Tips for a Successful Meditation Session: Start Slow

Meditation can be an intimidating practice for newbie’s. Lets face it, meditation can be intimidating for experienced yoga practitioners as well! The idea of sitting completely still for long periods of time and not allowing any thoughts into your mind can be enough to scare anyone away from this practice. When I recently read in a magazine article that beginners should attempt to meditate for 30 minutes daily, I was shocked. If you ask me, this sounds like a recipe for disaster. Jumping into a meditation practice with that level of commitment sounds like a good way for someone to set themselves up for failure. I could be wrong, perhaps there are new meditators out there who would have no problem committing 30 minutes of their day to deep concentration, completely un-intimidated by the silence itself. But I tend to believe that that kind of time commitment alone would present a challenge for must people in our fast paced society. In addition, to try and take on something as challenging as stilling the mind and quieting our thoughts for such a lengthy chunk of time seems like jumping into the deep end before you even know how to swim. My personal opinion is that slow and steady is the right approach for new meditators. If the idea of meditation is new to you, consider these tips for the slow and steady approach:

• Try 5 minutes at a time instead of one lengthy meditation session. It is probably going to be easier to quiet your mind and focus your attention for a shorter amount of time in the beginning, therefore allowing you to finish your session feeling successful rather then feeling defeated that you couldn’t keep still for 30 minutes.
• Give yourself something simple to focus on: the breath. Without any judgment at all, start to observe the breath. Notice the sound, length, and depth of each inhale and exhale. Gradually deepen each breath, and silently say to yourself “I am breathing in, I am breathing out.” Use your breath as a tool to help you stay in the present moment.
• Don’t give up! This is key. Go into your meditation with an open mind, open to anything that may occur. Before you begin, set an intention to be patient with yourself. If you find yourself fidgeting or unable to sit still, don’t be afraid to readjust yourself and find a more comfortable position. If your mind starts to wander or you become distracted by sounds in the environment, don’t get frustrated with yourself; just use each distraction as a reminder to return your attention to your breath. At the end of your five minutes, be thankful for the minutes you were able to focus and be still rather then being upset for the minutes you spent thinking of your to-do list or what you were making for dinner. Focus on the good.