How to meditate: the wonderful ways you can be more mindful
Meditation is a ritual and a practice with proven scientific evidence around the incredible benefits it can provide. It can supply you with a wonderful window into a more mindful (not mind FULL) life.
When you meditate, you establish a sense of calm and stability, allowing you to cultivate self-awareness and intentional actions for the rest of your day.
Additionally, you will feel calmer, and centred when you are triggered or pushed and pulled by other forces throughout the day. This is so important, and becomes more fluid the more we practise it.
Not only that, but meditation also ignites your waking hours with fierce focus, enhanced productivity and creativity, and undoubtedly upgrades the quality of your presence.
So, let us guide you through the amazing benefits and practices of meditation!
What is meditation?
As described perfectly by Very Well Mind, meditation is a technique (or set of techniques) that work to bring in a state of awareness and focused attention.
Meditation is a consciousness changing technique that has a huge range of benefits including wellbeing, mindset, mental health - but also is used when connecting with your higher self or when manifesting.
Meditation, however, isn’t just the process of you sitting down with a guided meditation from Insight Timer or Calm, you can meditate in a number of ways (which we will cover soon).
To meditate it is all around bringing yourself to the present moment to a state of consciousness and there are a number of ways you can do that - which, again we will explain.
What are the benefits of meditation?
Meditation has the power to do beautiful things to your mind, body and soul. As we develop more knowledge around meditation, more scientific evidence is coming to light to explain the benefits of meditation.
Some of the benefits include:
Helping to move away from fight or flight responses
Relaxation
Healing power
Making a space for rest
Helping with mental overload
Enhances self-awareness
Improves sleep
Helps with pain
These are just some of the many amazing benefits of meditation. But what is most powerful about practising meditation is how it can help you to connect with your higher self. It works as part of your manifestation and visualisation techniques.
When people say “I don’t have time to meditate”, they are redistricting themselves from the power of meditation. They are also closing off to the chances of downloading ideas and information that will guide them.
What are the ways you can meditate
Thinking about the art and practice of meditation, most of us think, sit down straight, put on an app like Insight Timer or Calm and sit there for a period of time. Of course, this is a form of meditation, but it isn’t the only kind.
You can even just take three deep breaths when you need it, which will help you get back into a bigger state of being - which you need.
As we mentioned, loads of people say they don’t have time to meditate, but they don’t understand the time spent within is 1000x more beneficial than the time rushing around trying to get tasks done.
Mediation works to connect you with the Aether (space), which is the fifth element (along water, fire, air and earth).
When you are thinking about meditation, you want to be mindful, but you don’t want your mind to be full! Clearing your mind is the important part of meditation, however, if you go off track, that is okay. The power is knowing and bringing it back.
There are so many ways to meditate. Listed below are just a starting point, but of course, there are many great resources to give you more inspiration, but we have some below!
Ways you can meditate include:
Insight timer up and calm - yes this is a way (not the only)
Repeat a mantra (Japa Meditation - Japa (mantra repetition - is a powerful meditation technique using mala beads)
Mindful meditation (go for a walk a be mindful, pay attention to what you are doing)
Activities that are meditative (colouring book, drawing, painting - anything that takes your mind out)
Cooking (be present to what you are cooking)
Pouring your tea and taking some breaths
Chanting (or singing)
Mindful journaling
Gratitude meditation (thinking of things you are grateful for)
Visualisation meditation (visualising your desires)
When it comes to being mindful and meditation, it is all about accessing a state of outer consciousness.
How to start meditation
If you are new to meditating I recommend starting with the one I have created (download my free rituals guide for this). Feel free to then go with what your heart desires and simply swap in any other meditation of your choosing even if it's not guided.
When it comes to meditation, as long as you are making the conscious effort to take part in a practice, you really don’t have to follow the step by step practice. However, if you are one to follow instructions, here is a good technique guide on how to get started with your meditation practice.
One thing I would recommend, try and schedule it into your day. Maybe even when you wake up, in the shower, before you go to sleep, it is all about forming the habit!
My journey to meditation
For me, I started meditating at the age of five. I was taught how to meditate by a spiritual guru who was helping me to be more present and aware of my hyperactivity - I did struggle to sleep. When I was younger, it was all about bringing awareness and consciousness to my current state so I would stay calm.
As I grew older, I called on meditation in many instances of my life including when I was studying under very high pressure. Meditation brought me back to a state of calm when I was feeling overwhelmed.
When I was on my spiritual journey in India and Brazil, I used meditation a lot! But it wasn’t until I became a Mum that meditation really became a lifesaver. Before the birth of my first child, I used meditation for the birthing process, then after, I used it to keep my sanity when times were difficult.
Now I am using it as a Mum to introduce it to my girls through mantras, chanting and more traditional forms of meditation.
Whether on the beach or at home, meditation helps ground me, it helps to keep me focussed and works for me as I balance family, work and business life.
Final thoughts
Meditation is a beautiful daily practise that doesn’t take long to do but has incredible benefits on your mind, body and soul.
One thing to remember with meditation is, you don’t have to overcomplicate the action. Choose a form of meditation (or multiple) that works for you and try to implement it into your daily rituals.
The key is to be consistent and do what works for you and your day! It could be mindful work, some colouring or it could be a 10-minute meditation on the grass. On days you are busy, a few deep breaths to re-centre will have huge benefits.