Many people acknowledge the many health benefits of meditating regularly. Unfortunately, many of these people do not know where to begin. The most difficult aspect of meditation is simply trying to clear your mind. The thoughts of the day end up following us into our meditation practice and it can be difficult to sit in silence. Once you get the hang of it, it can be an extremely powerful tool for healing. Here are 5 tips that will help you get started!
1) Count your breath
If you’re having trouble calming and getting a steady breath, counting your breath may help you. To do this, inhale and count “one, two, three, four”. The, exhale and count again “one, two, three, four”. This breath count will start to feel more natural and you may slowly stop counting.
2) Avoid distractions
Avoiding distractions is extremely important. When you have reached a deep and relaxed state, the last thing you need is your cell phone ringing. Think of a quiet time in your day that could work for you to meditate. Setting your alarm to wake up a little bit earlier could be a good time, or even in the car at work on your lunch break.
3) Start with short lengths of time
When you first start meditation, aim for 10 minutes. If this still feels long for you, 5 minutes is a good start too. You can then extend this to 25-minute sessions. There are many people that enjoy meditating for well over an hour and achieve a deep state of relaxation.
4) Muscle relaxation
This method involved relaxing your body slowly, from head to toe. First, imagine your head, neck, and shoulders relaxing and releasing any tension. Then move into your arms and abdomen. Continue this process until you reach your toes. By time you do reach your toes, you will realize how relaxed your whole body has become.
5) Imagery
Positive imagery can be another great tool to help clean and calm the mind. Thinking of calming images will have a physically calming reaction on the body.
Until next time,
The Apollo Team
