Category:
Meditation for Beginners: Top Tips
The following are Kadampa Meditation Centre Southampton’s top tips for starting and improving your meditation practice.
Remind yourself why you want to meditate- motivation is essential for overcoming distractions and establishing a successful meditation practice.
Make a special space for meditation, even if it’s just a chair – this will help you carve out the time and will serve as a reminder to meditate.
You don’t have to sit cross-legged on the floor; its ok to sit in a chair. The key is to maintain a straight but relaxed back.
Be realistic about how long you will meditate for – 10-15 minutes of concentrated effort per day is far better than 30-40 minutes of distracted daydreaming!
Most people find that practicing first thing in the morning is the best time before the mind becomes too preoccupied or your family awakens.
Whatever time you choose to meditate, try to do it at the same time every day so that it becomes a habit, similar to brushing your teeth!
Don’t be discouraged if your meditation session doesn’t go as planned; instead, remind yourself that you’re training your mind and that not every session will go as planned.
Make it clear what you are meditating on – This is known as the “Meditation Object”
To begin with, the breath is very helpful, but there are plenty of other more beneficial thoughts, views, or attitudes to focus on. These can be found in the free e-book – How to Transform Your Life.
Don’t give up if you miss a day or two! Remind yourself of how much better you feel after meditating and begin again.
It is easier to meditate with others – why not join one of our weekly meditation for beginner classes. You can even join our meditation courses online!
Find out about our meditation classes
If you want to learn more about Buddha’s teachings, click here for weekly meditation classes, as well as weekend meditation courses and meditation retreats that are available to those in Southampton, Hampshire, Winchester, Dorset & Isle of Wight.