How to Meditate

Meditation doesn’t have to be a pain. Think of it as daily exercise for your mind, keeping it nice and strong, so you feel more in control of your life by slowing down enough to act responsively, instead of reactively.

I’ve dabbled in meditation since my yoga teacher training in 2013, and it felt so good that I vowed to keep practicing day, after day, for the rest of my life. Fast forward two weeks later after returning to real life, and my meditation practice quickly faded away.

It wasn’t until 2018 when my therapist recommended a meditation course for depression, that I was desperate enough to try anything and jumped in. The course re-connected me with my body, and brought so much calm to my overactive and overworked brain that I’ve been meditating ever since (currently on an almost 2 year streak!).

Benefits of Meditation

1. Calmer mind

2. More relaxed body

3. Resilience

4. Slows you down

5. Time to daydream

6. Discern anxious thoughts from intuition

7. More control over your life!!!!!

How to Start a Meditation Practice

1. Notice what hasn’t worked in the past

   1. There are a million ways to meditate (guided, visualization, breath work, physical, etc.), so reflect on which types you’ve tried and how they made you feel. If you have a busy mind, it can sometimes be a challenge to jump into a slow and peaceful meditation, and something physical like sufi grinds might be a better.

2. Define how you want to feel

   1. Different meditations give different vibes. Do you want to feel peaceful? Pumped up? Physically relaxed? If you’re not sure where to start, speak to an expert (hi!) and they can recommend a practice just for you and your brain type. You can also Google meditations that you’ve heard of. I kept hearing the word “Kundalini” for years, and after finally trying a class, it’s become one of my favourite lineage of teachings.

3. Set yourself up for success

   1. Once you’ve chosen a practice to try, make your space peaceful, and bring some intention to your meditation. Aim to practice at the same time daily for a set number of days, and schedule it into your calendar like any other important event.

4. Give yourself some time

   1. Meditation is always a practice, meaning the whole point is to go through mental challenges, and overcome them, becoming mentally fitter in the process. Don’t expect to be perfect, just keep coming back to the present moment.

5. Try again

   1. If it’s not a vibe, go back to the drawing board and notice what specifically wasn’t working for you, whether that’s the type of meditation, or the time of day you were practicing. Choose differently, and try again. I promise, there are multiple types out there for you. When you find one that clicks, it turns into a practice you’ll want to keep coming back to.

Some Meditations to Try

For Beginners

For Heady Type As

For the Dreamers

To Get Out of Your Head

To Get More In Touch with Yourself

XOXO