Guided Meditation For Beginners

Guided Meditation For Beginners: Learn to Meditate for Beginners

Guided meditations have a decisive advantage - they accompany you through the meditation session and do not leave you alone with your thoughts and feelings.

This is a great advantage for beginners to meditation, as sitting in silence requires practice and is unsuitable for everyone.

Consequently, voice-guided meditations are an excellent introduction to meditation and mindfulness since they are simple to follow, even for beginners.

A speaker guides you through the meditation activity. There are several types of guided meditation. For example, you can go on a mental journey to a vital area in your mind.

However, guided meditations can also have a specific goal, such as a body scan, which helps you feel better in your body. Click Here to Learn the full Guide as a beginner

There are guided meditations that promote inner serenity and help you cultivate gratitude or compassion.

You would agree that many people want inner peace, no tension, and complete relaxation in their frantic daily lives.

And meditation can help us do this! This article will teach you how to attain these goals using guided meditation and meditation.

What Is The First Rule In Meditation

Meditation is a psycho-physical technique that anybody can use. It directs one's attention to one's ideas and experiences.

It also serves as an effective ally in the therapeutic sector. It is mainly used to promote calmness, relaxation, and balance.

Meditation is just "being with yourself" unconditionally, accurately perceiving reality as it exists.

It is being aware of what is happening without expressing an opinion. If you have an opinion, you can also witness it.

Here Are A Few Rules For Meditation.

1. Location

You can meditate almost anywhere. In a room, on a terrace, in nature, in the mountains, on the banks of a river, under a tree, away from intense sun and cold wind, animals and insects.

However, it is best to start by meditating in a clean, well-ventilated, and bright room that is warm in winter and cool in summer,

away from noise and disturbance, and free from unnecessary objects that crowd the room or make it uncomfortable.

2. Clothes

Your clothes should be clean and simple, made of cotton or linen, without frills or too elegant.

It should fit comfortably and suit the season. Some items of clothing whose presence is not felt during meditation are suitable as clothing.

Clothing that is too tight, made of artificial material, brightly coloured, too thick, or, on the contrary, exposes parts of your body to the cold, expensive, pretentious, or with an inappropriate appearance should be avoided.

3. The Foods

Eat regularly and at established hours. The cuisine should be simple, well-cooked, easy to digest, and made using the most nutritious and ripe vegetables and fruits.

Rice, wheat, millet, buckwheat, sorghum, sesame, almonds, hazelnuts, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and seeds are among the most appropriate diets.

4. Rest

Sleep is as important as clothes and food. Make sure you receive six hours of sleep at a consistent time each night.

Sleep warm under blankets in the winter and on cool bedding in a quiet, serene room in the summer.

A bed that's not too soft or too firm would be perfect. The first thing would bring us much discomfort and disturb our sleep,

while the second would promote laziness. Save your nights. Wake up early, preferably before sunrise.

5. Body posture

Sit down on a thick cushion intended for meditation (zafu). Keep the spine perfectly straight, retract the chin so the tip of the nose and navel are on the same vertical line, and the ears and shoulders are on the same plane.

6. Breath

Breathe through your nose and be aware of the sensations generated by the air passing through your nostrils and body. Observe the breath as if you were a sentinel at the gate of your nostrils.

What Are The Mistakes For Beginners In Meditation

Naturally, more and more people are becoming interested in this practice.

However, many people who want to start meditating need help knowing where to begin and end up making mistakes that make the practice difficult and often frustrating.

Worrying more about duration than consistency is also one of the most common mistakes in meditation.

Some people skip meditation on days when they do not have much time precisely because they think they need to meditate for a long time at a time, about half an hour.

Now, back to the question: What are the mistakes of meditation beginners?

1. Try to empty your mind.

Understanding that the mind was created to think and that we can not turn off this command is important so that you do not get frustrated by the thoughts that arise in your mind during practice.

2. Force an experience.

In certain situations, practice can bring us into contact with feelings and sensations of discomfort. So, do not create the expectation that meditation will always bring well-being and relaxation, even if it usually does.

3. Struggle with your experience.

Meditation is about engaging with the content that arises during the practice, not the content itself.

It is an exercise in mindfulness that should be done with kindness and curiosity. However, if you choose to "fight' with your mind,

you move away from the goal of relaxation and fuel even more stress and anxiety. Anything you resist will persist.

4. Give in to distractions.

External noises, sensations, thoughts, restlessness, an itchy nose, and other distractions often test our ability to concentrate.

The secret isn't to be distracted; bring your attention back to your breathing (pay attention to the air going in and out)

5. Don't have a routine.

Meditating at a different time every day is better than not. So don't worry about practising at the same time every day.

If you don't have 30 minutes, meditate for a shorter time, even if it's only 3 or 5 minutes.

6. Be inflexible.

If you set too many rules for meditation (time of day, duration, and location), the practice can become unworkable.

If you intend to be present momentarily, you can meditate while eating, showering, driving, or walking and still achieve the same benefits as formal meditation practices, such as sitting with your eyes closed and guided by meditation music.

7. React instead of act.

You're expected to judge the thoughts that randomly arise during meditation. Do something else: observe them.

We can direct our behaviour more confidently when we become aware that feelings and emotions are temporary mental phenomena and avoid reacting to them unconsciously.

Which Meditation Is Recommended For Beginners

Many people might be concerned about the best type of meditation for beginners. 

I'll tell you that there is no "more "effective" meditation technique than another because it's not a sport. Nonetheless, specific methods are more accessible for beginners to learn.

As I have already explained, there are many different kinds of meditation. Of them all, I suggest beginning with mindfulness meditation.

If you practice mindfulness meditation regularly, you will find the calmness, stress, anxiety reduction, and clarity most people associate with meditation.

From then on, meditation has been a never-ending journey and can have many helpful effects.

Mindfulness means full awareness and has become widely used in recent years. Some books, such as People Who Need to Focus on Something, have this title.

This is why mindfulness is also considered meditation. The practice focuses on breathing techniques, body movements, and ambient sounds.

Especially if you have been diagnosed with insomnia or suffer from other sleep-related problems, mindfulness is an excellent meditation option for controlling sleep and anxiety.

Mindfulness meditation is a very flexible practice. You may do it while working, eating, cleaning up, or walking.

The most important thing is to focus entirely on your work and live in the present.

It's an excellent way to cultivate awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and bodily experiences.

How Many Minutes Should I Meditate As A Beginner

There is no fixed rule; I start with short periods, 5-10 minutes, and gradually increase. It's like tuning a musical instrument:

Take your time to find the perfect harmony between your mind and body. Listen to your rhythm and let the practice develop naturally.

Set a realistic time for your first meditation session. As little as 2-5 minutes can be enough.

If you want to meditate for 15-20 minutes at first, you will feel it needs to be simplified and want to give up.

You can gradually increase the duration: You may be ready for 10 minutes instead of 2 or 5 minutes weekly.

Remember, however, that the quality of the time invested is more important than the quantity (the actual number of minutes).

The duration depends on the total duration of the exercise:

Beginner — 5-10 minutes;

Advanced — 15-20 minutes;

Experienced — 40 minutes or more.

Some people can meditate for hours, and Buddhist mindfulness practices can last longer.

However, such a duration has no helpful effect in everyday life, so most people are advised to stop at the golden mean—20 minutes. This is enough to "purify" the mind.

Meditation is one of those things where asceticism is unacceptable. Everything should happen naturally, just like extending the duration of the practice. 

The mind will tell itself when it can stay longer in this state. If it works for at most 5 minutes, this is the optimal time.

To know how much time has passed, it is advisable to set a timer on your cell phone or an alarm clock. A gentle signal will help you wake up and get out of this state.

How Many Times A Day Should I Meditate?

Beginners are recommended to meditate twice a day. If desired, the number of sessions can be increased.

However, too much practice is not allowed and will not have the desired effect.

The optimum frequency is twice a day. Only in this way can a specific result be achieved. Meditation is an exercise in attention and concentration that must be practised regularly.

How Should A Beginner Start Meditating

Start with short meditations. Start with 2-5 minutes and gradually increase to 10 minutes when you feel comfortable. You can also do a brief mindfulness exercise and meditate for a few minutes.

How Should a Beginner Start Meditating

1. Choose a quiet place

Ensure you are not disturbed—not by people, ambient noise, or your cell phone. It is best to choose a place without background noise and where no one can see you.

Most people find it uncomfortable if someone is watching them meditate. A closed room at home, e.g., the bedroom, is ideal.

2. Wear comfortable clothing

Wear comfortable clothing that does not pinch, scratch, or rustle for your meditation. It would be best if you were warm and warm.

Loose-fitting trousers are better than jeans, especially if you are sitting cross-legged. I meditate in sportswear and without shoes.

3. Set yourself an alarm clock

Set an alarm clock that rings quietly when your meditation time is over. How long should you meditate for? For beginners, 2-5 minutes is sufficient.

If you find it easier, you can extend your meditation time. But start with short meditations.

Adapt to your well-being; start with 2 to 5 minutes and gradually increase to 10 minutes.

4. Pay attention to your posture

There are many ways to meditate. For beginners, it is advisable to meditate sitting down.

The main thing is that you sit upright but comfortably. If your legs allow it, sit cross-legged.

Your spine is straight. Your shoulders are relaxed. Your arms are comfortable.

5. Be patient and accept the carousel of thoughts

Start your meditation practice with a few expectations; practice patience.

It's normal for your thoughts to jump around like a couple of wild monkeys at first. This is how your head processes all the impressions it's constantly bombarded with.

How To Meditate As A Beginner: Practical Step By Step

1. Decide what your moment will be

Some people prefer to meditate when they wake up to start the day full of energy.

Others prefer to take advantage of every little gap during the day (e.g. during a subway ride, in the shower,

during a flight or in a doctor's waiting room, although it is much more advisable to find a quiet and secluded place first).

Some reserve a few minutes of meditation for the last hour of the evening, just before going to sleep.

2. Sit properly

Sit on the floor or lie on your back. Breathe deeply and keep your arms and shoulders relaxed.

This is the primary and most important position, but you must lie down for others.

3. Close your eyes and breathe.

Once you've chosen a lovely spot—your living room or bedroom, for example—arrange the space to foster relaxation.

Dimmed lights, a comfortable temperature, and comfortable clothing will help you to relax and concentrate.

It's also a good idea to light some scented candles or incense. Then, sit down with your back straight and your legs drawn up.

If you feel more comfortable, you can also lie down. Now concentrate on your breathing (and nothing other than your breathing) in its natural rhythm. Do not try to slow it down.

4. Concentrate on your breathing

If you are starting to meditate, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. When you are more experienced, you can move on to other meditations that focus on sounds or the body.

Concentrate on your breathing and feel how your chest and abdomen rise and fall in rhythm with your inhalation and exhalation.

Observe your thoughts and never judge whether you have too many or cannot concentrate.

3. Accept the thoughts that arise and move on

Accept any thoughts of personal issues or insecurities since they are natural. Meditation involves embracing thoughts and feelings to develop psychological well-being.

If you find it too hard to stay focused, I have you covered. Click Here to learn How to Stay Focused During Meditation

4. Keep at it

Don't feel discouraged if learning to meditate takes longer than expected. In our society, we encounter numerous daily stimuli that arouse our minds, making it initially challenging to counteract.

Lastly, include meditation in your daily schedule. Gradually, you'll progress and reach mastery of this technique.

Conclusion

Guided meditation activities, such as mental journeys or body surveys, can benefit beginner meditators by improving their attention to thoughts and emotions. 

They can also enhance physical health, promote inner serenity, and foster appreciation or empathy. Additionally, they provide stress reduction and relaxation, which aids in goal achievement.