Meditation | St. Louis Corporate Yoga

Meditation For Beginners

With all the benefits meditation add to your life, we know you would like to begin practicing immediately! Here are our best tips for beginners!

When you start practicing meditation, you may face two challenges: it might be difficult to sit for an extended period of time and emptying your mind might only function for a few seconds. Distractions are bound to happen and you will need to deal with them in a proactive way. You need to overcome this initial phase with great determination and discipline.

The easiest way to get over the initial problems is to start meditation by focusing on the breath. You will be able to learn this technique during our yoga classes.

Sometimes, you may find hard to concentrate during meditation. Recognizing that you are not concentrating is the first step. You can bring back your focus to the breathing process and slowly but surely, you will learn how to focus for an extended period of time.

Two meditation techniques for beginners:

1. Concentrative meditation technique will teach you how to focus on a single point. Concentrating on a single point, sound or activity can be practiced by repeating a mantra or a single word, listening to a repetitive gong, looking at a candle flame, counting beads on a rosary, watching the breath.

Focusing for an extended period of time can be a daunting task. Beginners should meditate for only a short period of time in the initial stages. Focusing for a prolonged period of time should be attempted in a gradual manner.

During meditation whenever your mind gets distracted with other thoughts, you will refocus your awareness on the chosen object of attention. This simple technique will teach you how to avoid pursuing random thoughts and your ability to concentrate will get improved considerably.

2. Mindfulness meditation technique will motivate a beginner to observe the wandering thoughts as they pass through the mind. The aim of this method is not to judge wandering thoughts or getting involved with them, but to be aware of each mental note as it arises. Then let those thoughts pass without expectation or emotions.

When a beginner practices mindfulness meditation, you will be able to see how your feelings and thoughts tend to move in certain patterns and gradually, you will become aware of the human tendency to judge experience as pleasant or unpleasant. As a beginner, when you practice this technique regularly, you will be able to develop inner balance.

Best posture

The best body posture for practicing meditation is to sit cross legged on the floor, keeping the spine straight and relaxed. As a beginner, you may find this body posture quite demanding or even extremely uncomfortable.

If you feel uncomfortable during meditation, you can select a posture that you are most comfortable with like sitting straight on a chair.

Don’t give up!

During meditation, your mind may get distracted with other thoughts 100 times and you should bring it back to your focus at hand 100 times. You should be prepared to bring it back for 101 times as well and such a method of approach will help you get over all the difficulties during the initial stages of meditation.

Learn how to manage the initial problems and meditation will become an integral aspect of your life. As a result, quality of your life will undergo a tremendous amount of transformation.

Common Mistakes When Starting Your Meditation Practice

Learning to meditate will add tremendous benefits to your life. Learning how to control your mind can is a difficult task and you need to have the discipline and patience to build up your practice over time.

Many people give up meditation after a few days. Please avoid committing some of the common mistakes while practicing meditation.

Here are the 5 common meditation mistakes:

1) Expecting too much too fast

Here is the truth: you cannot expect dramatic results from meditation just after a few days of practice. It is a well-known fact that meditation offers great benefits for your mind and body and you should adopt a systematic method of approach to make all these aspects a reality.

Do not get overly excited about meditation just to give up after a week. Also, don’t expect miracles after a few days – a regular practice is absolutely essential. Getting frustrated or impatient is quite natural for all beginners. The best solution is to keep on practicing in a daily manner.

2) The proper environment is crucial

An improper environment will cut your meditation session short and distractions will make you feel frustrated. Please select a suitable environment to practice meditation and the place that you select needs to be free from all types of distractions as well.

If you are practicing at home ask your family members to respect your wish for a few minutes of quiet “me-time”. It is advisable to select a soft, supportive and serene place that is ideal for various activities like sitting or lying down. Your clothing also deserves great attention – wear only comfortable clothing. All these aspects will make your meditation truly enjoyable.

3) Switching among various meditation techniques

Choose one meditation technique to start with and stick with that method without getting worried about other methods. Some people try out a method for a few days and they will switch over to another method immediately after that. This will not deliver the desired results.

In case that particular method does not deliver results after you have made determined efforts, there is nothing wrong in selecting a more suitable method. The bottom line is that you should not get too experimental.

4) No consistent practice

If you practice irregularly, achieving the desired results will become a distant reality. In order to get maximum benefits out of meditation, you should meditate in a daily manner and practicing meditation should be made an integral part of your daily routine.

Those people, who are really serious towards meditation, will always consider it as a mental hygiene practice. Quitters will never win and winners will never quit. You should not quit practicing after a few days and it can be said without an iota of doubt that regular practice is absolutely essential to reap the real rewards associated with meditation.

5) Selecting an unsuitable meditation technique

Developing a consistent meditation practice can be extremely difficult if you select an unsuitable technique that will take a long time to learn and master. Please choose the most suitable method for YOU – one that will keep you relaxed and comfortable.

Avoid these five common mistakes to make your meditation session enjoyable and rewarding!

Different Schools Of Meditation

Throughout the hundreds if not thousand years that meditation is practiced many different meditation styles were created. The fundamental principle of reflection and quiet thought to achieve a state of rumination remains the same even though different schools of meditation make use of different techniques.

Let’s look at the major meditation styles: Taoist meditation, Zen meditation, Buddhist meditation, Vipassana meditation, Transcendental meditation and Mindfulness meditation.

Taoist meditation

Taoist meditation bears great resemblance to Buddhist system and this school of thought can be described as extremely practical in comparison with contemplative traditions that originated in India.

The underlying theory of this meditation is generation, transformation and circulation of inner energy. When a person becomes successful in achieving this stream of energy known as ‘deh-chee’, it can be utilized to promote longevity and better health according to the discretion of the person involved.

Beginners will be taught breath and navel meditation during the initial stages and it can be described as one of the oldest methods. Natural flow of breath in the nostrils and, expansion and contraction of the abdomen can always be associated with this method and your focused attention and one-pointed awareness will get improved significantly as well.

Zen Meditation

Zen meditation will advocate the importance of sitting in various positions and you will come to learn how to close your mind to thought and images as well.

Your heart rate will become slower and the intensity of your breathing will come down as well. As a resultant factor, you will get into a meditative state and your thought will become isolated.

You will be aware of the present moment only and thoughts about the past and future will not haunt you. In a nutshell, Zen meditation will guard you from the constant chatter of the subconscious mind.

Buddhist meditation

This type of meditation will provide you complete control over your mind and a natural balance between your mind, body and soul will become a reality. Buddhist meditation will make you completely aware of your physical body and every movement your body makes.

Buddhist meditation is an extremely disciplined practice and you should practice it in a daily manner to bring maximum benefit to your mind, soul and body. Fear will not find a place in your mind and you can always expect better concentration and focus with this method as well.

Vipassana meditation

Though Buddha was the chief architect of Vipassana meditation, this meditation is not confined to individuals with a Buddhist background. This method will teach you the best way of healing the body and mind and it is being achieved by removing toxins and other forms of impurities through the process of cleansing. You need to seek professional assistance to achieve the utmost level of purification and rumination through this method.

Transcendental meditation

This practice can be described as a simple and easy method to learn and practice. At the same time, transcendental meditation will bring tremendous practical benefits to all areas of life. You will come to know how to rest your mind and body and also alleviate tiredness and stress in a natural manner.

With the help of transcendental meditation, you can reach a state of rumination in an uncomplicated manner. You do not have to allocate specific time and place for practicing this meditation and it can be practiced in your home, bus or in any place according to your own preference. This meditation is a great choice for nearly everybody.

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness will teach you how to remain alert and mindful towards whatever you do and you will always have better awareness about your surroundings and diverse situations. As a result, you will enjoy a relaxed body and nervous system.

This method became very popular in recent years as it can be applied to every aspect of life including eating and exercising. It will train your mind to be aware of your surroundings in the best possible way.

Which particular meditation do you practice? Please share in the comment box below!