How to Meditate for Beginners in 10 Easy Steps

Although there are many ways to meditate, I’ll give you an overview of how to meditate in general terms -- how you can prepare beforehand, what to do during meditation and then what you can do afterward that will reinforce your practice. But first you may be wondering...

Why 10 Steps?

Now some people may be thinking, why do you need 10 steps when all you have to do is start meditating, keep meditating and then stop meditating? And although that's true, it's not particularly helpful for beginners when you are first learning how to meditate. The first three steps are to prepare you, so that when you sit down to meditate, if that's what you chose, then you will know that you are ready. Otherwise your first few minutes of meditation will be taken up with multiple starts.

You're ready to begin... you sit down. But the floor isn't comfortable, so up you get to grab a pillow. You sit back down, only to discover that your pillow isn't high enough. So, you're back up again to get another one.

Finally, you are sitting comfortably. But wait, what's that sharp thing digging into your hip? Now you wrestle your cellphone out of your pocket, and when did these jeans become so tight? Phew, now you set the timer for 30 minutes.

Focus on the breath. Inhale deeply. Exhale fully.

Three and a half minutes you realize that it's vitally important that you do something at half past the hour. But because you got up to get those extra cushions, you started late, and now you have to reset the timer... yep, 23 minutes will be just right.

Back to breathing in... breathing out...

Yes, I've been there and I've done more variations of the above scenario than I'd like admit. And that's exactly why I think the first three steps are so important when you are learning how to meditate. In fact, when you are just beginning, then good preparation may be the most important key to success.

The middle four steps are the heart of meditation. This is when you figure out why you are doing it and then actually taking the time to spend with yourself and for yourself.

And while the last three steps may not be essential either, I also think they are important because I know how easy it is to get caught up in everything going on in your life. And how hard it can be to give yourself permission to take time for yourself.

Also, I personally have a sliding ruler that I apply to myself. Every so often I'll start feeling down or feeling frustrated. I get annoyed at myself for not accomplishing everything I think I should have. I'll feel as if I should be better... more successful, more prolific, more efficient, more effective, or more whatever than I currently am. And not only are my expectations out of whack, but I've completely lost sight of the bigger picture. It'd be like a parent yelling at their toddler for not qualifying for the 100m sprint at the Olympics.

For example, I wanted to have the first 30 pages of this website up and running in less than 2 weeks. Without knowing anything about website design. Or keywords. Or even how to notify the search engines it existed. In fact, I didn't even know what I didn't know. It's now been almost 6 months and I'm slowly getting those 30 pre-written pages posted online. Yet just this past week I caught myself being frustrated for not having the next 50 up. :)

Once I'm aware of this sliding ruler effect, I can chuckle to myself and remember back to a year ago, when I was living literally halfway around the world, working in a completely different field, and the idea that I'd have my own website, let alone two, never even crossed my mind.

So, if you are at all like me, then after you've been meditating for a month and you've found ways to fit it into your life and people have even started to say to you that you seem different somehow, that you'll still be thinking 'But I've never meditated for 20 minutes yet, therefore I'm not really meditating'.

And that is what the last three steps are meant to help with... to be gentle with yourself even when you feel like you are struggling. To have an objective way to measure your progress, so that you'll be convinced that you can and already are meditating. And finally, to prevent life from taking over all of your time and carve out even just a few minutes each day for yourself.

Before:

1) Prepare yourself and your space.

You will first need to decide on a type of meditation, as this will determine your physical position and your mental focus. There are many types of meditation to chose from, some involve movement, others will need accessories. When beginning it is best to chose a type that plays to your strengths and is done for a short time period.

2) Gather your accessories.

Make sure you have what you need, whatever that may be. It could be a chair or mat or pillows to sit on. It could be a blanket to keep warm. It could be a candle, or flower or mantra to use. You will also need a timer that beeps to let you know when the time is up. Kitchen timers work well for this, or most cell phones will have one.

3) Get comfortable.

Find a position that you will be able to remain in (unless it is a moving meditation) for your set time period. You can lie down, sit on a chair, kneel on the floor, or use a cushion or a stool.

During:

4) Set an intention for your meditation session.

What do you want to get out of it? You might have a particular reason for meditating, in which case you'll have a pretty clear idea about what your intention is. But if just want to give it a go, or are establishing a daily practice then you may not have a specific reason. In this case, take a couple deep breaths and usually one word, or maybe two, will pop into your head. For example: relax, love, peace, forgiveness, calm, joy, smile, sing, thank-you, awe, amazement.

5) Start meditating.

Make sure your timer is set for your predetermined time period and press start. Then, begin whatever method you've decided to use. In general, it will involve awareness of your senses, observation of either the world outside or within, a continual process of being in the present moment.

6) Recommit after distractions.

Unless you are a meditation superstar, then you will get distracted. By something external (eg - the phone, a barking dog) or internal (eg - your wandering mind, an itchy knee). Be gentle on yourself when you become aware that you've gotten distracted. Smile lovingly at yourself, take a deep breath in, exhale and then begin again.

7) Continue until your timer beeps.

Keep doing the ongoing process of observing, noticing and letting go, recommitting and reconnecting.

After:

8) Positively affirm your efforts.

Some days will be easier than others. Through this process you are disciplining your mind to obey you and teaching it how to work for you. Remember, there is no failure, only feedback.

9) Record your experience.

Use a meditation journal to document your experience. Many times we can't see the progress we make, but if you write it down, then you will often be surprised at how far you've come.

10) Make a date with yourself.

Set a day and time for your next meditation experience. It's easy to say "This felt great, I'm going to have to do it again." But then life gets busy and you get caught up in family, work, friends and day-to-day living. By lining up a time to do it again you will help yourself to make meditation part of your daily life.

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