How to learn to meditate, in 8 simple steps

Basic tips to benefit from meditation.

Meditation is an ancient practice that is experiencing a great popularity in the West in the last decade, because there are many benefits for mental and emotional well-being and it is very useful in these times. in the last decade, because it has many benefits for mental and emotional well-being and is very useful in these times.

Whether to calm the mind, to find oneself or to reduce anxiety or stress, more and more people are interested in introducing this practice into their daily lives, improving their quality of life.

But meditating is not always easy, especially at the beginning, as it requires discipline and practice for its perfection. And even though it is apparently not very demanding physically, it also requires effort. Nothing is free in this life, but if you know all that meditation can bring to your life, it is quite likely that you will feel the need to start familiarizing yourself with its techniques.

The benefits of meditation

In recent years, research on this practice has shown that meditation is effective in improving people's mental health.What are these benefits? What good does meditation do us? Meditation benefits us for several reasons:

• It mitigates the effects of stress
• It positively affects the immune system
• Improves attention span and concentration
• It is useful for empathizing with others
• Increases Pain tolerance
• Improves memory and cognitive functions
• Enhances the emergence of positive thoughts

You can learn more about these benefits in our article: "Benefits of meditation supported by science".

The 8 steps to learn to meditate

The key to developing the habit of meditation is to find the perfect time for you and the type of meditation and posture that fits you. In the beginning you can experiment with the different types of meditation and the correct posture to find the necessary comfort and state of mind for this practice. and the ideal state of mind to carry out this practice.

But you should know that to overcome the resistances that sometimes you may encounter during the meditative process, to keep going on with the practice is what really makes you improve. If you want to know how to meditate correctly, follow these steps I indicate below.

1. Put on comfortable clothes

The first thing you should do to meditate and be in the here and now is to wear comfortable clothes. Taking off your shoes and choosing a loose-fitting garment is the best way to feel ready to meditate.. Forget tight clothes and take off your watch or other accessories that may be annoying.

2. Find a quiet place

It is necessary to find a place that allows you to be relaxed and without interruptions or interferences. It can be the room in your house, the seashore or your garden.... Any place is good if it allows you to be comfortable and centered, totally immersed in the activity you are about to start.

3. Sit in the right way

To meditate you must sit correctly, that is, on the floor with your back straight, but without tensions, breathing deeply and keeping your arms and legs straight.You should sit on the floor with your back straight, but without tension, breathing deeply and keeping your shoulders and arms relaxed. Some people prefer to sit on a chair or on their knees instead of the classic posture, and there is also the lying meditation. Whatever position you adopt, the back should always be straight and the body, especially the shoulders and arms, relaxed.

4. Focus on an object

Focus on an object or on the breath (with eyes closed) when you begin meditation practice.. Later, you can do other types of meditation, such as "body scanning" or meditation focused on sounds.

5. Accept the thoughts that arise and move on.

It is common that, during the practice of meditation, different thoughts arise: our personal problems, the discomfort of the moment or the insecurity of being doing meditation well or not (something that usually happens when we start in this practice). But this is something normal and, therefore, we must accept it..

Meditation focuses on the idea that psychological well-being is a state that emerges from the acceptance of thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations without trying to eliminate or modify them, just observe them in a non-judgmental way. Therefore, when these thoughts appear, simply observe them in a non-judgmental way,when these thoughts appear, simply accept them and then refocus the attention on the object, the breath, the sound or the sensation.the object, the breath, the sound or the bodily sensation.

6. Increase your meditation time progressively.

When you start meditation, you should start slowly and then increase the time you spend on it.. It is ideal to start with one-minute meditation, to progressively reach 20 or 30 minutes a day that will help you improve your well-being. Take a look at this video to know what is one-minute meditation:

7. Add it to your daily routine

After reading the steps above, you are now ready to make meditation a healthy habit.. With practice you will become a great meditator, which will help you achieve the benefits of this ancient practice.

8. Look for people who also want to get started in meditation.

Few things are more effective than looking for "allies" for your daily routine.. Whether it's to practice meditation together, to keep track of each other's progress, or to share interesting routines, having a supportive partner will increase your adherence to meditation.

Do not lose sight of the fact that the practice of relaxation and meditation should be a pleasant moment, and sharing it with someone else will increase this positive feeling.

Psychology and meditation: Mindfulness exercises

In recent years, meditation has become part of psychological therapy (for example, thanks to Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy or MBCT), but it has also begun to be implemented in organizations, schools and sports.

And the fact is that, from psychology, many professionals have become aware of the benefits of meditation, and specifically mindfulness, for mental health, relationships, and the environment.The fact is that, from psychology, many professionals have realized the benefits of meditation, and specifically mindfulness, for mental health, interpersonal relationships, creativity or optimal performance, whether in sports, school or work.

• If you want to get started in mindfulness practice, we suggest you read the following article: "5 Mindfulness exercises to improve your emotional well-being".

Are you interested in incorporating meditation into your daily life?

If you want to learn to meditate and incorporate this practice into the way you live your life, you may be interested in the proposal of Journeys that Change Lives.

This is an initiative that revolves around the idea of designing small group trips focused on meditation and Mindfulness, and is led by a team of instructors who are responsible for planning the routes, preparing the activities, and have ready all the logistics of these group outings, which can be destined for regions of the Spanish geography or more distant places, such as Egypt or Jordan. If you want to know more about this proposal, please contact Viajes que Cambian Vidas, or directly with Félix Cuéllar.