Gathering thoughts and finding inner peace: This is what meditation does. And with a little practice, the technology can be integrated into everyday life. We explain how you can learn the basics of meditation in just a few steps.
Meditating is a good practice for those who are constantly stressed out, sleep badly because thoughts are constantly buzzing around in their heads, and those who wish for more inner peace and serenity overall. And one that’s really easy integrate into everyday life can if you get involved and have some discipline. But if you want to learn meditation, you should first know what it is and which method is suitable for you.
Meditation is a practice that man since centuries practiced. Basically, it is about being able to let go of thoughts, to focus on what is important and to achieve more serenity. Various breathing and mindfulness exercises help. In the first step, however, you should calmly deal with the topic of meditating in order to get an impression of what you are getting yourself into. If you prefer, you can also use different apps or Books help to get information and to be actively guided.
Learning to meditate: Beginners should know this
Meditation is not just meditation. Anyone who decides they want to learn it must first decide between two types that are a little different in outward appearance and inner spirit.
- Kontemplative Meditation: In this type of meditation one does not move. You sit, lie or stand. It is therefore also known as passive meditation. Subtypes of this method are, for example, Vipassana, Zazen and Samatha meditation. Modern mindfulness exercises, which can be learned via apps, are also derived from these forms of meditation.
- Active Meditation: Physical exercises are also performed here, using the voice or integrating mindfulness into actions. Yoga, tantra or some martial arts styles are part of this type of meditation.
The forms of meditation are different in their execution, but the core is the same: It is about learning to concentrate and focus your attention in a targeted manner. This is done using various methods, in which the focus is on breath, thoughts, physical sensations or noises and scents. Through this one learns to focus the mind and calm down altogether. By conditioning this approach, one eventually manages to stop the constant flickering in the mind and to focus more specifically on certain thoughts that are important to oneself.
Positive effects of meditation can be a strengthened immune system, a lower stress level, improved memory, balance or better sleep. Learning to meditate and integrating it into everyday life is definitely worth it – and anyone can start with it. Namely with these four steps.
Learn meditation in four steps
Step one
As a beginner, it pays to learn passive meditation first. This is because you internalize breathing exercises and the basic steps, which you can then combine with other activities. First you should do the following things:
- Where do you want to meditate? At best, you should get one fixed place are looking for something that has few distracting factors (noise and unnecessary objects), that makes you feel comfortable and that helps to develop routines. This can be a chair, a mat in a cozy corner of the bedroom, or even the bed. Comfortable clothes, about one Leggings or sports pants, is also recommended.
- In order to get in, it should be really quiet during the exercises in order to be able to get involved. So the best thing to do is find one fixed time of day where it’s quiet, you can’t get calls, or you can be disturbed by another person – for at least ten minutes to start with.
step two
Once you have found a suitable place and a suitable time for yourself, you can start with the first exercises. You don’t have to sit in the Schneider or Lotus seat for this. You can meditate in one any sitting position. At a certain point, you internalize the exercises so much that these fixed rituals are no longer absolutely necessary. They are therefore all the more important for the beginning. For the first exercises you should consider the following things:
- The posture should be straight and pleasant be comfortable enough to remain still for at least ten minutes.
- Even if they aren’t necessary, they are Lotus, Tailor and Heel Seats (for beginners, for example, using a Meditation bank) three suitable sitting postures. Also a (meditation) cushiona rolled up blanket or a sitting mat are suitable for meditation.
- When meditating, shoulders should fall, hands should be relaxed on knees or lap, and muscles not used for sitting, such as facial muscles, should be relaxed relaxed be.
step three
It is important for beginners to get a time frame create in order to consciously engage in meditation and to improve step by step. You can set an alarm or a timer for this. And then, in one’s comfortable, quiet environment, standing upright, one should begin the first exercise:
- Find soft focus or directly die close eyes.
- Deliberately five deep breaths take by breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Close your eyes at the latest after the fifth breath.
- Now it is important that Focused attention on breathing to permit. But it should follow its own natural rhythm. You should only perceive them very specifically and recognize how the air flows in and out of the lungs, how the stomach and chest expand. If you lose focus in between and get distracted by thoughts, you should notice it, not judge it, but always gently come back to the focus on the breath.
This first simple exercise teaches you to recognize how many thoughts are actually going through your head – automatically and unconsciously. But if you are completely with yourself, you will recognize them more and more often and consciously draw your attention away from them.
step four
If you have concentrated on your breathing for about ten minutes at the beginning and have managed to let go of your thoughts again and again when you have wandered off, the first important step has been taken. It is important after meditating though don’t jump up right away and get on with the daily tasks straight away. It is better to take the meditative state of mind with you into the coming actions, to continue to notice the breath and the body feeling and condition. This is how mindfulness arises.
More methods to learn meditation
However, if you find it difficult to create new routines on your own or to integrate this time into your everyday life, you can also use one professional support and guidance start, for example through an app or a online course.
These are some of the apps that are worthwhile for beginners because they guide you through the techniques step by step:
- Headspace
- 7Mind
- mindfulness app
Learn to meditate: More tips for beginners
In the beginning, many different thoughts will certainly be buzzing around uncontrollably in your head when you meditate for the first time. This is completely normal and should not discourage you. Because it works with meditation not about performance, it’s about conditioning yourself to be more conscious of your mind and learning to let go of those thoughts. But this is only possible with regular practice. Important is:
- You should definitely keep at it and meditate every day place in everyday life.
- If you are unable to bring your attention back from your thoughts to your breathing one day, you should do not fret. Be aware and keep practicing.
- After a few days or weeks, the Duration of the meditation exercises be expanded again and again. At the beginning, ten minutes is quite sufficient. In addition, you can consciously create space for meditation in the mornings and evenings, so that at some point it will naturally accompany you through everyday life.
- Once you get used to the breathing exercise, you can do it expand focus and include other objects besides breathing that one consciously focuses on, such as bodily sensations, feelings, Sounds or smells.
Otherwise, you can’t really do anything wrong, you just have to consciously engage in meditation – and you’ll notice that it’s definitely good for body and mind. And at least for a few minutes you can escape everyday life.
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