Meditation Tips & Suggestions
One of the hardest parts about meditation is the discipline to do it, so be patient with yourself. It doesn’t matter how many times your mind drifts as long as you keep coming back to your meditation, to your breath, as soon as you notice the distraction. While meditating, know that thoughts are a natural part of the process. Let go of any expectations about what will happen during your meditation. Just accept the experience and don’t compare one meditation to the next.
Before meditation, review your desires and/or choose some affirmations. This subtly implants them in your consciousness so they can manifest in your life. This also gives you something to place your awareness on during meditation if you find the mind wandering.
Don’t judge your practice. The only bad meditation is the one that you don’t do. It can also look different at any point, try to practice without expectation or judgement.
If a technique produces discomfort or distress, try another technique. There are many paths. Find one that is positive and peaceful for you. Find one that is sustainable.
Sit comfortably during your practice with the spine straight to decrease fatigue on the body. This can be in a chair, on the sofa, or on the floor.
My meditation is the first thing I do in the morning, so I meditate in bed with the pillows propping me up in a sitting position. Find what works for you!
At the end of your meditation, it is important to spend a few minutes sitting quietly or gently stretching before resuming activity. Before you open your eyes, bring your awareness to the area of your heart and express gratitude for everything in your life. This transition helps you integrate your experience. Getting up too quickly can be unsettling and produce agitation or unease
Meditations to try
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Sound, even when repeated silently, affects our physiology and alters thought patterns. Follow the same technique as for mindfulness meditation, except focus on a mantra (man=mind, to think; tra= tool: “instrument of thought”) instead of the breath.
Common mantras include:
So-Hum, the sound of the breath
Om (Aum), the sound of the Universe (vibration of all living things)
Sat Nam, truth
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti - peace, peace, peace
Shanti Om
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Same as above, but bringing awareness to your breath instead of the mantra. If you notice the thoughts drift, no judgement, just guide them back to the breath.
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Chakra Meditation with Blissed.com
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Sitting comfortably in your chair, close your eyes. Let your arms and hands fall comfortably on your lap. Soften your shoulders. Soften your tongue—this can sometimes help the jaw release. Gently bring your attention to your breath. Just noticing it, without shifting it or changing it, follow the line of your breath. Become intimate with your breath, becoming aware of all of the little nuances. Notice how it is cool on the inhale as it passes through your nostrils and then warmer on the exhale. Follow the line of your breath and notice that it is following the same passageway every time you inhale and every time you exhale.
Every time your mind wanders to a thought in your mind, or a noise, or
a sensation in your body, gently bring your awareness back to your breath. Just observe it, without trying to change it or fix it, and be aware of your breath. So you are not trying to push out your thoughts; you are simply noticing your breath and paying more attention to your breath than you are to your thoughts. Allow and accept everything that happens during your meditation. Set a timer for a few minutes to start. (Slowly work that time up as you continue the practice)
When it's time to end the meditation, keeping your eyes closed, slowly bring your mind back to your body and let your breath fall away. Coming back to the room, the noises. You can roll your head around slowly or draw your shoulders up to your ears and then release them back down. And then, as you are ready, you can slowly open your eyes.
Additional Resources
Books-
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Loving What Is by Byron Katie
Wherever You Go, There You Are by John Kabat-Zinn Good
Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy . by Steven C. Hayes
The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson
The Surrender Experiment - Michael Singer
The Power of Now or A New Earth By Eckhart Tolle