Meditation for Beginners aka Learning to Sit

The first time that I tried to meditate was during the 2-hour meditation module that was part of yoga teacher training. We sat propped up on blankets (find a comfortable seat) and formed a semi-circle. I closed my eyes and sat for 30 minutes

During that time, a few things happened. I almost fell asleep several times. I was surprised by the physical weight of my head on my shoulders. My thoughts raced and my mind never felt as busy as it did it when I asked it to be quiet. When asked to sit still, it’s inevitable that there will be a stray hair on my face or a itch that needs to be scratched on my back. 30 minutes felt like two hours.

I didn’t know what I expected to happen during that time. Would my thought cease? Would I see visions? Would some inner voice speak to me, leading me down a path to enlightenment?

Photo Credit: Brister Photo

Mindfulness and meditation have been touted as the antidote to our always-on, always-engaged modern world. Studies have shown that meditation can result in stress reduction, improved attention and productivity, better memory, increased creativity and even exercise satisfaction.

It seems like something that we should all try to incorporate into our day. And you don’t need anything to meditate. Just time, right?

Since that first experience with meditation, I’ve tried a few other times. I’ve tried meditation for beginners challenges. I’ve tried to meditate in the morning. I’ve tried to meditate in the evening. But I could never do it consistently. I would get distracted or I wouldn’t see or feel the benefits that I was promised, so I moved on.

A few weeks ago, I was listening to a Rich Roll podcast about establishing the morning routine. While he shared his morning routine, it was his wife’s morning routine that stuck with me. Not the specifics of her routine per se but the fact that she is a mother of four and is busy and has a number of demands on her and her time. If she doesn’t start her day intentionally (and often super early in the morning), her day is taken from her.

I totally get that. It was enough to convince me to work on building a morning routine and to start my day intentionally.

For the past two weeks or so, I’ve started my day with 10 minutes of meditation. It’s not a huge commitment, but it is a commitment to myself to get up and check in with myself. Sure I missed a day or two, but for the most part, I’ve been consistent with this practice.

It’s been an interesting experience. My mind is still busy busy when I ask it to be calm. But, as soon as I consciously let my mind wander and do whatever it wants, my mind stills. And 10 minutes passes quickly.

Overall, I feel calmer throughout the day, even when my to-do list is a mile long. However, that feeling of being overwhelmed isn’t all consuming. On the days that I don’t start my day with meditation, I notice it. I get frustrated more easily and don’t have as much patience with other people and my kids.

I used the Headspace app for the first 10 days. It’s meditation for beginners, and it does a good job of making meditation really accessible. After the 10 days, I stopped using the app when I realized that I would have to subscribe and pay. (I’m cheap!) Since then, I’ve used the timer on my phone.

A few things that have made meditation “easier” for me:

• Your thoughts won’t cease when you meditate. That’s not the goal of meditation.
• You’ll start to bring awareness to your thoughts and watch the, like you’re standing on the side of the road and watching the traffic pass.
• Once you notice that you get distracted by your thoughts or start to fixate on any one thought or idea, that awareness is being mindful and present in the moment.
• Meditation is about finding the calm that already exists in our minds. The non-stop chatter in our head just obscures this calm and causes ripples.

While I’m still just starting down this path, I’m grateful for spending a few moments every morning focused on me and my mental wellbeing. I am still wondering if I’ll have a major a-ha moment during meditation.

What’s it like to meditate? Here’s one beginner’s experience (and tips!). #fitfluential
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Do you meditate?

This post is part of a series of posts taking a closer look at the ingredients that make up my wellness story and is part of my partnership with Orgain as their Blogger Ambassador. Join in the conversation by following #HowIOrgain on social media. I received compensation and Orgain products as part of this program. All views and opinions expressed are 100% my own.

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