Meditation is without a doubt the bedrock on which your psychic skills will develop so it’s important to start meditating as soon as you can.

One of the most common questions that beginners ask is how to do meditation. So here is – Meditation for Beginners.

So – how do you meditate and why is it so important?

When you start to learn the art of meditation, you gradually learn to focus all of your attention in one area.

You don’t have to clear your mind or quieten it – that is actually an incredibly difficult thing to do. Sadly, lots of people give up meditating because they haven’t been able to acheive this ‘quiet mind’ and so they feel they’re ‘not doing it right’.

There really is no right or wrong and like most things, the more you do it, the easier it will become. The best meditation is one that you’re comfortable with and you feel some benefit from.

Once you start to relax a little more you will come to love your daily meditation as a little oasis of calm in your day.

Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is good for you – it’s official. It’s now recognized that meditation benefits include –

  • an increased ability to concentrate
  • a decrease in anxiety
  • a feeling of happiness

How to Get Started and How to Keep Going

The secrets of MeditationYou can sign up for meditation classes or if you’re very lucky, go to a meditation retreat.

Most people prefer to try it out first in the peace and quiet of their own homes, especially when they’re starting out.

We’re going to focus on how to meditate for beginners who have just started their spiritual awakening but it’s interesting to know that there are many different types of meditation.

20 Tips on Meditation

…to help you make daily meditation a part of your life.

1. Schedule meditation into your day.

It is going to become a very important part of your life so give it a daily time slot.

2. Pick a specific room in your home to meditate.

Ideally, this should not be the room where you sleep, exercise or work. Even a large *walk-in cupboard would do. Make it your own space by placing big, squashy cushions or a comfortable chair to sit on or a yoga mat to lie on. Have beautiful candles and other favourite spiritual items around you. *If you’re going to meditate in a large closet, don’t ever light candles. Just use ones that have a wonderful scent.

Your meditation space doesn’t have to be indoors. You may prefer to be outside in nature or in your garden. Go wherever you feel happiest.

meditation area

3. Make sure you will not be disturbed.

This is one of the most important things to ensure before you start meditating. It will be virtually impossible to acheive any state of relaxation if you’re expecting a phone call, or the kids are due home from school, something’s due to come out of the oven or you’re running late. You need to have uninterupted peace. If your meditation time is approaching and you know that you can’t have that peace, schedule it for later.

4. Loosen Up.

Whether you’re going to meditate sitting down or lying down, it’s best to do some stretches before you start. Doing this will help to loosen your muscles which will help you to sit or lie more comfortably. This, in turn, means tat you will find it easier to relax. As you progress with your daily meditations, your mind and body will start to recognise that stretching is a prelude to deep relaxation and you will be able to achieve that state much more quickly.

5. Start with the breath.

Once you feel that you have stretched enough, turn your attention to your breathing. It’s the ideal way to start your meditaion because noticing your breathing also helps to start focussing your mind. Take slow deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. As you breathe, start to visualise your muscles relaxing even more and your heart rate slowing down.

6. Be Conscious of your body. 

Once your breathing has become deeper and slower, start noticing your body. Start at your feet and focus on relaxing them (yes, your feet can relax!). Then your knees, your hips, your ribs and then out across your shoulders and down your arms.

At each point, feel that body part become heavier and more relaxed before moving on to the next one.

7. Meditate with Purpose.

This might sound like a contradiction but it’s where a lot of beginners go wrong. Trying to empty your mind is like trying not to imagine a pink elephant. What did you imagine when I said that?

If someone says don't think of a pink elephant, what's the first thing you think of? - Meditation for Beginners - PsychicStudent.comEven yogis and buddhist monks who have been meditating for years find it hard to empty their minds but they know that it’s not necessary. You need to understand and accept that meditating is actually an active process. So you need to guide your mind to where you want it to go.

8. Use a candle (unless you’re in a closet!) …or do some colouring. 
Simply sitting with your eyes closed can be very challenging and feel unnatural to a beginner. If you’re struggling with this, try sitting and staring at a candle flame instead. This can be a powerful way of training your mind to focus on a given point and once you’re happy with that, have another attempt at meditating with your eyes closed.
“100 Coloring Templates for Meditation and Relaxation” by art therapist, Lacy Mucklow is currently the amazon.com best selling book on meditation. Colouring can be totally absorbing. Colouring intricate patterns can focus and free your mind all at the same time. If the closed eyes and candles don’t work for you, reach for those coloured pencils.
9. Listen to a Guided Meditation Audio tape CD.
Many people prefer to meditate while they listen to a guided meditation. This is simply a recording of gentle music with a voice over, guiding you through the meditation.
You could be instructed to visualize going to somewhere quite specific like a bench in a park or you may be asked to choose your own favourite location, such as a beach or a woodland.
If this appeals to you, choose the music that you feel most drawn to. Many New Age shops have headphones by their Guided Meditations so you can listen before you buy.Bear in mind that music for meditation should be something that you find pleasant to listen to but doesn’t dominate the audio.

You also need to be able to clearly hear the voice of the person who is guiding the meditation.

Some people prefer to listen to a guided meditation - Meditation for Beginners - PsychicStudent.com

It sounds obvious – but needs to be said – don’t ever listen to a meditation recording in your car.

This not only applies to when you’re driving but also to when you’re not driving. If you pull over to meditate to a recording, your brain will immediately start to build an association between you sitting in your car and meditating. Not a good association to encourage.
10. Read Meditation Books or Guides on Meditation
There are lots of books on meditation. This is an interesting exercise once you have already started to meditate daily. If you read too much before you start, you’ll be subconsciously on the lookout for certain things to happen or things you feel you must do. If you wait until you have a little experience, you will be able to take more from the advice on offer.
11. Don’t worry about small movements.
Beginners often worry that they won’t be able to sit or lie still for long enough to reach a state of relaxation. This is one of the main reasons why people don’t even attempt to meditate – especially if they know that they fidget a lot.
It’s not ideal to be changing your entire position every five minutes but small adjustments don’t have to be a drawback and if you handle them right, they can enhance your relaxation.If you notice yourself making a small movment, just acknowledge it and turn your mind back to what you were focussing on.
This does take practice so don’t be hard on yourself – that’s not what this is about. Eventually, you will be able to reach deeper states of relaxation where you won’t notice any small movements – even if you make them, which is unlikely in later stages.
12. Don’t worry about your own thoughts breaking through.
Remember we said how very difficult it is to empty your mind? You need to keep reminding yourself of this all the time – especially while you’e meditating.
Having to empty your mind is a long-held misconception about meditation but even though it’s a misconception, your brain will hang onto it until you train it not to.
It’s also very common for your brain to go wandering off. Some beginners mistake this for progress and think that this ‘daydreaming’ state is what they’re aiming for.
It is and it isn’t. Helpful, eh?To be honest, the difference between wandering thoughts and a meditative state is one that you will recognize with experience.

For now, when you feel your mind starting to compose a grocery list, haul it back, acknowledge it and focus on your breathing to take your relaxation back up again.

It's almost impossible to completely empty your mind - Meditation for Beginners - PsychicStudent.com

13. Experiment.

Some people give up meditating because they think they ‘can’t do it’ – where it may have been a case of they can’t do it…there. If you’re struggling, try experimenting until you find a good fit. You could try –

  • Changing the time of day that you have scheduled
  • Sit instead of lie down
  • Lie down instead of sit
  • Close your eyes instead of having them open
  • Open your eyes instead of having them closed

14. Commit.

Take up meditating with the intention of making it part of your daily routine for life. Try not to nit-pick over every daily meditation – just do it…and then examine it after some time has gone by. That way, you will see improvements and it will encourage you to keep going.

15. Find quiet moments during your day.

Once you start meditating daily, you will find it easier to recognise quiet moments where you can take a few deep breaths and feel completely present. This is a quick energizer and a wonderful benefit of daily practice.

16. Don’t stress about meditating.

This sounds like a contradiction in terms – and it is. However, it is how we have become hard wired to react if something doesn’t go the way we planned it, or envisioned it.There is no ‘perfect’ way to meditate. There is only your way.Everything that you do when you’re trying to meditate is right for you. There is not going to be an exam afterwards and no one is giving you marks out of ten for attainment.Simply aim to go with the flow and if you feel any level of stress breaking through, just acknowledge it, let it go and focus on slowing your breathing again.The great news is that with every day that you meditate, you will feel your stress levels gradually going down.

17. Do it with someone.

Many couples meditate together. This will only work for you if it is what you want to do. Don’t be tempted to agree to meditating with a partner just to keep them happy or because they think it’s a good idea.To work, it has to work for both of you.Also, agree on some rules that you both have to follow, before you start.

18. Choose the best time of the day – for you.

You might like to meditate first thing in the morning because your mind and body are both relaxed from being asleep and your mind hasn’t started to fill up with the To Do lists of the day.Others find more benefit from meditating later in the day, to induce relaxation and to give them an energy boost for what’s left of the day.This is completely up to personal preference. You may find that you feel naturally drawn to a particular time of day. Or your daily routine may include a quieter time which would make it easy to meditate just then.You may have to try several different times before you find the one that you like best.

19. Spend a little time feeling grateful.

Once you have finished your daily meditation, sit quietly for a few minutes and give thanks for having the wonderful opportunity to meditate. Feel grateful and thank your Spirit Guide and Guardian angels – even if you don’t know who they are yet. They will know who you are and will value your thanks and appreciation.

20. Keep being honest with yourself.

Meditation brings huge rewards and benefits but it requires discipline to make it a regular part of your daily routine.

At some point, you will find that you are having to work harder to meet that daily commitment. Your enthusiasm may start to wane and you may feel as if you are losing interest in meditating.

Be reassured that this is completely normal. It could signal that you have ‘gone up a level’ of development and need to up your meditation to the next level too.

Or it could be a signal that you are finding it hard to focus on other areas.

Go within to seek the answers and be open to whatever comes your way. Ask your Guide for help and keep an open mind as answers don’t always come the way we think they will.

Keep meditating throughout it all and you will notice changes. Go with the flow and keep going.

BONUS TIP

Yoga and Meditation

If you already do yoga, you’ll know that it is hugely relaxing. Yoga and Meditation go very well together, so…

  • If you like yoga, use it as a time to meditate too.
  • If you like meditation, it’s worth taking up yoga too.