate is key. If you can’t think of a specific reason, stick with the general goal of feeling more relaxed and focused throughout your day. Make sure that this reason resonates with you so that it feels meaningful.
Try not to just think about the benefits of meditation without any personal connection—it’s important that this decision comes from within yourself and isn’t just something someone else told you was good for them.
One way to make sure that you have a strong enough motivation is by setting specific goals for each session, such as: “I want to feel less stressed out after today’s meeting,” or “I want my mind to stop racing when I’m trying to fall asleep tonight.” Achieving these goals will help give your practice meaning, which in turn will help motivate further sessions down the road!
Discover the secrets of inner peace by unlocking the power of mindfulness meditation. Our article on Unlock the Power of Mindfulness Meditation: Discover the Secrets to Inner Peace will guide you on your journey towards a more centered and peaceful state of mind.
Tip #6 – Make It Comfortable
If you’re not comfortable, you won’t be able to concentrate. Find a place where you can sit or lie down comfortably and in silence. You may want to use a meditation cushion or pillow if your legs get sore, or even a meditation bench if you have back problems.
Tip #7 – Observe Your Thoughts Without Getting Involved With Them
If you can’t stop thinking about something, try observing it as a thought rather than engaging in the thought itself. Observing is like watching clouds from a distance, whereas engaging is like being up close and personal with them.
When you’re caught up in a story about yourself for example, “I’m not good enough at this” or “She didn’t appreciate me for what I did” it’s tempting to get involved with the content of that story and believe it’s true about yourself.
But if we can step back for just a moment and notice our thoughts as thoughts—as mental events that come into our awareness they become less important and less compelling.
Tip #8 – Use A Meditation Cushion Or Pillow
Using a meditation pillow or cushion to support your neck and spine will help make sure you are sitting in the right position. These products are available at any store that sells yoga equipment, or online.
Sit tall with your shoulders relaxed and back straight, allowing your chest to open up as much as possible.
If you have a chair, place one end of the pillow on it so that it is under your lower back and upper buttocks; if using a bench or stool, place it between your legs to keep them in alignment with each other while they rest on top of the bench/stool.
The rest of the pillow should be placed behind either side of your head depending where you feel most comfortable.
Combining yoga and meditation can lead to a deeper sense of spiritual growth and enlightenment. Read our article on Yoga and Meditation: The Perfect Combination for Spiritual Enlightenment to learn how to incorporate these practices into your daily routine.
Tip #9 – Find Your Meditation Mantra
At first, your mantra is going to feel like a foreign language. Even if you’re familiar with the concept of mantras and have heard them in other practices, finding the right one for you can still be difficult.
Most people don’t realize the importance of having a mantra until they try meditating without one. Without some kind of repetitive phrase or sound to anchor your attention, it can be all too easy to get caught up in thoughts about what you need to do later that day and forget about what you should be doing now: sitting down and focusing on your breathing or whatever else your meditation practice calls for.
The easiest way around this is by starting slow and simple with a relatively short phrase maybe even just two words that resonates with how you want yourself or others around you treated (what Buddhists call metta).
Try something like “May I be happy” or “May we all be happy together” as an example; when I was starting out, these were my mantras because they helped me feel more grounded in my practice rather than letting me get lost in my own headspace when things got tough later on down the road after years spent meditating regularly!
| Mantra | Benefits |
|---|---|
| “Om” | Enhances spiritual knowledge and calms the mind. |
| “So Hum” | Increases self-awareness and a sense of inner peace. |
| “Om Namah Shivaya” | Facilitates the release of negative emotions and cultivates devotion. |
| “Sat Nam” | Enhances vitality and self-awareness. |
| “Om Shanti” | Brings peace and tranquility to the mind and body. |
Note: These are just a few examples of mantras that you can use during meditation. The most important thing is to find a mantra that resonates with you and that you can connect with during your practice.
Tip #10 – Ignore The Monkey Mind Chatter
The monkey mind chatter is a fact of life. It can really be frustrating to meditate when your thoughts are racing and you feel like you’re fighting a losing battle. But the more you try to control your thoughts, the more they seem to want to run away from you.
So what should we do? Ignore those pesky monkeys! It’s impossible for us as humans to reach perfect stillness while sitting down in meditation, so let go of any expectations that this practice will be some sort of mental exorcism where we will rid ourselves of every thought that ever entered our heads.
Instead, accept that there will always be some level of mental activity during meditation—and embrace it instead of trying (and failing) at controlling it all by yourself!
Tip #11 – Count Your Breaths To Start With
Counting your breaths is a great way to start with meditation. As humans, we tend to get caught up in our thoughts and emotions. When we are not paying attention to our breathing, it can become shallow or fast paced.
As you count your breaths, you will feel some tension release and begin to focus on the present moment. This practice helps you become more mindful of the current moment and avoid being lost in thought about what happened in the past or what could happen in the future.
By counting your breaths as part of an effortless practice every day, you’ll learn that meditating isn’t so much about going somewhere else it’s about being fully present where you already are at this very moment!
| Counting Method | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Simple Counting | Helps improve focus and concentration during meditation practice. |
| Alternate Nostril Breathing | Can help calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety. |
| The Wim Hof Method | Involves controlled breathing and can help improve immune function and reduce stress. |
| Brainwave Meditation | Uses beta, alpha, theta, and delta brain waves to guide meditation practice for increased relaxation and mental clarity. |
| Box Breathing | Helps regulate and calm the breath, improving overall physical and mental well-being. |
Note: Different breathing techniques work for different people, and it’s important to find the method that works best for you. These are just a few examples to get started.
Tip #12 – Consider An Online Program Like Headspace Or Calm
So, you’ve tried out a few different methods for meditating, but are still struggling to make it a daily practice. Well, maybe it’s time to consider an online program like Headspace or Calm. These apps have been designed specifically with beginners and busy people in mind.
They’re also great for those who don’t have the time or money to attend classes. And best of all? They can be used at home or on-the-go so there’s no reason not to give them a try!
Online programs offer many benefits over traditional classes: they’re flexible (you can do them anywhere), they’re easy-to-use (no need to find parking), and they’re available at any age (even if you’re just getting started).
Plus they help improve your overall health which increases productivity while decreasing stress levels–which means more time spent doing what matters most!
Mindfulness meditation has proven benefits for mental health. Check out our article on The Science behind Mindfulness and Its Impact on Mental Health to learn more about the importance of mindfulness in managing and preventing mental health issues.
Tip #13 – Meditate With Friends Or Join A Group
Meditation is a social activity, so if you want to make it a habit, consider meditating with others. It’s easier for some people to start a meditation practice when they have someone else who will help them stick with it.
There are many online forums where you can find people who are interested in meditation and many cities offer free or low-cost group classes where you can try out different types of meditation. You could even join a group of people who meet regularly to meditate together!
Conclusion
We’re sure that these tips will help you get started with your meditation practice. Remember that it takes time to build a habit and get into the groove of things, so don’t worry if at first things feel challenging or uncomfortable.
With practice, however, you will find yourself falling more and more naturally into this new way of being.
Further Reading
How to Meditate: A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation Practice: This is a comprehensive guide that offers tips for beginners, how-to guides for practice, and meditations to practice at home.
The Benefits of Daily Meditation and How to Get Started: This article elaborates on the numerous benefits of daily meditation, from reducing stress and anxiety to improving sleep quality.
How to Start Meditating: A Beginner’s Guide to Mindfulness: This beginner’s guide offers tips for getting started with mindfulness meditation and ways to incorporate it into your daily routine.
FAQs
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of bringing full attention to the present moment. It involves focusing on sensations in the body, thoughts, feelings, and surroundings in a non-judgmental manner.
What are the benefits of meditation?
Meditation has many health benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety, improving sleep quality, and increasing focus and cognitive function. It can also help lower blood pressure and alleviate symptoms of depression.
Do I need to sit in a particular way to meditate?
While there are traditional postures used in meditation, what’s most important is finding a comfortable position that allows you to feel relaxed and focused. You can sit in a chair or cross-legged on a cushion, as long as you’re comfortable.
How often should I meditate?
It’s recommended to practice meditation for a few minutes every day, gradually increasing the duration as you become more comfortable. Some people practice for up to an hour a day, while others prefer shorter, more frequent sessions.
Can I meditate with a busy mind?
Yes, a busy mind is normal, especially for beginners. The practice of meditation involves observing your thoughts and bringing your focus back to your breath or a chosen object of focus. Over time, you’ll learn to observe your thoughts without getting caught up in them, allowing you to gain greater clarity and peace of mind.
Hello, my name is Hellen James! I am a yoga teacher and writer who loves to share information about how you can achieve a more fulfilling life. I have been practicing mindfulness, yoga, and meditation for over 10 years. My passion for these practices has led me to teach them to others.