A Beginner’s Guide on How to Meditate

Wondering how to meditate? Read below to get started in less than ten minutes.

Meditation is widely construed as one for the mind. It is not wrong nor is it so narrow either. Physical activities like playing sports or running a marathon are body-oriented; material activities like pursuing a career or business are meant to enrich ourselves with wealth.

But meditation, by putting the mind at the center, is life-oriented. Not for one dimension of us but for the whole. Because every facet of our life is guided by the mind. How we relate, react, and respond. To our parents, spouse, children, colleagues, and even to ourselves.

Meditation should not be misconstrued as a hack to happiness. It is a process for peace that indeed would lead you to joy. By training the mind to remain calm, we become aware of the real size of the problem, not the perceived; the real intent in the words of others, not the imagined; the real joy we must seek, not the supposed.

The calm and poise we gain through the meditative process will turn us into positive, confident, and cheerful people.

Who should practice meditation?

The amygdala – a pair of almond-shaped structures in the brain – handles our emotional responses, decisions, and memory. Regular meditation regulates the amygdala activity thus keeping our emotions in check.

As for the answer to your question, Meditation is for everybody. It should not be seen as a remedy, though its efficacy is unmatched in helping people with anxiety, depression, and other issues. To give you an analogy, we can walk to lose weight; or we can walk to keep ourselves healthy. Making meditation part of your daily routine will enhance the quality of your life.

How to meditate with Heartfulness Meditation

Heartfulness Meditation prepares you to face any situation confidently, and not be covered by them. By learning how to meditate you become dispassionate about situations and people that once caused anxiety. And turn more compassionate towards yourself and others.

When you begin meditating for the first time, sitting in silence even for a short period could be daunting. But you would soon discover how just sitting motionless has brought a certain calmness to your mind. By practicing daily, you will see your transformation into a person of poise and confidence.

Heartfulness meditation – three must-dos:

• Practice daily. Start with shorter sessions, and increase the duration gradually.
• Just watch your thoughts. Don’t judge or analyze.
• Seat yourself comfortably in a quiet place. Anything or anyone that distracts
  should be away.

It is advisable to remove your shoes, jewelry, or any apparel that restricts movement. After choosing a time and place for your daily Heartfulness meditation, follow these four things.

Choose a comfortable position

Some people sit cross-legged with their backs straight on the floor. You can, however, choose your comfortable posture. Floor, sofa, or armchair – anything is fine. Sit with your legs extended out, and your back erect.

Don’t be too comfortable, or else you risk falling asleep. You may change your position at any time if you feel any discomfort.

Bring your attention to here and now

Sit comfortably and quietly. Direct your attention inwards. Close your eyes and concentrate on the divine light within. If you find your mind straying, bring back your focus inward. Once you’re aware of the divine light and the pull it has on you, relax by allowing it to go deeper.

Recognize your thoughts

In the initial days, you may feel a surge of emotions like worry and self-judgment. Am I doing it right? What am I supposed to do? Recognize this inner conflict. Don’t suppress or answer it. It will disappear on its own. By doing so, you will learn to handle difficult people and situations without reacting. Soon, you will feel calm and less anxious.

Complete your Heartfulness Meditation

Open your eyes when you feel you’ve reached the end of meditation or the necessary amount of time has passed. Do some light stretches to ease yourself gradually from your meditative state. Reflect on your practice for a moment.

Begin by meditating for three to five minutes a day. As you become comfortable, increase the duration to 15 minutes, then to 30 minutes, and 45 minutes after that.

Can I meditate by myself?

Certainly! The most important requirement for good meditation is your commitment and discipline to do it regularly. However, if you are new to meditation, it helps to be guided by a teacher who can handhold you through its various steps, answer your doubts and motivate you to keep at it.

Guided meditation, available in the Heartfulness app, gives you the advantage of guidance by a teacher with the convenience of doing it from your place.

How will Heartfulness App help

Heartfulness App helps people attain their peak performance through meditation. Daily meditation with Heartfulness App boosts cognitive and emotional health through guided, self-care meditation.

All you need is a phone with an internet connection. Meditating with Heartfulness app is easy, effective, and FREE.

The app has everything you need to get the best from your meditation time.

• Set your meditation goals
• Track your performance in the app journal
• Meditate in private or in a group
• Take the help of a trainer

Am I meditating correctly?

We understand the natural anxiety of a beginner. Be assured that the meditation process and its modules in the Heartfulness App have been validated after lakhs of hours of practice by millions of people around the world as they always had this question of how to meditate. The app is quite self-guiding in nature. It helps you by:

• Prompting you to set your meditation goals in terms of time and type of meditation
• Assisting you with a journal to track your progress
• Guiding you to specific goal-driven sessions:
• End-of-day, 20-minute meditation to clear the cobwebs in your mind for restful sleep
• 12-minute guided meditation to think rationally and decide clearly

For those who prefer a personal teacher, the app allows you to schedule live classes with an experienced meditator at your convenient time.

How long before I can see the results?

After knowing how to meditate, you will experience calm and peace during and soon after meditation. Much like our body fitness routine, you need a committed approach to meditation. So mental fitness becomes an integral part of your persona.

 It is free for life. Schedule a session. Feel the change. Download the App Now.