3 Tips for Beginner Meditators

Meditation can feel overwhelming at the beginning. 

Do I have to sit contorted with my hands in a special way? 
Does it only count if I do it for an hour? 
How does everyone else turn off their thoughts and look so peaceful?

I've heard these comments from hundreds of beginner meditation clients over the years and these misconceptions were holding them back from feeling good about this beautiful mindful practice. If you feel like a failure while meditating, I don't want that for you. Here are three tips to help you feel confident in your meditation practice right from the jump! 

1. Expand your mindset about "perfect" meditation

Yes, as you build a consistent meditation practice it's possible to feel that "clearing of the mind" as if all thoughts cease and you're in the zone of calm presence. But when you're starting out, give yourself permission for it to feel challenging. Some days, your life may feel more chaotic than others so the thoughts and emotional turmoil might spill out when you're trying to focus on your meditation. But guess what? That's still meditation. You didn't have a good meditation when you were able to concentrate and have a bad meditation when you spent every other minute redirecting your thoughts. They are both parts of the meditation experience and both equally beneficial. Expand your mindset to accept all experiences of meditation to help you learn and become more aware of your patterns and responses.

2. Stop trying to stop thinking

Learning to be with your thoughts and observe them so you can choose what you interact with and what can float on by - that's awareness and something you can cultivate through a meditation practice. This still involves thinking in order to notice. I'll put this out there too - you don't want your brain to stop working. It likes to create stories and synapses, and it's very good at that. Instead, you want to give it something to focus on and see how long you can keep it there. Your focus in meditation can be your breath, a guide's voice, calming music, or anything else that draws you to the present moment and doesn't put you to sleep. Let your mind think about those focal points, instead of wandering from thought to thought. Giving yourself permission to think can release this pressure to turn your brain off and allow you to expand your mindset around what a meditative state can be.

3. Don't stress about time

I've read numerous research studies about meditation benefits and duration. MBSR is usually cited with a recommendation of 45 minutes, with other types of meditation benefits being seen around 13 minutes. Honestly, the duration of meditation only matters if you feel a difference. If it takes you 30 minutes to feel calm and centered, perfect. If you feel a noticeable shift after 1 minute, perfect.

The most important thing when beginning a meditation practice is to build the habit. Allow yourself to meditate for 1-3 minutes every single day for one week. Once you've done that, stay with it or bump up to 5 minutes every day. The amount of time doesn't determine whether or not your meditation is successful or "counts" as meditating. It's the quality of the time spent in a present moment awareness that matters. 

Take these tips and try them out. If you want additional support building your meditation habit, learn more about working with me privately or check out my on-demand "Beginner Meditation Program for Overthinkers" with six different meditation breakdowns, tips and audio recordings to use daily!