Getting Started With Meditation

Mindfulness meditation has been a fantastic way to develop a more calm and focused mind for centuries. Here are 14 points to help you get started.

In an always-on digital world where there is never quite enough time to do everything we want to do… how can we learn to just take a step back and breathe?

It sounds simple, but how often do we actually do it? 

Mindfulness, often practised through meditation, can have a wealth of benefits that can literally revolutionise your life and improve your mental health. 

However, just knowing a skill can change your life is one thing – actually developing it takes dedication and many other ingredients.

This list provides 14 helpful tips to support you in becoming more mindful as you dip your toe in the practise of meditation. You may find it so beneficial, you jump right in!

When all it costs you is 5 minutes a day (or even every few days), what have you got to lose?

Habits only stick when you focus on staying consistent.

I’d suggest choosing a time when you’ll usually be free, for example before bed or when you wake up. These times also allow you to take calm and focus into your day or to bed.

Choosing your meditation app is actually really fun – there are loads of really well-designed and supported options with free trials. 

Listen to waves crashing on the beach, or get lulled to sleep as Stephen Fry reads a story to you. Dreamy.

No harm in shopping around a bit – just remember to cancel the subscription so you don’t get charged.

Discover our list of best meditation apps here.

Choose a comfortable meditation chair so you can sit upright without nagging back pain. Finding a quiet space without distraction and asking those you live with to not bother you is also a big help.  

Meditation is by no means easy. When you start, you’ll want to be good at it and will no doubt get frustrated if you struggle. Congrats, you’ve just given yourself an extra thing to worry about.

If you can notice this is counter-productive and quieten that judgey voice, you are already making progress.

There is no switch to stop our minds wandering, and so it is inevitable you’ll get lost in thought at some point. 

When you realise this has happened, all you need to do is gently return to the practise. This is all part of the process, and catching yourself also shows great progress.

In order to grow and learn new skills, we have to be flexible. If you approach meditation with a rigid and unforgiving determination, it will be much harder. 

Instead try adopting a gentle, non-reactive approach, with genuine curiosity to see how your body and mind is feeling. Just see what happens…

This posture is representative of the balance you are looking to strike. Relaxed in your mindset, with an element of keen concentration. If you lie down, you may find your mind wanders more.

The breath is the perfect focus because it is cyclical, natural, and with us all the time. 

There will be points of your body where you will feel this rise and fall most keenly, which can aid your concentration. Perhaps the breath is most obvious in your chest, or the tip of your nose? 

Try different points and see what feels right.

Noticing the entire range of the breath can help you to focus your attention. Also try really tapping into the point at which the breath changes from inhale-exhale, and exhale-inhale. 

No matter what technique you try, eventually a thought will carry you away. 

This is completely normal. It’s the noticing that is the important part, and the gentle care with which you re-focus. This process of bringing yourself back to the present is a core element of meditating

Focusing your attention on your body and points of contact (like your legs and the chair) can elicit a heightened sensation. You’ll also be subconsciously relaxing those parts of the body.

After you open your eyes, take a moment to examine how you feel. Relaxed? Restless? What are your thoughts and emotions? There is no right answer here.

Congratulate yourself on taking some time to invest in yourself – in our busy world, this is harder than it sounds. Also think about how the meditation felt, and if you were successfully able to correct your attention without judgement.

The benefits of mindfulness are most felt when you take your practise and apply it during daily life and activities.

Think about opportunities when you can remind yourself to take a moment.

Maybe the next time you are stressed, follow the breath from start to end for 30 seconds. When you are outside, stop and fully engage with the sounds in your environment.

After all, life is all about the little moments.

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Kyri Rousou

Kyri is a multi-lingual marketer who uses his connection with wellbeing and travel to help others make the most of their experiences. Day-to-day, Kyri works as a Growth Marketing Manager (and Mental Health Responder) at Raconteur.

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