Many people are afraid to get started meditating. They feel they don’t know what to do. Often they have heard about the benefits of meditation from a friend and receive advise such as sit and stay in silence. This is obviously a very terse set of instructions and the novice may lose interest as they find themselves lost. Meditation is not about sleeping it is actually silencing the mind and calming ones body. It is about stopping ones thoughts and slowing ones brain waves.
There are many ways for a beginner to get started with mediation without having to fear being lost as they don’t understand what to do. One of the easiest ways to get started with mediation is by using a guided mediation. This is when someone else directs you what to do while you are meditating. This can either occur by listening to someone speak or it can be by listening to a recording. Both types of guided meditation are very effective.
If you prefer to meditate with a group then you should choose a live guided meditation. An instructor will show you how to sit, and guide you every step of the way. Often they will play soft background music to relax you. They may burn incense or have scented candles burning in the room to add to the ambiance. After the instructor has situated everyone in the proper meditation position they will begin to give verbal commands. Sometimes someone leading a guided meditation will talk to the group and bring their minds on a journey. Other times they will just focus on relaxing the group and trying to still everyone’s thoughts. The goal is for your subconscious to take over and stop your thoughts.
If you are more timid or don’t like a group experience then you could try a pre-recorded guided meditation. This can be just as effective as a live guided meditation, although there is no one to correct your posture if you are sitting incorrectly. That being said there really is no wrong way to meditate, as long as you are comfortable you can stop you conscious mind’s thoughts and achieve deep relaxation. Many recorded guided meditations have soft calming music or sounds of nature as a background. It many have birds chirping or the sounds of a river flowing. Then the voice speaks calmly over the sounds telling your mind what to do. They will guide you to relax and let go of conscious thought.
It may be a good idea to obtain several different guided meditations as you will become accustomed to listening to the same recording. You could choose one with a male voice and another with a female voice to obtain some variety. As you practice meditation every day it will be easier to silence your mind. In time you may no longer need a guide to help you meditate. Some people prefer to meditate in complete silence. While others still enjoy listening to background music, but they now choose one that doesn’t have anyone speaking over the natural sounds.
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This is a lovely post. It is very true that guided meditation is a great place to start and is something that has worked for me too. I have been meditating for a couple of years now and I still use guided meditation as they give me the best results. The sound of water and thunder are also something I really enjoy listening to while meditating.
Thanks for posting!
Jessica