How to Meditate for Beginners

Learning how to meditate for beginners is a great way to get started with meditation and to take advantage of the health benefits without a lot of effort.

Most people feel a little intimidated when they think of learning how to meditate. They might think of Tibetan monks or levitating gurus who've been practicing the techniques for years. Surely no one with a busy life in the real world can really clear their minds of all distractions, can they?

The first thing you need to know is that there are many different types of meditation and you can try them all to find one that works for you. If you aren't the type to sit and try to clear your mind, you might try focusing on a burning candle or practicing living in the moment while going on a walk instead.

The easiest form for many people to learn is a simple focused meditation where you concentrate on something internal or external. You might be paying attention to slowing down your breath, breathing in to a count of four, holding for a count of two and exhaling to a count of six, for example (a great breath sequence for instant stress relief, by the way).

Or you can focus on something exterior like a flickering candle or a picture of your favorite person or a "happy place." You can even go outside and meditate while focusing on a tree, thinking about its roots firmly planted in the earth and its branches reaching to new heights.

This sort of meditation is good for beginners because you don't feel the stress of having to clear your mind. Instead you can bring your attention to something else, which automatically helps clear your mind.

No matter which style of meditation you try (and when you're learning how to meditate for beginners you should try all sorts of styles, from audio meditations to meditating while gardening), there are many tips that can help make your time more productive.

First, do think of meditation as productive. Even if you don't feel like you've had a very successful time, don't think of it as a waste. If you can let go of the outcome of having a "perfect meditation," you will relieve stress and feel more focused, even if your meditation is a little unfocused.

Remember that learning to meditate is a process and you won't do it perfectly the first time. That's why you need to try different methods to find the one you are most comfortable with, and give each method you attempt a few tries before discarding it entirely.

Give yourself at least 15 minutes every time you meditate. If you find yourself starting to look at the clock after minute two, go ahead and set a timer so you won't be distracted by thinking about the time.

Try to continue meditating for the full time no matter how frustrated you get or how many times an unwelcome thought drifts into your head. Try to let those thoughts and frustrations go, maybe by focusing deeper on your breath, and remember that meditation is a journey.

Consistent practice is the key to mastery of meditation, so try to set aside at least 15 minutes a day for your practice. You can try to do it at the same time every day, which helps build consistency, or experiment with doing it at different times of day to see if you get an energy boost doing it in the morning, for example.

As with any skill, over time you will find that meditation gets easier. That may be difficult to believe right now, but just keep working on it and soon you'll find that you're getting all the wonderful benefits of stress relief through meditation without any of the frustration you used to feel.

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