You know that meditation is a good thing to do, but do you know how to meditate?

Meditation ha been studied for decades now, and the list of proven benefits is growing.

Honestly, there are more reasons that you should be meditating than excuses not to.

Here are just a few of the benefits of meditation:

Meditation can increase your focus and attention, saving you time because you become more efficient overall.

It can also improve your ability to multitask, and lord knows every ambitious mama needs help on this front!

If you meditate regularly you’ll increase your ability to regulate your emotions, meaning you’ll have less emotional slip-ups to feel guilty about.

You’ll also feel less stress, anxiety, and depression, and flood your system with more endorphins on a regular basis.

Think you don’t have time to meditate?

What happened on the last episode of This Is Us?

How long did it take you to get out of bed this morning?

What did you do right before you went to sleep last night?

See, you do have time to meditate, you just need to make it a priority.

Given how many benefits there are to meditation, you really don’t have time not to meditate.

And you don’t have to sit for a long meditation session to benefit from it.

Even just 3 minutes a day can make a HUGE difference if that’s all the time you can find for yourself.

And here’s the thing.

Everybody can meditate.

There’s no such thing as being “good” or “bad” at meditation.

Meditation is called a practice for a reason.

There will be times when it comes easy, and other times when you notice your thoughts chasing around your mind at a rate of 110 miles per minute, and that’s okay.

With practice you’ll have an easier time coming into the present moment, but you have to get started if you want to get there.

So without further ado, here are 3 easy ways to start a meditation practice:

1. Guided Meditation

The idea of meditating on your own can be really intimidating for someone who’s never done it before, so guided meditation is a great option to get you started.

There are many different types of guided meditation you can try.

Some are designed to help you sleep better, some help you feel into your body, some are specifically designed for stress relief. The list goes on.

Check out at least 3-5 different kinds of guided meditation to figure out what you like and don’t like, and then commit to one or two for a month and see what it does for you.

2. Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is a practice that you can do on the go, so it’s great for ambitious mamas who have a lot on their plate.

Basically, it’s all about tuning into your sensory experience in this moment.

So while you’re doing dishes, for example, feeling what the water feels like on your hands, smelling the soap, feeling your feet on the floor, taking a moment to notice your breath.

Or when you’re walking to your car, slowing down enough to feel each step move you forward, feel the wind on your face, listen to the birds in the trees.

Mindfulness meditation is how I started my independent meditation practice, and it has made my life SO much richer and more enjoyable.

3. Just Sit

While it might feel overwhelming to some, the easiest and most straight-forward way to start meditating is just to sit down and do it.

First off, find a nice quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.

Make it special, if you want, by adding candles, crystals, bells or singing bowls, or a special meditation cushion that you only sit on when you meditate.

Then set a timer for 2 minutes to start, sit, close your eyes, and just focus on your breath.

And no, you won’t just magically think about nothing and be totally blissed out. And that’s actually not the point.

Your mind will wander.

But that’s not a bad thing, it’s just the nature of the mind.

What you want to do is just to start noticing.

And when you notice that you’ve been getting caught up in your to-do list or other thoughts, just remind yourself that those thoughts will be there when you’re don, and then redirect your focus back to your breath.

Once you feel comfortable with 2 minutes, increase your time to 5, then 10 or 20 minutes a day.

But whatever you do, don’t take an all or nothing approach.

In the end it doesn’t matter if you manage to meditate for 30 seconds or 30 minutes every day.

The most important thing is just that you show up for your meditation practice every single day.

And that’s when the magic will start to happen.

 

And now I’d love to hear from you.

Leave a comment and share your experience with meditation.

What’s worked for you? What hasn’t? What have you learned?

I can’t wait to hear what you have to say!