Meditation for Beginners

When I was first told I needed to start meditating I was 6 years into a 7-year “unexplained infertility” journey.

My newest acupuncturist, Dr. Kim in Santa Monica, CA, told me I needed to make three changes: eat a little meat (I had been primarily vegetarian all of my life), drink nothing but water and tiny bit of vodka (I should do a whole post just on that!!!) and meditate every day.

I also had to lay through hours of acupuncture and drink icky herbal blends, but I credit the meditation as one of the most powerful changes I made, allowing me to get pregnant only one year later.

I’ll admit it, though, I was scared and totally intimidated by the idea of meditating every day. First, I had no idea how. Second, I take time in the mornings to pray and journal or do my bible study, and I wondered if meditation was in conflict with that. What I found, though, was that meditation felt like prayer. One flowed easily into the other. It didn’t matter which I started with - the meditation or the prayer - both ended with me feeling grounded and yet lighter, ready to go into the day with a sense of purpose and peace.

If you’re new to meditation, here are 3 simple meditation styles to get you started:

FOCUS ON YOUR BREATHING

This is the type Dr. Kim wanted me to do and I find it best for beginners. Start by sitting or lying in a comfortable position and begin to breath at a normal rate. As you breath in and out, pay attention to how the air feels in your nose or your belly. And as you breath, count each breath. A breath in and then out is 1. The next is 2. Dr. Kim told me to count to 100 and back down again before calling it quits. Each time your mind wanders, simply notice that, don’t judge it, and then come back to your breath.

Counting breaths to 100 and back takes a while, so if this is your first go-round, start with an easier number like 20 or 50 and keep building from there.

FOCUS ON YOUR THOUGHTS

This is often called Mindfulness Meditation. The idea is that if we are more aware of our thoughts (the good, the bad, and the ugly) we’ll be able to redirect negative inner self talk and increase empathy towards others.

Again, start in any sort of comfortable position. With your eyes closed, simply watch your thoughts float across your field of vision. Notice whether each thought feels peaceful or benign or even threatening. But don’t let yourself become derailed by negative thoughts. Simply notice them and allow them to float away, just as you would with a more pleasant thought. It may help to remind yourself that it is just a thought, afterall. Aim for 5-15 minutes of this each day.

FOCUS ON YOUR BODY

To do this type of Body-Scan meditation, start in a comfortable position and begin to notice the sensations at the top of your head. Do you feel warmth, tingling, something else? Now move downward and repeat this as you move from your face to your neck to your shoulder to your arms and so on. Focus only on one body part at a time and when your mind wanders to your grocery list or the email you forgot to send, simply note it and move back into your body.

This type of body-scan meditation can be especially helpful if you have trouble sleeping at night. Try it for 5 minutes when you first lay down to go to bed at night. Good luck staying awake!

I would love to hear how this goes for you. Tag me on facebook or instagram at @thesarasnow and let me know!